Response to The Whale Rider Using the Historical Framework

If you know nothing about the Maori culture then after watching this movie you will have a firm idea of their lifestyle. There's more to this movie than just a whale rider. A whale rider isn't just a typical person, this person is the chosen one. Not just anyone can ride a whale, you have to be destine to be a whale rider. I, myself was one who knew nothing about the Maori culture.

The Maori culture plays a big role in The Whale Rider. The main character is Paikea or also known as Pai whose twin brother and mother dies during child birth. Her twin brother's destiny was to become a whale rider because it's in their blood line. Only a boy can become a whale rider. Things that are too dangerous can not be done by a girl as mentioned by Pai's grandpa. Her grandpa started a school just to teach the boys around Pai's age the traditional ways of living. He taught them chants, sword fighting, facial expressions and etc. 

Pai show interest but because she was a girl she wasn't allow to be part of the school. She was secretly taught sword fighting from her uncle. She was better than the boy being taught by her grandpa. She was able to swim and find her grandpa's whale's tooth necklace when the other boys being trained couldn't get it. Even though she was looked down by her grandpa because she was a girl she was way better than all the boys. She has way more potential than all the boys combine. Lastly she was able to move the ancestor whale by sitting on top of the whale when all the people in her village fail  moving the whale by their strength, tractor and ropes. 

We saw the difference of how a girl and boy is view in the Maori culture but what I'm taking out of this film is that if you're destine to do greatness it doesn't matter if you are a boy or a girl.