Monday, March 29, 2010
Star Wars: A New Hope Blog
As we have done before, choose a theme from the journey of the hero that can be found in the movie. Explain how that theme works in the movie, how it is similar to that of one of the stories from our text, and how it plays a role in the overall journey archetype. Be detailed in your analysis.
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The hiding of Luke Skywalker on Tatooine under the care of another family separate from Luke's own immediate mother and father is consistent with the stories of numerous other heroes from past mythological stories. In an effort to prevent Luke from setting out on his dangerous destiny as a fighter for the rebellion, he is hidden away on a distant planet to grow up a farmer under the care of his aunt and uncle. Although his parents did not want him to learn the truth of his past, Luke always maintained a strong desire to join the rebellion and eventually he did. The hiding of Luke resembles many mythological stories from past cultures;the german and norse story of how Siegfried's mother hides her child in a glass vessel that accidentally falls into a river resulting in Siegfried being raised by a doe as well as the Maui story of how the mother of a premature baby throws her child into the sea where it is eventually raised by sea-deities.
ReplyDeleteIn Star Wars IV, the journey of Luke Skywalker embodies several themes of the journey of the hero. One of the themes that is seen in the movie is the refusal of the call, where the hero initially refuses to go on a journey of great purpose. When Obi Wan invites Luke to begin Jedi training, he declines and tells him that he can't. The theme is also seen in the story of Odysseus and Achilles, by how both of them develop schemes for avoiding being called to duty. The refusal of the call is an important theme in the journey of the hero, because it makes the hero seem more human (by having doubts). It also displays the courage of the hero when they overcome their inhibitions.
ReplyDeleteIn Starwars, luke one of the main characters, is a young boy who lives his child years not knowing who his father was or what he had done. One day he stumbled apon a vessle that carried droids and he and his adopted parents bought a couple, it turns out that the droids were to go to Ben kanobi so luke goes to the desert and finds him. Here is where the theme of self realization and childhood initiation. He meets ben and ben tells luke about his father and his future of being a jedi.Luke realizes what he has to do to become successful and starts his initiation with ben because his adopted parents are murdered. He trains with and from ben to become better and to learn the way of the force, which is with him because it runs in his blood.When the death star threatens to blow up the rebels base luke and other fighters try to go and destroy the death star by shooting it in the "heart". With the help of the force Luke destroys the Death Star and he becomes a hero. this is his child hood initiation, it is very similar to many other stories we read in class this year like Siegfried. Is picked up by Mimir and is raised and taught to be a soldier just as luke was once ben found him. Siegfried had to go and get strong metal to make a metal and is faced with a worm, once he kills the worm he is initiated because he was betrayed.The initiation aspect of all stories is very intriguing especially in star wars, thats why i picked it.
ReplyDeleteLuke Skywalker's journey is the perfect example for the journey of a hero starting from the beginning of the movie. It is shown that he a young boy that is not quite sure of what he wants for himself so he follows what other people tell him to do. The first thing noticed about Luke's relationship to a hero is that he has adopted parents meaning that his biological parents are not in the picture but his uncle and aunt are his guardians. The fact that Luke's real parents are not around sets the initial spark for the beginning of a heroic journey. Like that of the story of any hero this step is important to the future discovery of the heroic being in the "ordinary" person. For example in the story of Jesus, he had adopted parents and went on to save the lives and many and do great things before and after his death. In Luke's case just the illustration that he has adopted parents is a precursor to what may or may not come of him in the near future.
ReplyDeleteLuke Skywalker's quest in Star Wars IV: A New Hope embodies the hero's journey in many ways. One example is in the way that Luke was hidden from his past, on a distant farming planet. This environment is very different from what he should be doing, which is shown for the 2nd half of the movie. After accepting Obi Wan's quest (after initially refusing it), he is thrust into the world of a jedi, full of lightsaber battles, epic star battles, which were nothing unfamiliar to his father. Luke is taken care of by his aunt and uncle, which serve as his foster parents. In essence, Luke is hidden away from his past and/or parents to "protect" him. This notion is present in the miraculous birth myth of Siegfried. upon Siegfried's birth, he is immediately hidden from the danger that is present. He is then sent down a river to safety, and is found by a doe, who cares from the baby for a year. after the year ends, he is found by Mimir. both Luke and Siegfried are spared from the dangers present around their natural parents and are sent off for their own protection. this part of the hero's myth is important because it is essential that the hero breaks away from his life at the beginning of his quest, as stated in Mythology: The Voyage of The Hero. This is so the Hero grows on his own before fulfilling his fate, and it also makes the coming together of the hero and his/her journey special due to their previous separation.
ReplyDeleteIn Star Wars, Luke Skywalker displays one of the eight steps of a journey of a hero. One that is seen in the movie is trial and quest. Luke being one of few fighter pilots left Luke has to destroy the core of the death star to save the planet Yavain from destruction. This theme is portrayed in Gawain and percival. when Gawain has to go on a quest for the holy grail. Gawain enters the fisher kings castle and is later given the holy grail and had won the world's praise, for manhood and courage. Therefore this step of a journey of a hero displays the courage of a hero and there ability to overcome a significant issue.
ReplyDeleteIn Star Wars IV, Luke's life follows the same characteristics as the journey of a hero. In the movie we find out that Luke's father had disappeared, and that he had been given to his uncle to be taken care of. From the beginning we see a miraculous birth. Similarly, in the story of Maui the young demigod is cast away into the sea. One day a sea deity saw him being swathed by sea creatures. Seeing the child lying on the beach, he took him home and raised him. As we can see in both stories, the common theme of the hidden birth can be seen. Along the same reasoning, both of the children in these stories were being confronted by evil. For this reason I think that this is the connection between the two, they both follow that trend of two forces (one of evil, and one good).
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