Although I admire Han Solo and enjoy that he is the more
rogue-ish hero of the trilogy, I think that Luke Skywalker fits more into the
Campbell idea of the hero.
A key point in support of Luke is the fact that Han
originally does not believe in the Force and does not practice in it, while
Luke uses it towards his success. Although it could be said that Han eventually
comes to terms with its existence, his indifference towards it prevents him
from achieving Apotheosis and gaining the Ultimate Boon. Han also has a lack of
supernatural guidance which prevents him from fulfilling these steps. Since it
is noted several times that Luke has a strong presence of the Force within him,
Luke receives the aid of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, signifying that it is his
destiny to complete the journey.
While both heroes come from orphaned origins with no
long-standing blood ties to feel responsible for, Leia’s appearance causes a
rift, transforming their group from two individuals working together into a
group loyal to each other. When Luke discovers Leia is his sister and comes to
understand that she possesses the force as well, he is untethered from the
responsibility of taking care of her. Han furthers this by accepting his and
Leia’s relationship. As “The Civic Hero and the Contemplative Hero” text points
out, “Because Leia is [Luke’s] sister, the role of the romantic hero is lost to
him…His was a spiritual, not a military struggle.” Since Han is committed to
Leia, he cannot join Luke in the “Freedom to Live.” On the other hand, Luke,
having completed his destiny, can now choose where he wants his life to go and
does not fear change.
Now that Han has been labeled the more romantic hero of the
two, it is difficult to say that he finds an Ultimate Boon to give back to the
people. Although he participates in battles and aids in minor victories for the
Rebellion, Han is incapable of bringing about a lasting peace to the people of
the galaxy like Luke is, as he is the only one who can challenge the emperor.
I definitely think Ford’s Han Solo fits into a more
Americanized idea of what the hero should be. He participates at a ground level
and is an outcast who is transformed into a hero of the rebellion, fitting into
the idea of the American revolutionary and maintaining the American value of
community.
I agree with you the Luke is fits Campbell's hero model much better. Luke is really only missing the romantic aspect of the hero's journey. I do think that it just wouldn't fit Luke to have a romantic aspect to him because he is so deep within the Force that he is unable to have any permanent attachments and having a significant other would make him very vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you in the sense that Luke has accomplished his goal and it is now his choice where he goes. Although Luke is extremely powerful, I think he is powerless in the sense that he is always going to go wherever he is needed. It really isn't up to him. He is dealt with the responsibilities of having this limitless power and he will now be obligated to use the Force wherever it is needed. While he isn't a "slave" to the Force like Vader was to the Dark Side, he is in a sense contained because he has made the conscious decision to fulfill his destiny and be a Jedi.
Luke and Han are both heroes in their own right but as you said, Luke fits Campbell's description better. Although Han is easier to like because he is reckless and we can relate to him, Luke is the type of hero that is needed to defeat the Empire.