The Story of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars - Essay Example

? May 18, That Far Away Galaxy…Not As Far As You Think “There are only two or three human stories and they go on repeating themselves fiercely as if they never happened before,” stated Willa Cather.(qtd. in Vogel) This statement is so very profound because it is absolutely true. From the Greek story of Hercules to King Arthur’s rise to throne of Camelot and from Frodo’s quest in The Lord of the Rings to Jack Bauer’s one day quest in the television series 24; and, yes, of course, to the story of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. They all share elements of the same story. A story that may change presentation, genre, locations, names, and faces, but they all have things in common that cannot be ignored. What do they have in common? Why do we remain drawn in by these shared elements? Why do we not regularly recognize these ever repeating patterns? What do they have in common? Very simply, they have the power of myth. “Myths are common stories at the root of our universal existence.”(Seger 356-364) Meaning that these stories have been told since mankind first began to tell stories. As different as they may be in appearance, we all have a familiarity that could be called comforting. They speak to a part of us. It is something that can connect each and every one of us regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, or geographic location, because it is in some way a part of all people all over the world. It is called “The Hero’s Journey” It is present in our stories, fairytales, ritual, but it is part of our general psychological development as individuals, as well.(Vogel) “The Hero’s Journey” follows the central figure of the story. The hero is an archetype that stands as a representation, in most cases, of what is good. (“Oracle ThinkQuest”) We will then follow the hero through his adventures, quests, trials and tribulations, through love and loss; all in hopes of seeing the hero succeed in the end. Star Wars, in particular, is a perfect example of “The Hero’s Journey” and the central character of Luke Skywalker is the perfect example of the hero archetype. He is normal. His life is simple. He dreams of more. In meeting his mentor in the desert he finds his guide in starting his quest. His whole world changes, literally in his case as he does, in fact, leave his home planet behind. He meets amazing characters and gains greater power. We see ourselves in the hero. We all want to be that person of average, humble beginnings intended for greater things. All the disappointments and pitfalls of our lives are just road blocks on the way to our destiny. Someday we will all get to blow up the Death Star. The hero archetype can present itself in many ways. Not every hero is automatically an easy hero as Luke Skywalker. “The Thematic Paradigm” shows that the hero in a story, are people that possess completely opposite traits.(Ray 342-351) Meaning that the character may be a mobster who tenderly sings to his houseplants. Two sides in the same person, light and dark, and little good and a little bad all at once. This makes their behavior not as easy to predict. Ray, also, explains that there is more than one kind of hero. The “bad, bad, boy” template, which can be seen in the ShowTime series Dexter, follows the story of a main character who happens to be a serial killer. Now Luke Skywalker is an example of the traditional “good, good boy” representation. (3) Meaning simply, that he is the white knight, just and moral. But, the character of Han Solo, who is essentially a gambling mercenary, is considered the reluctant hero.(3) He is capable of being heroic, but it will take some pushing in the right direction in order for him to overcome his more selfish nature. “Myths are marketable…” (Seger 356-364) This is clearly true. The majority of, what would be called blockbusters are movies that have made their way into modern culture and have always followed “The Hero’s Journey” and “The Thematic Paradigm”. From The Wizard of Oz to ET, all follow these concepts and have become part of modern life. Our fairytales may not always have fairies in them, they may have vampires. Our knights are now superheroes, Spiderman, Batman and Thor. We look to them to represent of the best parts of humanity. Star Wars is a film icon. It has found a place in our daily culture and into the slang of our languages. There are not too many people who cannot quote the film, regardless of whether or not they are a fan. Jonathon Lethem tells the story of seeing the film 21 times, when he was 13, when it was released into the theaters. This was sometime before it became the money making franchise that it is today. In 1977, it was just another science fiction film. “…I do retain a flash memory of the moment the prologue first began to crawl in titled perspective up the screen…an Alice in Wonderland doorway to a dream.”(Lethem 3) He relates the experience to Alice’s trip through the looking glass or down the rabbit hole. It provided young Lethem escape. He talks about how his parents were divorcing, so his life was not good at that time. He wanted to escape. Visiting worlds filled with strange aliens, droids, and Storm Troopers was much more welcoming than his real life. But it is doubtful that what he found comforting was the sound of Light Sabers clashing or X-Wing Fighters battling, it was more likely that familiarity with “The Hero’s Journey” within the myth. What he saw was a hero that he wanted to see in himself. It is helpful for people to believe that whatever problems we face now can be overcome and there is hope of reaching that happy ending. That it can get better. If Luke Skywalker can defeat the empire then Jonathon Lethem can survive his parent’s divorce; and withstand his own teenage issues and become the hero of his own story. That is what most people are seeking. These mythological archetypes and “The Hero’s Journey” can be applied to the simplest stories and the most ordinary lives, even in our day to day lives. We identify the myth. We can break down the myth into all of its pieces. We can explain the myth in detail. We see “The Hero’s Journey” and “the Thematic Paradigm” as the basis of our greatest stories and legends. Yet, when we see it in another story we are still pulled into it. As times change the archetypes change in new ways. A fine example is when the hero is not the knight on the white horse, but a vigilante taking the law into his own hands, regardless of ethics or morals, as in The Crow. We can, also, be made to side with criminals or killers, as in The Godfather saga or the television series Sons of Anarchy. We know that these main characters are doing things that are wrong, even abhorrent, and yet they have our compassion and we hope to see them prevail. In conclusion these legendary myths that have such a profound effect on how we tell our stories and participate in how we define a hero and a villain. It is a concept that is a huge part of our movies, books, and our culture. “The myth is infinitely flexible, capable of endless variation without sacrificing any of its magic; and it will outlive us all.(Vogel) Works Cited "The Hero's Journey." Oracle ThinkQuest. Education Foundation, October 2003. Web. 18 May.2012. Lethem, Jonathon. "13, 1977, 21." A Galaxy Not So Far Away: Writers and Artists on Tewnty-five Years of Star Wars. Ed. Glenn Kenny. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC , 2002. 3. Print. Ray, Robert B.. "The Thematic Paradigm." Signs o Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. Ed. Sonia Maasik and Ed. Jack Solomon Bedford/St. Martin, 2009. 342-351. Print. 6th. Boston: Seger, Linda. "Creating the Myth." Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers.Ed. Sonia Maasik and Ed. Jack Solomon. 6th. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. 356-364. Print. Vogel , Christopher. "A Practical Guide to Joseph Campbell's "The Hero With A Thousand Faces” “The Hero's Journey. The Writer's Journey, 1985. Web. 18 May 2012. Read More