Whale Rider's Opposing Forces - What happens when two opposing forces collide?

What happens when two opposing forces collide? The film Whale Rider has two main opposing forces, tradition versus change and opinion versus reality it is the collision of these two opposing forces that causes conflict in Whale Rider.

Pai's Grandfather, Paka is the chief, and is looking for a new chief to succeed him. Since his first-born son does not want to be chief he has to look for a successor in the next generation. When his son has twins (a boy and a girl) and the boy dies he is forced to teach all the male children of the tribe in the ways of the Maori people. He then has to choose one of them to be his successor. For his final test, he throws his necklace into the water and says who ever retrieves the necklace will be the next chief. All the boys try but fail.

Whale Rider

Overlooking Whangara, the location of the Whale Ri...

Famille Maori, Te Taurua, Rotorua. Maori Family, T...

Later Pai tries and retrieves the necklace, calls the whales and they come and she gets them to move when no one else can proves that she is the prophet. The conflict is that their chief wants a traditional male successor but all the boys have been unfit for the job. He finally realizes and accepts that even though Pai is a woman she is the true prophet and he makes her the new chief.

Paka has many opinions but some of them do not coincide with reality. His opinion is that only men can lead a tribe and be a chief because he believes only men can be good warriors. His traditional opinion is that women can not be good leaders and because they are not as strong and wise as men. The reality is that Pai is stronger than all the men. The reality is that she...