Jordan- Attraction to the Dark Side or How I Found Out I'm a Vader

Attraction to the Dark Side or How I Found Out I'm a Vader

In the Star Wars trilogy the battle of good(light) vs. evil(dark) is a the main theme. That eternal power struggle is something that can be found in any story. In the films, characters are often seen toying with the idea of joining the dark side in some sort of way. As an audience we can see the obvious power of the dark side when it is revealed that Darth Vader was once on the good side. This shows that no one, including the most honorable of heroes, is exempt from temptation.

The first character who deals with the internal conflict of temptation is Luke Skywalker. Luke is the quintessence of good. He also represents the good that can be possessed by an average person. It is when he finds the force withing himself, that he begins to question the authenticity of the force he possesses. When going through his trials with Yoda, Luke begins to encounter the dark forces within himself. Yoda says "by strictly adhering to the code of the Jedi, so that he may finally earn his place as the last of the Jedi Knights" (Pfieffer 130).

When Yoda attempts to warn Luke about the dangers of the dark side, Luke simply dismisses Yoda's advice. However, when Luke enters the cavern his deepest fears are revealed after he destroys Vader and sees his face in his mask. This action symbolizes the evil that is within Luke. When his evils are revealed, Luke is forever changed. Later in the movie, his fears become worse when he comes to the realization that Vader is his father.

The second instance would be when Luke receives his mechanical hand following his fight with Vader. When Luke's hand was cut off, it represented a form of castration. When this happened, Luke lost a part of himself and became more like Vader, because they both had mechanical hands. Luke also was forced to consider Vader's offer. Although he knew that it meant joining the dark side, he wanted to develop a relationship with his father.

A third example of Luke falling victim to the dark side is Luke's attire in the third film. Luke wears black clothing throughout the film to symbolize the conflict of light versus dark within himself. Luke wants to emulate his father. Vader was notorious for wearing black, and in order to gain his father's acceptance, Luke begins to do the same. When Luke and Vader fight for the final time, Luke makes his decision to stay on the side of light. His feud with temptation is now over and Luke now wants to save his father. When the Emperor is shocking Luke, Vader sees a small glimmer of hope in that of Luke's white undershirt. This light helps Vader leave the Dark Side and save himself.