The Hero's Journey in Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces and Star Wars
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R2D2's holograph of Princess Leia: classic princess in distress |
Vision of Kenobie telling Luke to go to Degobagh and find Yoda |
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| Parental blocking figure, Uncle Owen, reminds Luke of familial responsibilities. |
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Luke returns to find family farm burned out by imperial stormtroopers; now has no reason to stay |
Luke goes to Degobah | |
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Obi Wan Kenobi -- Merlin figure -- is guide; talisman is father's light saber |
Guide now becomes Yoda, whose small stature represents the realm of the subconscious into which he initiates Luke |
Luke now needs no guide; an adult Jedi, he has the power of the Force. |
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R2D2 & 3CPO, the loyal servants; Han Solo, the older brother/buddy with his own Other companion, Chewbacca: Tonto, Sancho Panza, Jim to Hans' Huck |
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Luk'e leaving of his home planet Tantooine | . | |
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The bar with its chaotic assembly of aliens serves as a passage to the dangerous world Luke is about to enter. Obi Wan and Han each slay an alien, and Obi Wan also distracts imperial storm troopers so that the way is clear for Luke to leave |
. | . | The Imperial Falcoln is drawn into the Death Star by tractor beam. | 1. Han stuffs Luke into the belly of the dead Tonton 2. The Imperial Falcoln takes refuge in a hole in an asteroid which turns out to be the gullet of a large space beast . 3. Crash landing on Degobah |
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| Luke's efforts to save Leia | The beginning of Luke's training with Yoda | Luke's rescue of Han and Leia | |
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Descending into the tree, Luke fights a shadow image of Vader wearing Luke's own face under the helmet | Luke's battle with his father, Vader | |
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Finds Leia | Learns Leia is his sister | Tells Leia she is his sister |
| Sea Journey |
Fall into trash compacter | Entrance into hellish carbon freezing unit | |
| Serpent in trash compacter; real battle wi Vader is displaced onto Obi Wan | Battle with Vader | Battle against the Emperor | |
Sparagmos |
Death of Obi Wan | Loss of hand and learning of father's identity | Death of his father |
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Telepathic contact with Leia | Establishment of Han and Leia as couple | |
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Return of Obi Wan as internalized voice | Learning that Darth Vader is his father | Conversion of Vader back to the good side of the Force |
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Luke becomes a hero rescuing Leia -- Tarzan leap; targetting enemy fighters | Hanging upside down on antenna at bottom of garbage shute, Luke is the dying god, the hanged man in teh tarot deck -- sysbol of regeneration through reversal of circumstances | |
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Saves Leia and R2D2 with plans of Death Star | Discovery of power of Force | Mastery of power of Force |
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Han refuses to go back to Death Star | . | . |
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Han comes back to protect Luke from fighters | Leia comes back to rescuse Luke from bottom of Cloud City | Vader coverts and kills Emperor to save Luke |
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Falcoln escapes exploding Death Star | . | Falcoln escapes exploding Death Star |
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Recognition of Han and Luke by assembled rebel troops | . | Celebration at Ewok camp city where Luke can see emanations of all his dead father-figures |
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