R2-D2 is the real hero of Star Wars

That's right, I said it. This spunky little robot is the true hero f the original Star Wars movie. It is actually quite obvious when you think about it. He was the only member of the team who, from start to finish, never gave up on the mission. Ben Kenobi was content living as a hermit, Luke just wanted to get power converters, Han and Chewy just wanted money, Leia was captured, and C3PO wanted to give up. However, R2D2 never lost his resolve. He received his message and the plans to the death star and tirelessly searched for Obi Wan Kenobi. He was the one who was able to locate princess Leia on the Death Star. He was the one who saved everyone from the trash compactor, he was the one who repaired Luke's ship and allowed him to take down the Death Star. He even took a laser which, had it not hit him, may have destroyed Luke's ship and compromised the mission. Despite all this, my boy R2 never even got a medal. So what do you guys think? Is R2 a hero or am I completely off base? Can a droid even be a hero if they are programmed to do their job? Let me know

my third blog post about heroes for class

Joseph Campbell says in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, "And in so far as the hero's act coincides with that for which his society is ready, he seems to ride on the great rhythm of the historical process." It suggests that the hero is a product of some omniscient force. In Star Wars this functions as The Force and Luke's destiny, but "historical process" implies that a similar kind of force has manifested in reality-- the way we have looked back on and digested  events of the past, how we perceive history as taking a linear course, functions in the same guiding and prophetic manner. 

The idea of Zeitgeist says that people are the product of their culture. Any "hero" of a society would have developed as a reflection of their environment. An opposing idea, the The Great Man Theory, posits that these heroes are actually the shapers and makers of their culture rather than a passive consequence. The latter seems to align with heroes of myth and fiction. How do you think these ideas apply to Star Wars?

Han Solo…Selfish or Hero? Both?

Towards the end of the movie, Han Solo surprises most viewers by coming back to help Luke complete the mission of destroying the Death Star. Han Solo throughout the movie portrays to be a 'tough' guy who's only concern is himself and money. That is why many of his motives to help Luke and Obi Wan in the beginning was for the reward to pay for all the debt he was in. George Lucas described Han as "A loner who realizes the importance of being part of a group and helping for the common good." In my own opinion, Han transforms his personality just as much as Luke has. Luke seemed 'bratty' in the beginning of the movie, and transforms into this great hero that destroys the Death Star. Han Solo meanwhile, 'leaves' because he received his reward from saving the princess. This affects Luke greatly, as he states to Han as he's leaving, "Okay. Take care of yourself Han. I guess that's what you're best at isn't it?" Later, as Luke is in trouble with being shot at by Darth Vader, Han Solo surprises Luke by coming on the intercom, and is his backup. Han Solo transforms from being the selfish, greedy man, into a true team player that helps Luke save the day. I think Han Solo has transformed just as much as Luke has. Do you? 

New Topic: Star Wars and Hero's Journey

Every class has not completed Star Wars and has submitted essays on personal definitions of hero.

We are now moving to study of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, or monomyth. Currently our discussion is of Star Wars. Soon we will move to other films and then to Beowulf.

Resources to help.  Here is the video summary of The Hero's Journey (hat tip to Taylor for the find):

The cycle and a full summary after the jump (click on the post title or on "read more" below).

Hero of Circumstance?

I think one of the most interesting things is the different paths that Luke and Anakin (Vader) take with their lives. For those of you who have seen all six films, you know that Anakin started on his Jedi path at a much younger age than Luke did. When taken in, both Anakin and Luke were young and ambitious, and wanted to learn everything they could about the force and “become the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy.” Despite similar upbringing and training (both by Kenobi), Luke and Anakin chose polar opposite paths and joined different sides of the force. In the beginning both want to be heroes, but Luke stays true to this ideal throughout his life while Anakin strays. What I wonder is, are the circumstances of Luke’s upbringing (Empire already in control) and the fact that he is the only young Jedi left that could fight the Empire the reason why he becomes the hero? Despite his bratty and immature qualities we see at first, does he contain the moral strength and bravery of any hero, seeing as it would be an appealing offer to join the dark side and become even more powerful? For those who have seen the other films, why do you think Anakin and Luke end up so different in the end?

Luke's Reaction

I found it kind of odd how Luke reacted to the death of his aunt and uncle. He seems to casually go about his day and doesn't seem that upset. Since he was supposed to live with his aunt and uncle for another year, this is life altering for him. He then has to go to Alderon and help Obi Wan restore peace in the galaxy. Is this an odd reaction or is it heroic of Luke to remain calm and go about helping Obi Wan?

The Quest For Quotability

We have spent some time talking about how much of a whiny brat Luke Skywalker is. Even though we know that he is the hero, he is really hard to like. Everybody knows that Luke Skywalker is the hero, but I know very few people who pick Luke as their favorite character. Josh touched on this topic in an early post when he pointed out the popularity of Darth Vader, even though he is a villain. Josh could not figure out why Darth Vader was so popular, but I think I have. The difference between Darth Vader and Luke is a matter of quotability. So far in the movie we have been exposed to memorable quotes from both Darth Vader and Obi Wan. Darth has uttered his "I find your lack of faith disturbing" line, and Obi Wan has introduced us to Jedi mind tricks with his quote, "These are not the droids you're looking for". These guys are made memorable because these quotes have been plastered on our Facebook walls and Reddit threads. Through this, these characters have expanded beyond the movie and into our culture itself. I challenge you to find a Luke Skywalker quote that has done this. So what do you guys think? Who is your favorite Star Wars character? and are they your favorite from a quote or a scene you memorized, or because of something else?

New Vs Old?

In class Mr. Farrenkopf talked about the edited movie having a different bar scene. Instead of Han Solo just killing the bounty hunter, the bounty hunter fires his gun first, misses, and then Han kills him. Does the second version ruin Han's image of being this "Badass." Or does this second scene make him fit the part better of him being more heroic?

User Interfaces

This is a bit of a side-topic (and maybe not the best place for a graded comment, for what it's worth), but this post points out just how imaginative Lucas had to be about technology in 1977.  Consider this:

"Star Wars: A New Hope hit theaters in 1977—the same year that Apple moved from a garage to a real office building and Microsoft hired its first official employees. And the fact that it came out as consumer computers were truly hitting the mainstream shows."

So a gaming interface designer made a super-cut of every time a character interfaces with a machine. Not so much about "hero," but interesting to consider that the movie was imagining technology at a time when he home computer was still many years off.

Here's the link:
http://gizmodo.com/and-now-every-single-user-interface-in-star-wars-a-ne-1680702526?utm_source=recirculation&utm_medium=recirculation&utm_campaign=wednesdayAM

Is Star Wars a Movie of Heros? Who Really Is?

The Star Wars we are watching in class starts off with the two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, saving the plans from Darth Vader. These are the main heros of the story as of now, but knowing the rest of the movie I know more are to come. But by studying heros in class and realizing these droids could be considered heros. So what makes the future heros, heros? Should R2-D2 and C-3PO be considered a hero? How do we distinguish the true heros from who gets the spotlight in the movie?

Revolutionizing the movie industry

Star Wars was a revolutionary, almost new type of genre during its premiere. Star wars was one of the first multi film sagas, George Lucas knew this from the very beginning.
"It wasn't long after I began writing Star Wars that I realized the story was more than a single film could hold. As the saga of the Skywalkers and Jedi Knights unfolded, I began to see it as a tale that could take at least nine films to tell—three trilogies—and I realized, in making my way through the back story and after story, that I was really setting out to write the middle story."(George Lucas) 
The film was thought of as a very risky investment, because of its irregular plot and film strategies. George Lucas revolutionized the movie industry by providing sequels. 

My second hw post on heroism, heroes are identified by action

Star Wars is an action film. Superheroes and other fictional examples of heroes are predominantly characterized by physically apparent activity, such as lightsaber battles, rescue missions, noble sacrifice, standing up for beliefs, etc. The focus on combat in Star Wars feels like a saturation of the idea that action is intrinsic to heroism. Not everyone who has a strong moral compass is considered a hero, and a thought with heroic intentions is effectively irrelevant without follow through. Rather, the integrity of the moral compass must persevere or grow through a challenging situation that forces it to manifest in a hero's response. This leads to a question: is a hero is defined more internally or externally--  by their personal sense of right, or by what wrong they come up against?  The two undeniably influence each other, but I find that recognition of a hero seems to necessitate the latter in order to reveal the first. What do you think?

Possible Discussion Topics: Cheese

Please feel free to start your own discussions, but here are some possible topics to explore as well:

This movie is CHEEESY! As I watched it, I was amused at some of the corny dialogue, the situations, some of the gags.  Of course, there were lots of cheesy movies in 1977, but there were also some smart, sophisticated films.

movies of 1977

• How do you account for the film's massive popularity considering its shortcomings?
• Science fiction is often described as fantasy in which the implausible is accounted for through technology.  Star Wars adheres to that, except for "The Force."  Explore that idea.
• How do the characters surrounding Luke contribute (or detract) from his role as hero?

Those are my initial thoughts.  Use these or others for posts of your own.  Please don't comment on this post; these ideas aren't fully baked yet.  That's up to you.

My hw for class

Star Wars has three prequels dedicated to telling a story about demise of the hero to a villain. And, as pointed out by others, Darth Vader is introduced before Luke. Both are characteristic of the Star Wars universe, and even of action movies as a genre. They reinforce the idea that fictional villains tend to be more interesting and dynamic than fictional heroes. I believe this happens because villains are more versatile: they not only provide the justitification and set an audience's expectations for the hero, but also challenge the storyline to process what values provide possibility for development of the hero's character and shape the reader's worldview.  While I'm sure exceptions exist, mass-culture heroes cater towards the common ethics of the society they are marketed to, and once the growth period is over, can stagnate and become very one dimensional without the constant challenge of an opposing force. Luke Skywalker, for example, is fairly boring and predictable until he must come to terms with his own relation to the Dark Side. In terms of greater cultural significance, villains reveal more about the definition of heroes in a piece of fiction because they embody in more specific terms what a society fears and tries to contain through both the creation of a defined sense of wrong and the inevitable triumph of the hero over the threatening qualities personified. This is why there can exist multiple antagonists of equal importance in a work, but typically only one dominant protagonist, such as in superhero  franchises. We see evil as more widespread and proliferous than those few extraordinary individuals who must combat it, and what is acceptable as popular conceptions of evil is more diverse than what is acceptable in the mainstream to be heroism.
What exceptions do you see to these ideas? Contradictions? Examples of more complicated heroism in popular works of fiction?

Are these the droids we're looking for?

Up until the point in the movie where Obi Wan is introduced the main characters seem to be R2-D2 and C3PO, the droids that the story has been following. When he is first introduced, Luke's bratty attitude makes him seem like a secondary character in the story. When the team of misfits arrives at the cantina, the droids start to take a backseat roll and Obi Wan takes more of a leading roll with Luke still seeming like a secondary character that Obi Wan has to get out of trouble. As the story progress I'm sure that Luke will take on more of a leading roll, but right now he just seems like a teenage side kick to the awesomeness that is Obi Wan Kenobi.

Missing Hero?

Although our class only watched a small portion of Star War IV: A New Hope, one thing does stand out so far. The main protagonist is nowhere to be found! This is unique to Star Wars in that most hero driven stories tend to revolve around the main protagonist to the point that you can barely take your eyes off the hero. The difference between Star Wars and most other hero driven stories is that in Star Wars the universe is not one that the audience is even remotely familiar with. While most stories at least take place on earth, Star Wars takes place in a completely different galaxy! The fact that Star Wars takes place in a galaxy far far away forces the writers to set the stage for the audience. They do so by starting big. They first introduce the universe with a short blurb that scrolls across the screen, quickly followed by an introduction to the two main factions in the movie. The upside to this is that this intro makes it easier for the audience to see where the protagonist fits into the whole universe when he is eventually introduced. The downside being the audience might be temporarily confused as to who the story will eventually follow. Do you think this intro is needed to give the audience some context or do you think it simply exacerbates an already complex situation?

Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru

Here's a little break from your intellectual discussion of the story-telling phenomenon that is Star Wars. 

This is a bit of poor taste.  If you like that sort of thing.

Like me.

Someone made action figures of Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. If you've not seen the movie before AND you haven't yet seen Luke decide to join Obi Wan on his quest, don't view this yet.  Otherwise, click the title of this post to see the image.

Luke Skywalker From the Start

             While we are only at the very beginning of watching Star Wars, most, if not all, of us know already that Luke Skywalker is set to be a hero. What I found most interesting today was how the creators decided to enter Luke into the storyline. With his famous opening line of "But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters," Luke was not the guy you would expect to turn out to be a big shot hero. I think it is really interesting how the writers decided to create his personality, developing his inner hero as time goes on versus from the very beginning. They didn't start him out in a scene where he is saving someones' life or is blatantly displayed as a big hot shot. Rather, he entered the story as just an whiney teenage guy who didn't want to do his chores. So far in the movie, Luke is essentially just a typical teenager. For me, had I not already known that Luke Skywalker was the protagonist in Star Wars, I wouldn't have picked him out from the start.  Clearly there could be controversy on who is the hero in the movie, or if the hero isn't in the movie at all, but rather the creators of the series. I am looking forward to watching the various characters develop throughout the movie, and most importantly to see Luke's transformation into this so called hero. Why do you think that the creators of Star Wars decided to portray Luke Skywalker as they did in the beginning of the movie? Do you think that this was important to his character?

How To Create A Post or Comment

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Discussion About Star Wars

As we watch Star Wars in class, use this space as a forum for discussion.  Create a POST if you have a new idea to discuss.  Often, it is effective to include questions at the end of posts to invite discussion of the topic.  Use COMMENTS to respond to post and add your insights to the conversation.

I hope this is a stimulating, intellectual, and fun place to expand your thinking about topics in class.