Riewer: Han and Luke as heroes

The Star Wars trilogy has typically defined Luke to be the hero in popular culture. However, knowing the difference between the civic hero and the contemplative hero brings Han into the lime light of the hero as well. Luke, throughout the trilogy, plays the role of the contemplative hero, while Han plays the role of the civic hero. Both are imperative to this trilogy. Luke, as the contemplative hero, uses his isolation from Tooitine and the rest of the galaxy when he goes to Dagobah to inherit the strength of the Force to be used along his hero's journey. Han, on the other hand, is imbedded in the community, as the civic hero always is.

Luke's journey follows Campbell's outline very closely. His call to adventure comes when Obi-Wan tells Luke that he must learn the ways of the Force and accompany him to save the Rebellion. This is when his role as the contemplative hero is first revealed, since the Force is not something that anyone else can attain. As Pfeiffer explains, "A key element to the story has Luke under the spiritual guidance of Ben Kenobi" (Pfeiffer 108). With Obi-Wan's help, the Force plays the role of the "spiritual strength" mentioned in the article. The Belly of the Whale, in Luke's journey, comes when he is on Dagobah training. As Campbell's article outlines, he is "swallowed into the unknown," leaving his friends without fair warning. He also, when fighting who he thinks is Darth Vader, kills "himself," only to be born again as a Jedi Knight who has conquered the Force.  At the end of Return of the Jedi, Luke experiences Atonement with the Father along Campbell's hero's journey. As Campbell explains, Luke must have faith that Vader is merciful, which he does when he waits patiently for Vader to return to the Force and give up the evilness of the Dark Side. He also gains assurance from the "helpful female figure" here when Vader brings up Leia, Luke's sister, as his companion and partner.

Han's journey also follows Campbell's outline, but he plays the role of the civic hero instead. His role is imperative to the trilogy because his character is more relatable to the other characters, he is down to earth, and places more emphasis on recognizing the value of the community. While Luke must learn the special "Force" that will ultimately destroy the Dark Side, Han must stay grounded and fight the physical battle against the Stormtroopers and other soldiers for the Empire's battle. Even though he plays an important role in the first film, his Call to Adventure comes in Empire Strikes Back when Luke leaves for Dagobah and Han must lead the Rebel army to defeat the Empire. His Belly of the Whale scene is literal in that Han, Leia, C-3PO and Chewbacca are stuck in the mouth of the giant monster, which they must quickly and cunningly escape. Finally, the Woman as the Temptress in Han's journey is Leia, who "represents the hero's total mastery of life." In fact, Han's role in the Rebel fight likely would have ended at the beginning of Empire, had Leia not convinced him to stay.

While Han and Luke take two different heroes journeys, both the roles of the contemplative hero and the civic hero are imperative for this trilogy, and Luke and Han fully encapsulate these, allowing the Rebel army to defeat the Empire.