Sanderson - A New Hope

I chose to write about Luke Skywalker’s call to adventure. Campbell describes a call to adventure in five steps: leaders select him to save the town, a god or force tells the hero to go, the hero may be forced by circumstance and go on their own, they go because something is lacking in them or they go because society is being denied something and they go for the people. In Luke’s case, he goes for a couple of these reasons.

Obi Wan could be considered a “leader” and he is the one who selects Luke because he knows Luke’s roots and he knows what is in Luke’s blood. Obi Wan knows that he is too old to complete this journey by himself and he knows he needs Luke is he wants to succeed in saving the princess. While Obi Wan eventually becomes the voice inside Luke’s head giving him direction, he is first an old man convincing him to go with him.

The most important aspect to Luke’s call to action comes when his aunt and uncle are killed. Before this happens he is doubting himself and not accepting of the idea of going on this mission. He thinks several reason like work and how far away it is for not being able to accompany Obi Wan. Once he loses his aunt and uncle he knows that he must go with Obi Wan.

            The third part that fits for Luke is that fact that something is lacking in his life. Even before he meets Obi Wan, he has the urge to leave his planet and go on to do something different. It is the natural hero that is inside of him that tells him that he is destined for something bigger than being a farmer. Luke’s uncle knows about his father being a brave man and he knows that Luke will have the itch to do something similar to his father but he holds him back to protect him. Luke would have found a reason to go on his adventure one way or another because the need to journey is instilled inside of him.

            All three of these examples factor into why Luke went out on his adventure. The most important one in my eyes is the fact that he felt something was missing inside him. He may have decided to go right after he learned his aunt and uncle died but it was only a matter of time anyway. Hero’s are born with a sense that they are destined for something special and Luke, as well as those around Luke, knew that he was a hero waiting to set forth on his adventure. Luke was always destined to go with Obi Wan to destroy the Death Star, he just need an extra push to get him on his way.