Why is Jake Sully the protagonist of Avatar

Why is Jake Sully the protagonist of Avatar?

The main protagonist of any novel, play or movie is the dramatic force that progresses the narrative. It is often at great personal cost to the character; facing hardship, difficult decisions and challenges to overcome.

Jake Sully is a paralyzed former marine, sent to Pandora - an alien world - in place of his deceased identical twin, to excavate and colonize the planet. Jake satisfies the main criteria of being a 'protagonist' in multiple ways.

In the movie Avatar the protagonist, and the character through which the viewer largely experiences the world, is Jake.

Firstly, he faces great personal hardship. Indeed, these hardships increase dramatically as a result of his personal decisions. In the beginning of Avatar it is shown, during a flashback, that Jake was paralyzed from a severe spinal injury due to fighting in an unnamed war in Venezuela, while serving in the U.S marine corps.
This reveals to the viewers the hardships that he has confronted. According to how he responds to the events, it gives an insight into his disposition. Furthermore, when he arrives at Pandora he must first be transferred into a Na'vi-human hybrid called an avatar, avatars can withstand the harsh environment of the planet. This creates uneasiness within Jake as he struggles to differentiate between his old life, and is new life. He must adapt to his new avatar and habitat, this proves extremely difficult as his life becomes endangered while attempting to join the forest-dwelling Omaticaya clan. Jake is briskly taught the ways of the Omaticaya clan from the chiefs daughter, Neytiri. Facing hardships are typical of a protagonist.

Secondly, Jake's choices progress the narrative forward and brings about the story's climax. He makes the decision to support and aid the Na'vi in their confrontation with the humans. Jake opposes the humans' ideology by refusing their greed and oppression. He does this by fighting against the soldiers who try to colonize Pandora, Jake resists and rebels against the army's military general.

Lastly, his choices bring him into direct confrontation with the antagonising force of the film, the humans who seek to exploit and eradicate the indigenous population. The true moral of the movie Avatar is climate change and how humans are currently exploiting Earth for resources and destroying our planet, sabotaging themselves.

The Na'vi represent harmony and peace while the humans represent chaos and discord, emphasizing the idea that Jake essentially chose the side of "good". The humans are not "evil" but rather their actions of destroying in the name of self-progress is evil. Jake's choices progress the story further than any other character.

Jake Sully fulfils the criteria of being a protagonist: he confronts dangers and overcomes personal hardship. He makes key pivotal decisions that progress the narrative in important ways and finally, he represents a moral stance against the destruction of the environment.