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Lariezza Lerios
Mr. Thompson
English 1301-27
6 November 2016
What do the Trees Mean?
In the movie, Avatar, the main character, Jake Sulley fights to save the people of Pandora
by transferring his conscious into an Avatar, a man made body that replicates the Navi
peoples. He fights against his own race and the company RDA which set out to destroy the Home
Tree of the Omaticaya clan. Within Eywa, there are trees that connect with the living and the
dead. These trees helps the Navi connect Symbolism in the movie can be seen through the three
trees of Eywa, such as Home Tree, the Tree of Souls, and the Tree of Voices.
The Home Tree, or the Tree of Life, symbolizes peace, sacredness and spirituality. Home
Tree to the Omaticaya clan is where everyone within the clan meets and gathers, teaching one
another survival skills. Also, it can show the clans connection with nature and animals,
symbolizing spirituality. The tree is also the home of the Omaticaya clan, where everyone is able
to house. It is where the clan weaves, dances, prays, and celebrates the Home Trees connection
to Eywa. Home Tree to the Navi is sacred, like the rest of Pandora for which, the Navi honor
the sacredness of their land (Robbins).
Along with spirituality, the Tree of Souls symbolizes worship and the Navis way to
directly connect to the world through the seeds of the tree. In the movie, this is the same tree that
transferred Jakes soul into his avatar form. The Trees of Souls is the most sacred place and the
closest connection to Eywa. For example, The people say, Eywa will provide (Jake, Avatar).
Also, this is also another tree where the Navi pray and chant as, a way to honor, connect with
and access Eywas power, wisdom, and love. (Robbins). Being the Tree of Souls the direct link
to the world, the Navi may talk to the tree by bonding their hair to the roots of the tree. At the
end of the movie, Eywa heard Jakes plea for help, and Eywa called nature to help Jake fight
against the aircrafts. Furthermore, Jake, Eywa has heard you! (Neytiri, Avatar). The Tree of

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Souls symbolizes spirituality for the people can talk through the roots, and the tree can transfer
souls.
The Tree of Voices symbolizes holiness and death, for the voices of the ancestors can be
heard. This is also the same tree that had chosen Jake to save the people of Pandora. Also, this is
where Jake and Neytiri chose each other to be mates for life. The Tree of Voices could only be
connected through neural contact, or bonding tot the tree through the ends of the avatars hair. At
a point in the movie, Jake speaks to the tree, although makes the comment, I am probably
talking to a tree (Jake, Avatar). This can be viewed as how Jake is doubtful how a tree can
contain the souls of the dead. To be heard by those who are deceased, but to also treat the tree
like a church, the Tree of Voices can be skeptical without having the understanding of the Navi
people.
The three trees of Eywa all play an important part of symbolism in the movie and also to
the Navi people. These trees all have a different purpose from one being home, the other for
worship, and the other to talk to the dead. With each tree symbolizing something different, it can
be shown how each tree supports and defines Eywa in their own unique way.

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Works Cited
Avatar. Dir. James Cameron. Perf. Sam Worthington. Twentieth Century Fox, 2009. Film.
Robbins, Mike. I See You: An Inside Look at the Spirit of Avatar Oprah. Harpo Productions.
12 Feb. 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.