Murray- Two Heroes

Both Luke and Han can be categorized as heroes under Campbell’s description.  They are different breeds of heroes.  Han is the civic hero, who is more concrete and humanistic, described as “he represented a portion of the audience that’s too sophisticated to see the story from a young person’s viewpoint” (Pfeiffer 110).  Meanwhile, Luke is the contemplative hero, a more mythical or spiritual hero. These heroic aspects are visible within the refusal of thee call, meeting the goddess, and the rescue from without.

            For Luke the refusal of the call is when Obi Wan first asks Luke to travel with him.  Luke rejects this call by saying that he has responsibilities to the farm and the family.  Only after he realizes that the Storm Troopers had obliterated the farm was Luke driven to go on the journey.

            Similarly, Han rejects the call to action but unlike Luke, it takes several refusals for Han to decide to join the action.  Throughout the first and second film Han is forced into action but he is constantly planning on returning to Tatooine in order to pay Jabba.  It is only in the third film after Jabba is dead and Han becomes general, does he fully accept the call.

            Meeting the Goddess for Han is the more traditional sense of the idea.  He encounters Leia on the Death Star.  Han has the fastest ship in the universe and has displayed his ability to not only avoid the law but vanquish it when need.  He is the best at what he does until he meets Leia.  She is his test of skill.  Leia challenges him not only in wit but as a person as well as a fighter.  Winning her heart is the biggest challenge that Han has to face.

            Luke, on the other hand, has a more figurative goddess that he encounters.  His goddess is the force.  The force is the ultimate challenge for Luke.  It challenges his patients, beliefs, and abilities.  The force even replaces a woman in Luke’s life.  Leia is revealed to be his sister and instead of being attracted to anyone else Luke becomes entranced with the force and shows signs that he will turn away from society and becoming a hermit as Obi Wan and Yoda had done before him.

            Lastly, both Han and Luke need to be rescued from without.  Leia acts as his rescuer for both Han and Luke.  At the end of the second film Han is encased in carbonite.  He is rendered almost completely lifeless and Leia must melt him.  In this case it is the literal rescuing that is needed.  Luke, once again needs the more spiritual answer.  In the very last scene when Luke sees the spiritual incarnations of Anakin, Obi Wan, and Yoda he is entranced and stares almost being drawn away from the celebration and towards them.  It is Leia who comes over and literally steers him back to the party and away from the spiritual world of the force.

            Both Luke and Han go through the challenges of being hero but the difference is how they go on the call.  From the beginning Luke’s journey is thee transcendent one while Han’s is the worldly adventure.