The first step in the departure, the call to adventure, occurs when R2D2 projects the image of Leia asking Obi Wan Kenobi for help in front of Luke. Luke is immediately infatuated with her and wants to save her, but first needs to find this Obi Wan Kenobi. As Campbell explains, destiny has called on Luke, and his center of gravity is no longer his own, small society, but off in the unknown, on a quest to save the fair maiden.
The second step of the departure, entitled the refusal of the call, can be found in the scene with Luke and Obi Wan Kenobi. Luke has just found Obi Wan, and learns that this is not the Old Ben he thought it was, but a jedi warrior, who after learning of Leia's message, expects Luke to accompany him. In a sudden panic, Luke refuses, saying he has responsibilities here.
Unfortunately for Luke, all his responsibilities are gone when he returns home to find his adoptive parents' house destroyed. This allows him to move on to the third step in the departure, the Supernatural aid. Campbell says that the hero is aided by a protective figure, often an old man. This figure is Obi Wan Kenobi, who begins to teach Luke how to be a knight.
These first three steps in Campbell's description of the hero's journey fit the beginning of Luke's journey perfectly.
Luke also fits Campbell's description of the hero's character perfectly. Luke is male, which is the first of Campbell's requirements. He is also seemingly of lowly birth (he lives on a farm), but is secretly of higher birth (his father is a great but evil jedi knight). Luke's mother is dead, and his father is absent (though Luke believes he is also dead). And last of all, Luke has a nobility of purpose, and is willing to risk his life for his ideals.
Han Solo could fit some of these, but his history is a mystery, and his nobility of purpose can be disputed – it is noble at some times, not so much at others.
While they are both great heroes, in my opinion Luke is the more typical one described by Campbell, even though Han gets the girl.
Yunuen Cacique-Borja,
ReplyDeleteWhat is your definition of typical? According to Google, typical is “having the distinctive qualities of a particular type of person or thing” I personally do not see that in Luke. Also typical hero to whom? To Campbell or to the audience? I agree that as you previously stated Luke is the cookie cutter shape of Campbell hero but does he share the “distinctive qualities of a particular type of person”? In other words, can you envision Luke as your cousin going on a nonchalant mission to save the galaxy? I do not. Luke is a mystical figure that a typical person hears of. Luke is the entrepreneur who tells you his secret to success at a conference. The more you hear the more you realize that Luke was in the right place at the right time and would never happen in real life. On the other hand Han has more qualities of a “typical” hero. His life story, while not told and left to the imagination, is more relatable than Luke’s. Han rose from the multitude, was forced into the journey by the situation and became a hero of the people. As you mentioned Luke also has that loyalty to the mission. How often do you see someone devote him or herself solely to a cause? Granted Luke makes mistakes and questions the force but he always returns to the mission at hand rather quickly. Han on the other hand returns only when there is no other option. Thus once again I can relate to Han more as being the “typical” hero since he and I share distinctive qualities.