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#1
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I've just realised that no one has asked about this before but what do you think Grace taught at her school?
English is an obvious one but I'm not sure what else the na'vi would be very interested in. Perhaps a foundation in maths, science and engineering? The more you think about it the more the school feels like a hang over from project 880 when the relationship between the humans and the na'vi were more developed and they actually had na'vi guides. |
#2
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I've thought about this a little. I don't think Grace was trying to be pedagogical and teach school subjects as we know them (apart from English). I think more importantly she was trying to bring the children some familiarity with the humans in a friendly and non-threatening way. I think it was more about building a bridge between the two peoples. She probably also acted very observant and let the children teach her about Na'vi customs as well, whether deliberately or not.
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#3
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Quote:
stuff like chemistry or engineering are things that the omaticaya don't seem to have much use or interest for, at least not those things as sky people do it. |
#4
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There's a solar system model in the classroom, so probably basic science and maths. English, of course, and I would imagine from there maybe a basic overview of human history and culture.
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#5
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The school has a small key role in the original films release in that it plants the seed upon how of how some the Na'vi people came to understand our language and some of our history its also builds on Graces relationship with the Na'vi community , its role in the directors cut adds another much deeper reflective layer as Neytiri's Sister (unspoken of in the original film) was killed there By RDA soldiers resulting in a deeper emotional understanding about why Human Na'vi relations have became so strained ,, its never really talked about but it does play a role in Selfridge's line of his perspectives and agenda on the roll of the school plays upon attempted Na'vi cultural assimilation, Look "We" (From his perspective) are supposed to winning the "hearts" and the "minds" of the natives, isn't that the point of your little puppet show, we look like them, and we talk like them and they will start trusting "Us" "We" Build them a school "We" teach them English but after what ,how many years relationships with the indigenous is only getting worse . So The Cooperate heads from there perceptive "see" this school as a diplomatic relations "tool"... "But" that is not Grace's perspective at all , The way Selfdridge "sees" the School is somewhat reflective of our own peoples "very real and deeply wounding past history" with the Native Cultural assimilation schools "(Run by religious org's simply dig through the layers on youtube "The history of Indian Boarding Schools" these core aspects are repressed within the "core" roots our deep memory's.. So this part of Avatar's mirror storytelling touches deeply upon them and pulls up in reflection these repressed internal memory's and drags them as a internal emotional ethical reference to the surface.. I feel this is very important to recognize and for some this experience is at the heart of some very powerful internal reconciliation medicine at work here But Grace through her heartfelt compassion never implements those layers and instead runs the school like was said before as a "Bridge" building experience between cultures. so in a way the school is "seed" of building cross cultural understanding with the perspectives of this meaning from "Sky people" split in perceptive upon its underlying reason for being there..
Last edited by allroock123; 05-12-2018 at 03:04 PM. |
#6
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Speaking AS a teacher, Grace's "school" has always made me chuckle. Clearly no one on Pandora is checking teacher certification, since even with a doctorate, Grace would not technically be qualified to teach English as a Second Language. Seriously, basic ESOL endorsement is sixty something hours worth of classes, while someone teaching English Lit (like myself) needs 300 hours.
In my mind, Grace would fill more of a principal role, with actually qualified teachers existing along side her/under her supervision. This helps explain the "winning the hearts and minds" bit of the program, since scientists really wouldn't be the best at doing that.
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Sweet is the lore which Nature brings; Our meddling intellect Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things: We murder to dissect. Enough of Science and of Art; Close up those barren leaves; Come forth, and bring with you a heart That watches and receives. William Wordsworth
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