The 'Why We Love Neytiri' Commentary Series.

[Neytiri_Quest]

Hello fellow members of the Neytiri clan.

This thread is for the commentaries in the Why We Love Neytiri series. I first posted them in the A-F forums in an attempt to help explain why we love Neytiri so much. I thought the People on this forum might enjoy them as well. Feel free to comment on them.

Why we love Neytiri-Part I

One of the strongest images Pandora evokes in us is that of Paradise. Aided by the superb technology of ‘immersive 3-D’, we feel as though we are on that pristine world—are a part of it—if only for a brief time. We are flying on an ikran’s back over the lush landscape or down the sides of floating mountains during the day, and running through the forest and touching the bioluminescent plants at night.

We feel a kinship with the Na’vi. They work together for mutual benefit and safety during the day, and laugh and tell stories around the flickering lanterns at night. Men, women, and children all have their place, and each person is celebrated—each belongs. It’s a magical world, and we feel we have found our true family with the Omaticaya. We yearn for a life as free and real and innocent as theirs. We want to live in the moment, enjoy simple pleasures, be accepted and cherished for who we are, and feel connected to the source of our being.

In short, we want to return to the preternatural beauty and innocence of Eden. This is represented in general by Pandora, and in a more specific way by the Na’vi. Yet upon further reflection, there is still something missing from this idyllic view of existence. Yes, it is a return to innocence. But something is still missing—and that ‘something’ is a woman to share this pristine world with. Yes, Ninat is the best singer… and Beyral is a good hunter, but neither of these women represents the missing piece to the puzzle. Neither of these women will satisfy us.

It’s only with Neytiri that we find the missing half of the golden amulet. And this is because she represents the return to the innocence of Eden (which could also be a metaphor for childhood), but with the maturity and intelligence of adulthood. This is what sets her apart from all other women, Pandoran or Terran. This is what makes her an even more powerful conduit for our emotional expression than the entire moon of Pandora in all its splendor. She is absolutely authentic in every action, nuance, and thought. She is a goddess clothed in blue flesh. And she has learned to walk the fine line between the terror and wonder of being a fully actualized person.