Entries tagged with father and son

Beholding the Face of the Father

“The hero…for a moment rises to a glimpse of the source. He beholds the face of the father, understands—and the two are atoned…. For the son who has grown really to know the father, the agonies of the ordeal are readily borne; the world is no longer a vale of tears but a bliss-yielding, perpetual manifestation of the Presence.”

—Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Anakin Skywalker, a tragic hero

Recently, I was asked to write about ‘Anakin as a tragic hero’, and rather than attempting to tackle such a broad topic from scratch, I decided to compile a masterpost of excerpts from (and links to) my previous posts on the subject.

In my personal view, ‘Star Wars’ (as in, the Skywalker saga) is, at its heart, Anakin’s story, and as such, his tragic fall and ultimate redemption forms one of the main, underlying themes of most of my SW analysis in general. And so, the selections below include everything from in-depth character analysis, to overviews of Anakin’s role in the saga as a whole, to explorations of themes of slavery vs. freedom, death vs. immortality, personal attachments, fear of loss, and perhaps most importantly, unconditional love.

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Lucas' saga as Magnum Opus

Lucas’ Saga as Magnum Opus 1/?: Twin Suns

The Magnum Opus, or ‘Great Work’, is the ultimate goal of alchemy. In addition to its traditional applications, the concept has been used as a model for the individuation process and as a device in art and literature. Progression through its stages typically involves both physical and spiritual transformation, with the aim of attaining such profound results as self-realization, communion with divinity, and spiritual immortality.

In alchemy, Suns are used to symbolize a variety of concepts, and can correspond to gold, citrinitas, generative masculine principles, imagery of ‘the king’ or Apollo, the fiery spirit or sulfur, the divine spark in man, nobility, or incorruptibility.

There is a persistent belief in alchemical tradition in the existence of TWO SUNS: a hidden one of pure “Philosophical Gold,” consisting of the essential Fire conjoined with Aether, and the apparent one of profane “Material Gold.” The “dark, consuming fire” of the material Sun, associated with the dissolution of the body in the process of purification, leads to its being called the “Dark” or “Black Sun.”

Sol Niger (Black Sun) can also refer to the result of the first stage of the Magnum Opus, the Nigredo (blackening). The complete Magnum Opus ends with the production of Gold.

The Universal Tragedy of Man

“The happy ending of the fairy tale, the myth, and the divine comedy of the soul, is to be read, not as a contradiction, but as a transcendence of the universal tragedy of man.”

— Joseph Campbell

and where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god...

Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time have gone before us; the labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero path. And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; and where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our existence; where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world.

— Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces

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"...I've got to get it back then"

Watch on YouTube

Anakin Skywalker/Vader (Simple Math) || SmokeyFiizz

An exquisitely beautiful fan vid that perfectly encompasses my feels for Anakin/Vader, Anakin x Padme, Luke & Vader, and my beloved Skywalker saga.

Happy 40th anniversary, Star Wars. :')

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Breaking the Cycle

" In the Star Wars universe, it is stated that slavery is a primary tool of the Sith—for controlling one another, and also for the subjugation of the entire galaxy. And thus it stands to reason that if Anakin is truly the Chosen One (and this is confirmed by Lucas’ canon), then he is also the one who is destined to destroy the Sith, and by doing so, it is implied, break this seemingly-perpetual cycle of slavery (and mental/ideological enslavement)."

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‘The Chosen One, the Hero’s Journey, and breaking the cycle of enslavement in Star Wars: or, why TFA makes no sense in the context of the Prequels and the Original Trilogy’

(via the-far-bright-center)

“This is why the climactic and emotionally cathartic ending of Return of the Jedi must herald an end to this cycle. What does destroying the Sith mean, if not that? Without this, there is little point to Anakin’s otherwise wholly tragic story. Without this, I would argue, there is little point to Luke’s story, either.”

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'He will avenge us'

re: the final exchange between Obi-Wan and Maul in ‘Twin Suns’

Below the cut I've posted an edited version of my response to ~ this tumblr discussion ~ regarding the mention of ‘The Chosen One’ in the final scene between Obi-Wan and Maul. While I understand (and empathize with!) the fandom's frustration over the use of this term, I feel that, on a meta-textual level, the conversation as a whole refers to both Luke and Anakin, aka the ‘Twin Suns’ of Tatooine.

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A Piece of Sky

Father,

I may be falling

through clouded skies,

broken

and bloodied,

weighted

with the horror

of unholy revelation,

but it is you

who fell long ago

from far greater heights.

Father,

you may be standing

against the faded stars,

shackled

and suffering,

bowed

beneath the burden

of long-held darkness,

but it is I

who blaze

with undimmed light.

Let go

of your hate,

Let go

of your fear,

Let go

of your shrouded lies,

and I promise –

I will be there

I will catch you

and together

we will find

our own piece of sky.

— t.f.b.c.

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Anakin as Avatar

"
Anakin…exists relative to the state of the galaxy. He is not Luke, he is not the youth of western literature on a journey; that is Luke’s role. Anakin’s role is that of the demi-god of Greek and Roman origin. When Anakin rises, the galaxy rises with him, when Anakin is in turmoil, the galaxy is in turmoil, when Anakin falls, so falls the galaxy. Anakin is intrinsic to the galaxy because Anakin, like so many other mythological demi-gods, is an avatar for the gods or, in the case of Star Wars, the Force. Regardless of any one person’s views on the Force (which are extremely disparate and widely varied, so we won’t broach that subject here), this fact is indisputable. Anakin, as the Chosen One who will “bring balance to the Force”, is its avatar. When Anakin is claimed by the Dark, the Jedi Order’s zenith is reached, the Balance is tipped, and the Order descends into darkness with Anakin, just as his return also signals theirs.

The title ‘Return of the Jedi’ doesn’t just reference Luke becoming a Jedi, but Anakin’s return to the Light, and with it, the ability for the Jedi Order to once more flourish. In this he is much like Beowulf, when the Geatish hero sacrifices himself to defeat the dragon at the end of the epic poem. Failure would spell ultimate destruction for Beowulf’s people and country, just as, had Anakin failed to destroy the Emperor, the Jedi and the galaxy would truly have been wiped out. Anakin himself has to die, however, because he is what tips the scales. Once he dies and becomes one with the Force, only then is balance restored."

-- ‘STAR WARS: The Creation of a Modern Myth: Cultural Influence, Fan Response and the Impact of Literary Archetypes on Saga Perception’

(via muldertorture)

This right here is absolutely fundamental to understanding the entire purpose of the Skywalker saga, as Lucas so painstakingly told it. The destruction of the old Jedi Order that had ‘lost its way’ and forgotten its true role in the galaxy, and the founding of the New, heralded by Anakin’s return to the Light, and Luke’s essential role in reminding him—and us all—of what it means to be a True Jedi.

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Qui-Gon Jinn: the ideal teacher of Anakin Skywalker

an excerpt from TPM novelization

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The Old Spacer in Mos Espa

Or, Anakin’s need for a positive role model/father figure

In the novelization of The Phantom Menace, there is an early scene in which Anakin and his friends encounter an ‘old spacer’ one evening in the streets of Mos Espa. As with anything relating to Anakin’s destiny, the scene contains its share of dramatic irony. But more importantly, it also provides a tantalizing glimpse into a ‘what if’ scenario for ‘this here Anakin guy’.

It’s a lengthy passage, but one that I feel is significant enough to include in its entirety [emphasis mine]:

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Union of Opposites

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Nothing frustrates me more than seeing Anakin and Padme (and the Skywalker family in general) constantly referred to as ‘dysfunctional’.

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Star Wars - visual poetry

Watch on YouTube

"You see the echo of where it's all is going to go. It's like poetry, they rhyme." - George Lucas

Now *this* is the TRUE Skywalker saga right here, folks. And it always will be. After all, "it is already over. Nothing can be done to change it." :')

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The Chosen One, the Hero’s Journey, and breaking the cycle of enslavement in Star Wars

Or, why TFA makes no sense in the context of the Prequels and the Original Trilogy

There is something incredibly unique about Anakin Skywalker as a character: this fascinating blend of hero, victim, and villain, and how the interplay of fate, destiny, character flaws, divided loyalties, tragic decisions, and the machinations of others leads to such great pain, loss, and evil…for himself, and for an entire galaxy. How he, as Vader, becomes both physically and mentally enslaved, suspended in an almost carbonite-like stasis and cyclical mindset for decades, until his final act of free will, spurred on by his latent, powerful love for his son, sets him—and them all—free.

In the wake of TFA, I feel the need to explain why I find Anakin’s entire arc (his fall and redemption) so important—nay, essential—to the overall message of the Star Wars saga, and why, thus far, the entire premise of the sequels feels like such an insult to all that has come before—especially in light of the nature of both Anakin’s tragic tale and Luke’s heroic journey.

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