Surviving Discrimination in the Movie Whale Rider

Discriminatory acts can delay an individual from achieving his or her goals. Too often decisions are based on factors such as sex, stereotypes, and the standards of society. One can only conquer the prejudices of the world with enduring perseverance. In the film Whale Rider, director Niki Caro portrays the significant role determination has on whether or not an individual will carry out their dreams. An individual that faces several discriminative factors during the film is the protagonist, Pai. The prejudice that haunts Pai makes her unable to pursue her dream as the Maori tribe leader. However, her ongoing determination allows her to chase her dreams of becoming tribal leader.

From birth, Pai is forced to live with a burden of guilt. Her mother passes away after the delivery of her and her brother. Her brother follows soon after. Upon the discovery of his wife and son's death, her father abandons her. He goes to Europe to pursue his dreams and his love for art. Several people, including Pai's grandfather, Koro, were depending on her brother to inherit the position as tribe leader. His fate was decided even before he was born. Now, fate decided to take him away. Pai could have easily allowed these events to trouble her heart and mind, but she didn't. Her bright and cheerful personality shone through. Even though her father was gone, she did not blame herself for this. Instead, she took advantage of every moment she had with him and her grandfather. If Pai's determination did not break through in times of adversity, she would have been lost in her past, trying to find who she was supposed to be, not who she will become.