Regarding the topic of Force ghosts, I will try my best to address this, but I just have to first explain a few things about my approach to Star Wars meta discussion in general:
- First of all, I prefer not to know too much about or dwell on ‘authorial intent’ with regard to these sorts of specific details, and especially not when it comes to trying to over-explain ‘how the Force works’, as it tends to detract from my own personal enjoyment. I prefer to view the Force in as mystical a sense as possible, and while, yes, there are certain technical aspects that have been explored in the films and related media, I personally just would rather not get into the inner workings of it all.
- Secondly, please bear in mind that I prefer to deal solely with the Prequels and the Original Trilogy (along with other supplementary media relating to those eras of the story), as I *personally* do NOT recognize or accept TFA and the Disney sequels as ‘canon’. Again, apologies in advance if this makes me a bit difficult to talk to on certain subjects, but I have to make this distinction for my own sanity, because TFA nearly destroyed my ability to enjoy Star Wars at all, and it took me the better part of a year to come to a place where I felt comfortable and happy in the fandom again. So, if it’s ok, I prefer not to discuss anything that is supposed to have taken place post-RotJ in the SW verse. For me, RotJ is the most natural and best possible conclusion to the Skywalker saga, and that’s how I will continue to view it. :)
Now, with that out of the way, I will try my best to explain my understanding of this subject. As far as I know, in the Original Trilogy, the whole ‘Force ghost’ thing was not initially part of the plan (as of A New Hope, at least), but was brought into the SW universe as a way to keep Obi-Wan’s character in the story. (Originally, I am guessing that GL had planned to have Obi-Wan ‘return’ in a way akin to Gandalf the White in LotR, but that this didn’t pan out for several out-of-story reasons, and so, the Force ghost was ‘born’, lol.) Again, this is just my personal understanding of how the concept originated that I’ve gleaned by reading between the lines, but please take this with a grain of salt, as I don’t actually know for sure (nor do I want to do know for sure).
But when it came to the Prequels, there had to be a way of explaining all of this, because it was kind of a complex issue. There had to be a reason why Anakin/Vader was not previously aware of the possibility of this happening (his confusion in ANH at Obi-Wan’s disappearance makes it clear that he had never really encountered anything like it before), and so it was something that could not have been widely known or understood as of the Prequels-era. This is where Qui-Gon Jinn’s character comes into it (‘Jinn’ meaning ‘spirit’). This part is a little bit odd and confusing, admittedly, as there wasn’t really enough time to cover it in the scope of the Prequel films, but there *are* some further little hints scattered throughout the TCW series regarding this (such as Qui-Gon appearing briefly in ghost/spirit/vision form to a surprised Obi-Wan and Yoda, at certain key points).
What I find interesting here, is how this entire concept ended up being integrated into Anakin’s storyline. Because one of the biggest overriding themes of his story is this concept of mortality, or rather, his struggle to *accept* mortality—from which stems his extreme Fear of Loss, and eventual downfall, after which point he, ironically, becomes the embodiment *of* Death to the entire galaxy. In the RotS novelization, there is this incredibly powerful recurring imagery of ‘the dragon of that dead star’—an ancient voice inside his head that whispers, “all things die, Anakin Skywalker, even stars burn out.” Anakin is himself compared to a dying star throughout the course of RotS, and then later, in the OT period, as Vader, it is almost like he has *become* ‘the dragon of that dead star’ (ie, of the ‘Death Star’). In other words, he feared Death…and so Death he became.
This is a huge part of Anakin’s arc, and is one of the main components of the Jedi Code that Anakin struggled with for almost his entire life. This concept of ‘Death…yet the Force.’ Anakin’s struggle with the concept of mortality is therefore a struggle with his own faith. During the Prequel-era, he is never able to fully *believe* in or accept this reality. And this aspect of his struggle makes a lot more sense if his story is taking place in a context where actual visible ‘proof’ of life and/or existence after death via the Force is not currently known (or has perhaps been long-forgotten). So, for this reason alone, it make sense that Obi-Wan would learn how to ‘become’ a Force ghost (or whatever) during the period between RotS and ANH, and would do so via the assistance of his own ‘dead’ master, Qui-Gon Jinn.
The technicalities of how all of this is supposed to occur don’t really concern me, as I am more interested in the symbolism of it all. And what is so beautiful about it is that Anakin’s return to his True Self occurs, at least in part, because he finally accepts his own mortality, and gives up his own life to save his son. Before removing his father's mask, Luke says to him, ‘but you’ll die’. Anakin's reply, ‘nothing can stop that now’ becomes even more poignant when we consider that he had struggled to accept this fact his entire life (first with his mother, and then with Padme, etc). It’s beautiful and symbolic and oh-so fitting to me that, in finally *accepting* his mortality and sacrificing himself to save his loved one, he is redeemed, and is also granted this sort of ‘immortality’ in the Force.
To me, *THAT* is what the final scene in Return of the Jedi is meant to signify—anything else is just a technicality, and one that I prefer not to concern myself with too much. My view of the PT and the OT is as forming together a ‘magnum opus’—aka, the ‘great work’ as defined in alchemy. And one of the intended results of the magnum opus is to discover and/or bring forth the ‘elixir’ or ‘philosopher’s stone’ that leads to eternal life, via a ‘Union of Opposites’. In the context of the Skywalker saga, this Union of Opposites is none other than Anakin and Padme’s forbidden love, the result of which is Luke (and Leia).
And so, what matters here is that Anakin Skywalker has finally, finally regained his faith and thus become a ‘True Jedi’ (as opposed to what the Jedi Order had defined ‘being a Jedi’ as during the Prequels-era). Because, in being saved by his son’s love, and by saving and demonstrating his love for his son above all, he has proven, once and for all, the Truth that he had long denied (because it had been so long denied *to* him)—aka, that ‘love (and thus personal attachments!) CAN save you’. And what is more, he has accepted that final aspect of his faith that had likewise eluded him for so long… Death…yet the Force.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2017-04-23 01:28 pm (UTC)Regarding the topic of Force ghosts, I will try my best to address this, but I just have to first explain a few things about my approach to Star Wars meta discussion in general:
- First of all, I prefer not to know too much about or dwell on ‘authorial intent’ with regard to these sorts of specific details, and especially not when it comes to trying to over-explain ‘how the Force works’, as it tends to detract from my own personal enjoyment. I prefer to view the Force in as mystical a sense as possible, and while, yes, there are certain technical aspects that have been explored in the films and related media, I personally just would rather not get into the inner workings of it all.
- Secondly, please bear in mind that I prefer to deal solely with the Prequels and the Original Trilogy (along with other supplementary media relating to those eras of the story), as I *personally* do NOT recognize or accept TFA and the Disney sequels as ‘canon’. Again, apologies in advance if this makes me a bit difficult to talk to on certain subjects, but I have to make this distinction for my own sanity, because TFA nearly destroyed my ability to enjoy Star Wars at all, and it took me the better part of a year to come to a place where I felt comfortable and happy in the fandom again. So, if it’s ok, I prefer not to discuss anything that is supposed to have taken place post-RotJ in the SW verse. For me, RotJ is the most natural and best possible conclusion to the Skywalker saga, and that’s how I will continue to view it. :)
Now, with that out of the way, I will try my best to explain my understanding of this subject. As far as I know, in the Original Trilogy, the whole ‘Force ghost’ thing was not initially part of the plan (as of A New Hope, at least), but was brought into the SW universe as a way to keep Obi-Wan’s character in the story. (Originally, I am guessing that GL had planned to have Obi-Wan ‘return’ in a way akin to Gandalf the White in LotR, but that this didn’t pan out for several out-of-story reasons, and so, the Force ghost was ‘born’, lol.) Again, this is just my personal understanding of how the concept originated that I’ve gleaned by reading between the lines, but please take this with a grain of salt, as I don’t actually know for sure (nor do I want to do know for sure).
But when it came to the Prequels, there had to be a way of explaining all of this, because it was kind of a complex issue. There had to be a reason why Anakin/Vader was not previously aware of the possibility of this happening (his confusion in ANH at Obi-Wan’s disappearance makes it clear that he had never really encountered anything like it before), and so it was something that could not have been widely known or understood as of the Prequels-era. This is where Qui-Gon Jinn’s character comes into it (‘Jinn’ meaning ‘spirit’). This part is a little bit odd and confusing, admittedly, as there wasn’t really enough time to cover it in the scope of the Prequel films, but there *are* some further little hints scattered throughout the TCW series regarding this (such as Qui-Gon appearing briefly in ghost/spirit/vision form to a surprised Obi-Wan and Yoda, at certain key points).
What I find interesting here, is how this entire concept ended up being integrated into Anakin’s storyline. Because one of the biggest overriding themes of his story is this concept of mortality, or rather, his struggle to *accept* mortality—from which stems his extreme Fear of Loss, and eventual downfall, after which point he, ironically, becomes the embodiment *of* Death to the entire galaxy. In the RotS novelization, there is this incredibly powerful recurring imagery of ‘the dragon of that dead star’—an ancient voice inside his head that whispers, “all things die, Anakin Skywalker, even stars burn out.” Anakin is himself compared to a dying star throughout the course of RotS, and then later, in the OT period, as Vader, it is almost like he has *become* ‘the dragon of that dead star’ (ie, of the ‘Death Star’). In other words, he feared Death…and so Death he became.
This is a huge part of Anakin’s arc, and is one of the main components of the Jedi Code that Anakin struggled with for almost his entire life. This concept of ‘Death…yet the Force.’ Anakin’s struggle with the concept of mortality is therefore a struggle with his own faith. During the Prequel-era, he is never able to fully *believe* in or accept this reality. And this aspect of his struggle makes a lot more sense if his story is taking place in a context where actual visible ‘proof’ of life and/or existence after death via the Force is not currently known (or has perhaps been long-forgotten). So, for this reason alone, it make sense that Obi-Wan would learn how to ‘become’ a Force ghost (or whatever) during the period between RotS and ANH, and would do so via the assistance of his own ‘dead’ master, Qui-Gon Jinn.
The technicalities of how all of this is supposed to occur don’t really concern me, as I am more interested in the symbolism of it all. And what is so beautiful about it is that Anakin’s return to his True Self occurs, at least in part, because he finally accepts his own mortality, and gives up his own life to save his son. Before removing his father's mask, Luke says to him, ‘but you’ll die’. Anakin's reply, ‘nothing can stop that now’ becomes even more poignant when we consider that he had struggled to accept this fact his entire life (first with his mother, and then with Padme, etc). It’s beautiful and symbolic and oh-so fitting to me that, in finally *accepting* his mortality and sacrificing himself to save his loved one, he is redeemed, and is also granted this sort of ‘immortality’ in the Force.
To me, *THAT* is what the final scene in Return of the Jedi is meant to signify—anything else is just a technicality, and one that I prefer not to concern myself with too much. My view of the PT and the OT is as forming together a ‘magnum opus’—aka, the ‘great work’ as defined in alchemy. And one of the intended results of the magnum opus is to discover and/or bring forth the ‘elixir’ or ‘philosopher’s stone’ that leads to eternal life, via a ‘Union of Opposites’. In the context of the Skywalker saga, this Union of Opposites is none other than Anakin and Padme’s forbidden love, the result of which is Luke (and Leia).
And so, what matters here is that Anakin Skywalker has finally, finally regained his faith and thus become a ‘True Jedi’ (as opposed to what the Jedi Order had defined ‘being a Jedi’ as during the Prequels-era). Because, in being saved by his son’s love, and by saving and demonstrating his love for his son above all, he has proven, once and for all, the Truth that he had long denied (because it had been so long denied *to* him)—aka, that ‘love (and thus personal attachments!) CAN save you’. And what is more, he has accepted that final aspect of his faith that had likewise eluded him for so long… Death…yet the Force.