The Cycle of the Hero
Call to Adventure: Luke goes out to search for R2-D2 and meets up with Ben Kenobi otherwise called Obi Wan Kenobi who helps Luke fight off the sand people. Once Luke and Obi Wan find R2-D2, they hear a message, a plea for help, recorded by princess Leia. Obi Wan tries to convince Luke to go with him to Elderan. "You must learn the ways of the force," says Obi Wan Kenobi. But Luke says he has to stay behind to be with his family and work. When the two return to Luke's home, they see that it has been destroyed, and Obi Wan Kenobi convinces Luke to go with him and learn the ways of a Jedi.
Helpers: Obi Wan Kenobi, R2-D2, C-3PO
Threshold of Adventure: Obi Wan and Luke go to a bar that is located on the edge, the jumping off point to the outer spaces. They meet up with Han Solo, who has a space craft for them to take to Elderan, but only at a price. Troopers appear at the bar, their attention focused on Obi Wan, Luke, and Han. There is a bunch of ruckus and shooting as Obi Wan, Luke, Han, R2-D2, and C-3PO try to board the space craft and take off for Elderan. Then they are still being chased and shot at until they make a jump in the space craft that helps them lose the troopers.
Tests/Challenges: Darth Vador's troopers discover Obi Wan, Luke, and Han Solo at the bar, and they attack. Luke and Obi Wan's space craft is chased and shot at by troopers. Luke and his helpers come upon a space station, and the magnetic field around it draws them in against their will. Troopers attack inside the space station. The rescue of princess Leia is a fairly difficult challenge what with the troopers being after Luke and Han Solo. Princess Leia, Luke, and Han Solo fall down a chute that lands them ontop of garbage, and then the walls begin to close all around them. Obi Wan Kenobi battles Darth Vador and dies.
More Helpers: Han Solo(mercenary), Chewbacca, princess Leia
The Hero’s Triumph: Luke wanted Han Solo to help him save princess Leia, but Han Solo told him it wouldn’t work. However, Luke is persistent and initiates a rescue. He finds the sort of prison cell that Leia is being kept in and gets her out. But little does he know that the bigger challenges are still coming. Princess Leia , Luke, and Han Solo fight their way through many troopers and other obstacles. They even witness the death of their dear friend Obi Wan Kenobi. Han Solo told Luke that it would be impossible to rescue the princess, but Luke tries regardless. Luke’s triumph is his successful rescue of princess Leia from the space station and Darth Vador.
The Hero’s Flight: The literal flight of the hero, takes place when Luke is attempting to destroy the space station. The other men that were flying along with him have all been killed by Darth Vador, and Luke is Darth’s next target. Whilst Darth Vador is trying to shoot Luke’s plane down, Luke suddenly hears this voice inside his head. It’s Obi Wan Kenobi telling him to use the force. This is Luke’s big turning point, the moment everything he’s learned connects and clicks into place. He finally feels the force, and he trusts it. He puts his target map away and concentrates solely on accomplishing the mission he set out to do and using the force within him to guide him. Luke’s “flight” is both a physical and psychological one.
The Threshold Struggle: After Luke discovers how to use the force, he still has Darth Vador to deal with. Darth Vador is still trying to shoot at Luke, but Luke uses the force to avoid him. Darth thinks he has the perfect shot at Luke, but instead his shot hits to the side of him. Darth’s plane crashes into a plane next to him and that sends him spinning away from the space station. Luke then has the opportunity to destroy the space station and does so successfully.
The Elixir: When Luke returns, a ceremony is held where he and Han Solo are rewarded for their efforts. They are both given medals, and the medals symbolize the elixir, or the power that they come into by way of their heroic acts.
Literary Archetypes
The Hero: Luke Skywalker. Luke is a great example of a typical hero. Throughout the film, Luke undergoes the transformation of an average boy to a self-dependent Jedi. In order to achieve this, Luke had to find the force within him which requires him to let go and follow his intuition. Luke was ready all along for this journey, but he didn’t know it until he went through his transformation. Yes, Luke is a hero by rescuing princess Leia or by protecting others. But he is also a hero by going through the transformation that brings about self-realization and maturity. So, basically he leaves one condition, and finds the source of life to bring him forth in a more mature condition. Like Joseph Campbell said, “The achievement of the hero is one that he is ready for. It’s a manifestation of his character. The adventure that he’s ready for is the one that he gets.”
The Antihero: Han Solo. Han follows a similar hero process in which he starts out as a mercenary, helps others and begins to feel compassion, and by the end, has truly transformed his character and his way of life. The adventure provoked a quality in his character he didn’t know he possessed. What makes him an antihero is that he doesn’t believe in the force. He also has no hope or faith when Luke goes to destroy the space station. So although Han Solo undergoes a positive transformation and risks his life for others, he doesn’t have faith in the force.
The Wise Fool: Although I don’t think Obi Wan Kenobi ever gives the appearance of being a fool, he is most definitely wise. He has been around the block a few times and knows what’s going on. Obi Wan is a teacher, an advisor, especially to Luke. He gives Luke both physical help (the lightsabor) and psychological help (he helps Luke find his center). Obi Wan says to Luke, “Let go of your conscious self and act on instinct.”
The Devil Figure: To me, the obvious villain is Darth Vador. Not only does he have the appearance of evil (wears all black, creeping heavy breathing) but he is definitely a cold fish towards the “good force” as well. And he seems to be fairly merciless in the video.
The Outcast: Han Solo is an outcast. You can tell he's one of those characters that's been place to place, traveling alone. He is indifferent to most people and really only takes care of himself because he has no one else to take care of until he gets involved in Luke's mission. He's a loner, and he's a bit testy and/or disagreeable with others, and this sets him apart significantly.
The Double: I think that instead of the double pertaining to a person, the double in Star Wars is more of a thing. The double is the force. It contains two opposing sides within it, the constant battle between good and evil.
The Scapegoat: Obi Wan Kenobi. Obi Wan Kenobi sacrifices himself for Luke. When Obi Wan Kenobi is battling with Darth Vador, there's a brief and intense moment that he locks eyes with Luke, and then puts up his lightsabor, but Darth Vador gets him. Luke knew when Obi Wan locked eyes with him that Obi was going to die.
The Temptress: The dark side. The dark side draws people in, lures people in with its prospect of power. Those that give in realize too late that the dark side only causes destruction.
The Good Mother: Princess Leia. Princess Leia is a strong-willed character in Star Wars. She doesn’t give into interrogation, she holds her ground. She’s a fast thinker by recording a message for help on R2-D2 before her capture. She’s fairly adept at fighting, but is also capable of compassion. She can be severe and decisive when necessary, but also a soothing figure, a feminine figure. This displays that she is in tune with human nature.
The Tragic Hero-Han Solo
1) A Belief in His Own Freedom: Han is a very free-spirited character. He believes he is a free man because there is no one but himself that he has to worry about. He's a loner and he travels where he wants when he wants to and does as he pleases because there is no one to stop him. He makes his own decisions and can deal with whatever outcome his choices may bring about.
2) A Supreme Pride: When I think of Han's character, I see him as being slightly conceited. Not only is he confident in his own abilites and the choices he makes, but he also thinks that his way is always the right way. After he and Luke rescue princess Leia, and they are all trying to escape from the space station, Han is extremely irritated with Leia for jumping down the chute that leads to garbage. She was only trying to avert the troopers and was finding a quick exit, yet Han thinks that was a dumb idea, and that she should have just stayed with him because he had everything under control before she jumped down there. He wanted to do it his way, he wanted that power.
3) Capacity for Suffering: Han is aware that he isn’t the most agreeable fellow. He knows that he is an outcast, and that sometimes he doesn’t make the right decisions although he gives the appearance that he does. He acts confident that he is a superior being, but deep down he knows that isn’t the case although he’d never admit to such a thing. If he didn’t have some sort of capacity for suffering, if he merely ignored all human emotion, then his transformation would never take place because he would remain an indifferent human being who only cares about himself. He does, however, have the strength to endure problematic situations that cause him pain. When Luke is out there alone trying to destroy the space station, Han is worried about him because he doesn’t believe that he will come through it okay. When Luke is successful, you can tell how relieved Han is. The strength disguised his suffering.
4)A Sense of Commitment: Although Han initially embarks on the journey with Luke and Obi Wan for money, through the series of challenges they all face together, he begins to feel committed to help with whatever mission Luke and Obi are trying to accomplish. He secretly likes them and likes the feeling of liking someone beside himself, which also goes towards his commitment to them. He gives the impression that he still wants a “reward” from the princess for helping in her rescue, but shortly after he changes his mind when he begins to feel compassionately about her. Han stays with Luke and princess Leia until the end because he feels committed to them.
5)Vigorous Protest: In the movie, the force acts as a sort of logic. The logic being that once you find your center and find yourself (the force within), anything can be accomplished. Han doesn’t believe in this, has no faith in it. He thinks the force is a bunch of bologna. He doesn’t think you have to find your center in order to be a good Jedi. He’s against the logic of the force because he doesn’t believe it exists.
6)Transfiguration: Han transforms from a mercenary to a wiser, more compassionate man. The journey he goes on teaches him about fighting with a purpose, a clear objective, instead of wandering around until something happens. He also gains friends and is keen on princess Leia. He is no longer rough around the edges and selfish.
7)Impact: Han’s transformation impacts two separate groups. It impacts the audience by way of example. It impacts the other characters in the movie like Luke and Leia through his commitment to them. The audience gets to watch Han transform and grow as a person whereas Luke and Leia grow with him and appreciate the outcome of his transformation. They don’t necessarily see Han suffer much because he covers it well. Still, they really like and respect the man he turns out to be.
