The Big Question, Part 5

 THE BIG QUESTION CAN'T BE TOO BIG

These days, novels are more intimate than during other periods.  By that, I mean that readers are more interested in a few people's story rather than the massive epics of days gone by.  

WAR AND PEACE is a great piece of literature, and its very name shows the two sides of the its Big Question--What happens to civilians when they are caught up in nations' struggles?  The characters with viewpoint needed to tell this story and explore the Big Question are numerous, though, and it is easily argued that no character is the hero of the novel.

The same Big Question is asked in CASABLANCA, yet this movie has one main character--Rick, and the life that swirls around him at his cafe in the nebulous area between WW Two war zones reflects the human damage of war -- profiteering, fear, lies, danger, and the need for neutrality when everyone wants you to choose sides.  

The Big Question for Rick is "Do I do the selfish thing to have personal happiness, or do I do the right thing to fight the corrosive evil represented by the Nazis?"

If you've never seen CASABLANCA, I highly recommend it.  The movie is truly deserving of being listed as one of the greatest movies of all time. It is also a classic example of how a story can have a Big Question yet be rich with characters, plot, and depth.

THE BIG QUESTION CAN BE KINDA BIG

Even though a big novel like WAR AND PEACE isn't to the current taste, a Big Question can still be used on social and historical issues.  CASABLANCA is a good example of that.  

The movie AVATAR is also an excellent example.  If you've not seen AVATAR, DANCES WITH WOLVES and Disney's POCAHANTAS are quite similar in theme and characters. 

The premise of AVATAR is that humans land on a beautiful planet to mine its ore for a dying Earth.  The local people, the Na'vi, are pre-technology along the lines of Native American Indians.  They are cautious with the humans.  

Human scientists create "avatars"-- clones of the Na'vi--which some human scientists inhabit mentally through computer connections.  The avatars allow the humans to interact with the Na'vi as well as survive an environment with air they can't breathe.

The set up is an obvious clash between a natural, noble society and industrial imperialism.  

Cameron chooses the "outsider learning about a new society and reexamining his own society" trope.  Jake Sully is a disabled Marine who controls an avatar meant for his dead twin brother scientist so he's an outsider among the scientists, among the military personnel, and among the Na'vi.  

At first, he follows his training as a Marine by being a spy for the evil Colonel, then he learns to respect the scientists, and later he learns to respect the locals.

As the main character, his Big Question is "What should you do when society and your own sense of morality clash?"

As usual, there's a pretty girl and romance involved.  Neytiri is the Na'vi who must train Jake in all things Na'vi, but the romance is more a reflection of the Big Question than the most important part of the film.

If you've seen the movie, go to the Wikipedia entry on AVATAR and decide how the different characters reflect the Big Question.