Star Wars Essay, Research Paper

The Descent into Dark

We live in a society, which relies on fairy tales and mythology to entertain and take us off to a far away place where we can identify with our imagination. The Star Wars trilogy is a classic example of the hero cycle. A young man is brought up believing the light side of the force is his destiny. It has an old warrior, which teaches young Luke an ancient craft that has been used for centuries to battle evil. Luke is told about his father and how he was a great Jedi Knight, how he was killed by a man named Darth Vader, but fails to tell him that the fate of the galaxy lies on his shoulders. Luke grows wise but still cocky and bull headed much like Oedipus Rex. Young Luke Skywalker sees his mentor get taken down by the same man who killed his father thus giving birth to his inner dark side. He is yet to see the need for a balance of the two forces.

Luke develops many friendships and is forced to choose whether or not he wants to complete his training with his new mentor Yoda, or watch his friends die in trying to defeat the Empire and Darth Vader. He ignores all that he was taught by Obi wan and Yoda and decides to take his destiny in his own hands and confront Vader and save his friends. In doing this rebellion to the light side of the force, Luke can now feel the power of having the light side and the dark. During his battle with Vader, Luke can see that there is a transformation of the villain. What was once a cold and dark character, Lord Vader now has a compassion for his son. Though Luke is blinded and stubborn for the light side of the force, is actions are now balanced between the two forces. Vader now starts to see compassion for his son, who is forced to do battle not by his own will. Vader then offers an ultimatum for his son who is to join with him to defeat the emperor and rule the universe. Luke denies his father and descends into his own darkness when he finds out Vader is his father, this symbolizes the death period in the fairy tale.

The resurrection of Skywalker in Return of the Jedi shows that Luke realizes that he has the power to defeat the Emperor and maybe bring back his father to the light side of the force. When he confronts his enemies, Luke almost makes the decent into the darkness as he battles his father. He realizes that the rage that is controlling him is the dark side. Luke stops the battle after he sees that Vader?s chopped hand is just like his own and he knows the two are both alike. Luke can see that he will soon become just like his father. As the aggravated Emperor starts to kill Luke, Vader goes through his own resurrection. With this compassion for his son, Lord Vader throws the Emperor to his death. Saving his son showing us that there is still good in him. The light side of the force is not completely out Vader.

The cycle that these characters in the story Star Wars take, is a life-death cycle. They choose between which side of life to live. Campbell?s idea that both the light and dark side is in a way diseased shows that a balance must be present. The light side is constantly in control and more of a thanatos way, whereas the dark side is in chaos and an eros view. The balance between the two is cyclical approach to life. There are ups and downs to everything of nature. As Yoda said, ?there is no try only do.? A true jedi must confront the dark side of the force in order to see what the light side has.