Szklarski: Skywalker as Campbell's Hero
Luke Skywalker, as far as Campbell's standards go, completes the Hero's Journey in the Star Wars trilogy. Campbell's hero, with regards to steps of the journey such as Atonement with the Father, Master of Two Worlds, and the Belly of the Whale, is a better fit into the mold of a contemplative hero than a civic hero. The spiritual connection of the Force reinforces the view that the contemplative hero is like a religious hermit. Luke does not fight the physical battle on Endor. Han takes care of that side of the battle fulfilling his adherence to a civic hero role. Luke's battle takes place on the Death Star but also in his mind as the Emperor tempts him with the dark side.
I see the Emperor's throne room as an eye. The structure is similar to that of an eye; the circular form of the window and the way it has a perfect view of the battle taking place in space near the Death Star. These three characters pictured to the left all deal with what is going on behind the face, the mask. The most poignant visual representations of the Dark Side are Darth Vader's mask/cape getup and the Emperor. But the real power of the Dark Side is all in the mind, or behind the eyes. This is where the choices and decisions are made in a spiritual manner; internally.
The struggle within Luke's mind plays out visually as the scene ensues. Luke fights to what seems like the end when he calls out for his father's help. His father essentially dies saving him. Luke doesn't want to accept this as his father's fate. The point of Atonement with the Father is that each accepts the other. This is covered by Darth Vader's statement, "You already have [saved me]." He acknowledges Leia at this point as well when he tells Luke to tell his sister.
The Belly of the Whale, a step of Luke's journey in The Empire Strikes Back, is commonly cave like. On Dagobah amidst his Jedi training with Yoda, Luke encounters himself basically. Seeing his own face behind the mask of the head of Darth Vader shows that he acknowledges that there is a piece of Darth Vader, or the Dark Side, within him. Many of the facets of his training reflect a kind of Belly in which Luke develops his contemplative side.
Once Luke has defeated Darth Vader, which in a way brings his father back to life, he has won the internal struggle with the Dark Side. In a way, Mastering Two Worlds serves this trilogy to mastering internal and external forces. Luke overcomes the temptations of the Dark Side of the force as well as the temptations from the Emperor.
To readdress Han's role as more of a civic hero and not quite a Campbell hero, I think it is important to examine Harrison Ford's fame at the time that Return of the Jedi was filmed. "Lucas had foreseen the possibility that he might ultimately become 'too big' for the one-dimensional role of Solo and therefore created the controversial cliffhanger ending of The Empire Strikes Back…" (Pfeiffer, 129) Harrison Ford can be viewed as the hero type. He, along with the evolved character that Han has become, seem to fit as civic heroes. Han Solo appeared in A Hew Hope as a rather flat character and becomes more round by Return of the Jedi.
I liked the way that you examined the scene of the final confrontation between Luke and the Dark Side because I never really thought of the setting in that way. It better puts into perspective what kind of struggle Luke encounters as opposed to Han. I agree that Luke is more of a Campbell hero, and the idea that he is fighting not only the Empire but a higher power in his mind is framed well in this scene. It also shows the difference between Luke and Han in a visual way. While Han is physically fighting the battle on the planet below, above hovers Luke and his adversaries on the Death Star, looking on the war that ensues below them and engaging in a battle of self-control. Han is unable to reach this level of spirituality, and thus it makes it difficult for him to fulfill several of the steps in Campbell’s hero’s journey.
ReplyDeleteI also liked that you said that Luke and his father reach atonement by accepting each other. This is also represented in a visual fashion since Luke and Vader have cut off the other’s hand while dueling. Luke understands what he could be and who he is in this moment, and I think that’s a very powerful part of the film.
I never thought to think of it that way. The particular scene that you are referencing is a culmination of everything that has happened up to this point. The eye imagery can also be compared to Luke’s internal struggle with the Dark Side and the role that he plays in this trilogy. It also brings it back to Darth Vader and the moment when Luke finally removes the mask to reveal his father. I agree with your statement that Han is a civic hero but he does not follow Campbell’s hero exactly. Han worries about himself for the majority of the three movies but in the end he does develop into a civic hero. This form of hero is one that is created. When comparing Luke and Han, Luke accepts his role as hero as if he was born to do so. Han on the other hand, develops into a hero because of the situation and community that surrounds him. Another difference would be that Luke has the capability to seek and obtain a higher, spiritual power. Han on the other hand is meant to fight a more tangible battle on Endor. This does not however take away from the fact that the two are the heroes of this particular trilogy.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Lam
ReplyDeleteI really agree and like the way you connected the setting of the final scene with Darth Vader and Luke to the eye and the symbolism it entails. The Dark Side is indeed in the mind, or behind the eyes. I also agree that Luke has more completed the hero's journey than Han did, and that the Atonement scene was definitely for Luke and Luke only. I would also like to point out that the Belly of the Whale did not just occur with Yoda, but I would argue that it actually begins when Obi-Wan Kenobi sacrificed himself for the crew in the first film.
You bring up a good point about taking Ford's fame into account at the outset of the last film's creation. Ford's character Han definitely fits the role of the civic hero, and maybe his character in the second film appeared to be more flat because Ford wanted to try giving his character an extra dimension, essentially the dimension that he is not just the hero but is a dramatic hero. Ultimately, that would have made him a more marketable actor, especially with the success that came about later. It demonstrated that he can bring down a character and then bring him back up. It also showed that he was willing to not be the main hero and was willing to play a support character role.
I find it very interesting how you described the eye playing such a pivotal role in the decision making process. If you think about it, the eye is one of our sensory organs and we use it to gather information from the world around us. Once that information is gathered we use it to make a choice. We receive information about other people by examining who their visual experience causes them to express themselves. Now that you’ve got me thinking about sensory organs in kind of a deep sense, I’m re-examining a lot of what I’ve seen in the Star Wars movies and learning more.
ReplyDeleteI’m now asking myself what would have happened if Luke had not seen Ben get killed by Vader? I’m now asking myself what would have happened if Luke had not seen Leia when she popped up in the message encoded inside R2? I’m asking myself what would have happened if Luke had not seen his father’s face at the end of the trilogy? I’m asking myself what would have happened if Luke had just heard and not seen Ben’s spirit? How much have sights affected the outcome of this story? They very obviously have an effect, as each sensory organ plays a different part in how these characters have chosen to express themselves. That’s what I’ve just now realized.