Fisher: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom

When we are first introduced to Indiana Jones in Temple of Doom, he is rather similar to his Han Solo character from Star Wars in that he is only interested in helping himself and subjects himself to dealings with members of the gangster underworld for survival. Ford notes this, stating “´I think there is a similarity between Solo and Jones, but they’re as unlike each other as they are alike. They’re both fast-talking, smooth guys in a certain way. But Han Solo is less complicated than Indiana, a less sophisticated person. Jones is a character who has some other dimensions’” (Pfeiffer 115). When Indy takes on the mission presented to him by the poor Indian villagers, he does so out of a desire to win fame and glory and it appears momentarily as if he has no selfless motivations. However, we are first exposed to Indy’s good side in his decision to free the children from the Thugees’ mines and to return the sacred stone to the village. Indy’s sense of obligation to perform these tasks shows that at some level he recognizes that there is a greater cause than himself and that he is capable of believing in it.

The real turning point of Indy’s servitude from mercenary to indentured knight occurs in the final scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark, beginning when he decides not to risk Marion’s life and the destruction of the Ark of the Covenant just to win over Belloq and escape the Nazis. First, Indy’s concern for Marion proves that he is able to care about someone else’s well-being even more than his own. Indy’s conversion also takes place when he instructs Marion to close her eyes when the Ark is opened. This moment shows Indy’s deeper understanding of what faith is and that he is able to appreciate the power of something without seeing it. He has a respect for the Ark and recognizes that he cannot simply unlock and steal its secrets as he would have with the idol earlier in the film. True knowledge and power comes from taking the time to understand things that the human mind may not be ready to grasp yet.

Indy demonstrates his new found respect for a higher authority after the quest by defending the Ark against the government in Washington. He demands that it be studied carefully in order to bring greater knowledge to the world, rather than to be discarded and forgotten as a sign of humanity’s ignorance. Although Indy is let down by the American government, his experiences with the Ark have still provided him with a greater sense of purpose that must be fulfilled somewhere.