If Star Wars is
Lucas’s interpretation of Campbell’s The
Hero With a Thousand Faces, then A
New Hope only the beginning of the hero’s journey, as the film almost
entirely fits within the Departure stage. As the film was only a small portion
of the full story, this makes sense from a storytelling standpoint, mostly due
to the unfinished ending leading audiences to desire a more complete
conclusion.
The Call to Adventure and subsequent Refusal are very brief,
taking place on Tattooine as soon as the characters have been introduced.
Obi-Wan presents Luke with the prospect of finally being able to follow his
dreams and help the Rebel Alliance, and Luke must then weigh this departure
against his normal life and his insatiable desire for power converters. As the
decision is made for him by the loss of his home and family, Luke rediscovers
his determination and responds to the Call.
The wise, old mentor then begins to provide the hero with
their only form supernatural aid in the form of the Force. Obi-Wan trains Luke
in the properties he will need to cross the first threshold as they first
infiltrate the Death Star, which itself seems to play the role of the threshold
guardian. As Luke, Han, and Obi-Wan enact their rescue mission, they face the
hurdles that transform the hero, allowing him to find his own courage and
personal motivations. The death of Obi-Wan is most transformative to Luke, in
that it fills him with his own desire to push forth into his own destiny,
rather than following. It’s this drive that brings him to the Belly of the
Whale stage of rebirth, as he finally becomes a pilot, and joins the attack on
the Death Star. In this attack, Luke truly discovers his own abilities, as well
as the power of the Force and Obi-Wan’s training, displaying to the audience
his potential for greatness.
Though Lucas’s adherence to Campbell’s heroic journey is
intensely accurate, Princess Leia is his attempt to modernize Campbell’s hero
and apply it to contemporary social norms, rather than to the archetypal mythology
it was intended for. Leia does not fit any of Campbell’s typically female roles
of Goddess or Temptress, nor does she especially fall in line with the
symbolism of life, creation, or motherhood. Instead she is shown to be capable
and driven by her own initiative. Though she is introduced to the hero via a
standard damsel in distress cliché, the audience is aware of her strength of
will and courage after seeing her actions during the opening sequence, shown
knowing her way around a blaster and fearlessly voicing her disdain for Darth
Vader. This divergence is a way of interpreting the hero’s journey for modern
film, not criticizing its weakpoints, but adapting them to a newer form of
media.
Yunuen Cacique-Borja
ReplyDeleteWhile Princess Leia does not fit strictly into either role of Goddess or Temptress, she does become an adaptation of both. Leia is the Goddess because as you have stated she is the damsel in distress or the goal medal that Luke hopes to achieve. She is also the temptress because in a way if it wasn’t for her hidden message in R2D2. Luke would have never lost his family (then again there would be no story) and consequently would not have embarked on the hero journey. While Princess Leia is capable and driven as you stated she is also nurturing. Lucas does not completely blow away the audience with an ultra-radical feminist. When Luke thinks he has lost Obi-Wan, Princess Leia is there to comfort him in a way that Han does not. Also as we discussed in class, the picture of the trio with Princess Leia holding on to Han can be interpreted in many ways. It can be interpreted as she is the sound reason behind the two men or she is the cautious woman who holds on to the two courageous men. Either scenarios could be argued for. Lucas is capable of embodying a modern woman that does not astray from the day to day woman.