Psychotherapist Analyzes Avatar 2: Unveiling Jake's Powerful Parenting Techniques Impacting Children

Summary

Jake Sully's parenting style in Avatar: The Way of Water is analyzed by a therapist, who describes his "lopsided" approach that prioritizes toughness over showing love.

Jake's upbringing in the military and encounters with mortality greatly influence his approach to parenting and his determination to shield his children from the same tragic outcomes in the following installment.

The absence of equilibrium and distinction between his military identity and fatherly role becomes evident through Jake's unyielding and faultfinding demeanor, which persists even when his sons are not in any immediate peril.

A professional therapist analyzes Jake Sully's unique parenting style in Avatar: The Way of Water. The sequel to Avatar follows Jake and Neytiri's journey as they expand their family. The Sully family now includes four children - Kiri, Neteyam, Lo'ak, and Tuk - and has also formed a foster relationship with Norm's human child, Spider.

Therapist Jonathan Decker discusses Jake Sully's relationship with his children in a reaction video with Cinema Therapy. Decker characterizes Jake's parenting style as "military" and notes its "lopsided" nature. Jake often prioritizes "toughness" over demonstrating love and affection towards his children.

To establish this connection, Decker focuses on a specific scene in Avatar: The Way of Water where Jake reprimands Lo'ak for being careless while his son is "actually bleeding." See Decker's full quote below:

"As a leader within your own family, it is crucial to possess grit, strength, and determination, but it is equally important to have vulnerability, accountability, and empathy. Unfortunately, Jake is imbalanced in this regard. The issue lies in how your behavior in one area of your life affects your family. There is nothing inherently wrong with toughness and strength; what is needed is a sense of equilibrium. In order for our family to feel safe, it's not just about physical threats, but also about belonging and feeling desired."

Some of you may have a fatherly "sir" relationship. Understandably, there are military aspects involved, with battles to be fought. Jake's primary concern is to protect his family, and he resorts to what he knows best. The reason you don't despise Jake is because you comprehend this about him. You understand that he assumes it's his duty to shield them and that he loves his children. However, do his children truly feel his love? He converses with them as if they were soldiers, using military language like "you disobeyed a direct order." The problem lies not only in combat situations; it extends beyond that. It's not just a case of "during combat, I am your commanding officer." That would be understandable. Here's a somewhat lighthearted real-life example: when I coach my daughter's basketball team, I consciously avoid being called "dad" because I want to establish a different relationship. Otherwise, the other kids might perceive it as favoritism or think that she is being singled out from the rest of the team. So, on the court, I am their coach. I comprehend that. However, Jake parents in the same manner even when there is no combat involved. He is harsh, overly critical, and while I understand that he is striving to keep his sons safe and nurture them into independent individuals or leaders, his wife sometimes has to point out, "Jake, your son is actually bleeding." Even in such situations, he merely responds with, "Yeah, okay." The issue arises because he fails to separate the two. He goes from stating, "you disobeyed a direct order" to "you're grounded." It all becomes intertwined and blurred together.

Where Jake Sully’s The Way of Water Parenting Style Comes From

As stated by Decker, audiences still find Jake relatable because they "understand" that he is "embracing his familiar path." The original Avatar extensively delved into Jake's past by unveiling his military background. Under Quaritch's command, Jake has endured a stringent military setting with rigid power structures. As the head of the Sully family, he holds the position of a colonel, assuming the role of a general within his family unit.

Another motivating factor for Jake is likely the death he witnessed in Avatar, particularly the loss of his beloved colleague Grace under the Tree of Souls. In The Way of Water, Kiri, who shares similarities with Grace and is portrayed by the same actor Sigourney Weaver, likely reminds Jake of this painful event. He is determined to protect his children from facing a similar fate as Grace and others.

Unfortunately, Jake's concerns are not unfounded. In the war-torn water world, his eldest son Neteyam is killed by Quaritch in the conclusion of Avatar: The Way of Water, bringing Jake's worst fear to life. Although he reunites with Lo'ak, the fact that Neteyam died will present an additional obstacle for Jake in Avatar 3 as his children grow up and the Sully family continues to fight for Pandora.

Source: Cinema Therapy