The Love of the Dark Side by Will Dauk

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” This quote by Yoda demonstrates the Jedi view of the dark side as being the pinnacle of evil. The Jedi code is as follows. “There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force.” The way of the Jedi stresses the importance of being a neutral force in all situations. It is interesting to see that the first part of the Jedi code is that they are to release all emotions. For many, emotions are the path to the dark side of the force. The most obvious example being Anakin’s love for Padme drives him to do anything to save her from dying; he learns that the dark side might give him the tools to save Padme. Love is not a bad thing, and the sith are the only ones who permit it. The Jedi and the sith represent two extremes of Force users. The Jedi have no emotions, control their feelings, and let all that might cause them to make a bad decision. The Sith let their emotions drive them, and hold onto the feelings that make them human, such as anger, pity, and love. Because the sith are allowed these human emotions, they are susceptible to making the same mistakes that humans do. The Jedi, who choose not to walk those paths do not make these mistakes.

The idea that humans make mistakes is an important part of Star Wars. Nobody can be perfect, and this is clear when you look at the Jedi and the Sith, they both have a tragic flaw that causes them to fail. For the Jedi, their tragic flaw is their laws and rules. The ridged structure of the Jedi code does not allow for them to vent their emotions, causing them to pile up and eventually come crashing down around the Jedi’s shoulders. This brought about the fall of a number of Jedi, including Anakin Skywalker. The Sith also have a tragic flaw, they submerse themselves in their emotions, and let them guide their actions, causing them to make rash decisions.

The biggest difference between the Sith and the Jedi, is how they wish to impact history. The Jedi choose to allow history to take its course and try to have as little impact as possible with the course of things. The Sith on the other hand choose to try to alter history and do not allow for it to carry out the way it would if they were not a part of it. The Sith alter the fate of history, the Jedi do not.

The Races of Middle Earth by Will Dauk

The Races of Middle Earth

One of the most interesting parts of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, is the variety of races, and species that inhabit the lands. From dwarves to ents, hobbits to orcs, the land of Middle Earth is home to a fair number of intelligent beings. The intelligent beings of middle earth are separated onto the side of good and evil. On the side of evil are the orcs, the trolls, and Uruk-hai. The side of good is populated by the humans, dwarves, elves, and hobbits. Wizards belong to the mix of both sides of the conflict. The idea of certain species being only good or only evil seems to be a reoccurring theme throughout the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The orcs seem to be a purely evil race,

Orcs are a race with purely evil intentions that inhabit the realm of middle earth, created by Sauron to overrun middle earth. However, Tolkien hints that the orcs do in-fact have a few moral codes that they follow. For Example, Gimli says, “Orcs will often pursue foes for many leagues into the plain, if they have a fallen captain to avenge” This quote from the Fellowship of the Ring implies that the orcs are very loyal creatures, and much like humans, elves, and dwarves, they will not hesitate to avenge those that they care about. According to the Complete Guide to Middle Earth, the orcs have been known to live peacefully within their own tribes. Tolkien does not elaborate much on Orc culture and customs. However, we do know that Orcs know some form of healing arts; we also know that their armor, though inferior to that of Elves and Dwarves, is serviceable enough. Also, they often use poisoned blades and arrows. Also, they like to sing horrible songs. The goblins of the Misty Mountains were a smaller breed of Orc, and could also invent horrid machines used to torture and kill things. In some texts, (such as the Hobbit and the Silmarillion) Tolkien suggests that after the fall of Morgoth, some of his Orcs set up petty kingdoms of their own. Leading the reader to believe that there might in fact be an entire Orc culture that the books by Tolkien never really touch on. This sort of possibility opens up a great number of possible good orcs.

Of all the races inhabiting Middle Earth, the orcs are the only ones that are portrayed as completely evil by Tolkien. However, the orcs are simply following the orders of an evil ruler. Similar to the Nuremburg Trials where the Nazis put on trial claimed to be simply following orders. The orcs can argue a similar point.

There is No Black or White in Technicolor by Nick Thompson

There is No Black or White in Technicolor:

The Role of Good, Evil and the Fine Line Between in the Lord of the Rings

“The human animal is a beautiful and terrible creature, capable of limitless compassion and unfathomable cruelty.” This quote by Rogue, lead singer and mastermind behind the underground band the Cruxshadows, determines that there is good and evil in this world. In JRR Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings, good and evil is often personified as absolutes, such as Gandalf, the incorruptible wizard, and the Balrog, which is the shadowy presence of pure, unbridled malice. However, though sentient beings are capable of limitless compassion and unfathomable cruelty, they are not bound to one side or the other. There is not simply good and evil, but also shades of grey, shades that transition between black and white, either slowly or instantaneously. There are cases of these as well in The Lord of the Rings, of which Sméagol/Gollum, Frodo, and Boromir are prime examples.

Boromir is tempted by the power of the ring from the moment he sees it. He is a faithful friend to the Fellowship and a sworn enemy of Sauron, however, he finds himself uncontrollably attracted to the power the ring promises. This leads him to almost kill Frodo for the ring, and causes him to cross the line between good and evil back and forth. Boromir is favored by his father, Denathor, and his brother Faramir is loathed. Boromir loves his brother and tries to get his father to realize that Faramir is a good son as well. When this fails and Boromir falls, Denathor tells Faramir that he wishes he had died in Boromir’s place. This influences Faramir, a good character, to be pushed towards temptation. In this way, Boromir influences for good and ill even after his death. Boromir not only is tempted by the ring, he also tempts others to turn from compassion to cruelty.

Frodo is a very strong example of a virtuous character. He is under the influence of the Ring of Power, yet he falters on the fine line between being a compassionate bearer of a magical artifact and a cruel tool of evil. Frodo tries hard to make the right choice, but the ring is a powerful tool of villainy, and he often falters. At Osgiliath, he is only prevented from giving the ring to the Wraith King when Sam tackles him. In Mordor, he shows Sauron’s Eye the ring, and in Mount Doom he fails to destroy the ring. In these moments of weakness, Frodo gives in to evil, passive evil, but evil nonetheless. In other times, Frodo displays outright cruelty to Sam, when he scolds him for attacking Sméagol and sends him home. Overall, however, Frodo goes about his task and perseveres for the side of good and everything ends well.

Sméagol/Gollum is the epitome of the inner battle between good and evil. Sméagol is a timid, compassionate creature and Gollum is a vile, sadistic murderer. They are, of course, the split personality of the same body. The two are constantly at odds at whether helping the hobbits is the right thing to do, because Frodo and Sam are capable of protecting Sméagol, or procuring the “precious,” aka the ring, because they are dependent on it. In the end, Gollum wins over them and attacks Frodo in Mount Doom. Frodo wants the ring and Gollum wants the ring, and eventually, in their struggle for the ring, both Gollum and the ring get cast into the pit, which is two evil deeds ending in a good result. Everything about Sméagol/Gollum emanates the grey areas between compassion and cruelty.

Thus all sentient beings are capable of falling to evil and rising to good. Boromir struggled across the line, Frodo fell from virtue to temptation, and Sméagol/Gollum struggled between compassion and cruelty within himself. These characters are perfect examples of how there is no absolute good or evil. Just as one cannot simply live on just vegetables and one cannot simply live on meat, one cannot be absolutely devoid of cruelty or compassion. They must have the fruits and grains that come in between. This is the human condition.

Good and Evil vs. Neutral by Nick Thompson

Good and Evil versus Neutral

An Examination of the Real Role of Good and Evil in Star Wars

“You don’t know the power of the Dark Side.” This is possibly the most famous quote from Darth Vader. He tells Luke repeatedly that the Dark Side is powerful, but he never goes into detail about the moral obligations of the Sith. It is Luke that assigns good and evil to the Jedi and the Sith, which is ironic because the Jedi are completely neutral peacekeepers and the Sith have a choice between good and evil. The Jedi seldom stray from the path of simple peacekeeping, and if they do it is to combat the Sith. They learn to control their emotions and let the Force flow freely through them. The Sith, on the other hand are very emotional, trying to control the Force to their own ends, often leading them to clash with the Jedi, because they are trying to alter the universe rather than keep it as it is.

The Jedi are the universe’s peacekeepers. They try to stop wars, often siding with the status quo to bring the war to its quickest end. In the Clone Wars, the Jedi side with the Republic to quicken the demise of the new insurrection of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. In the series Young Jedi Academy by Kevin J Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, the Jedi serve only the New Republic, ergo the driving force behind the galaxy, and quell resistances such as the Shadow Academy and the Diversity Alliance. Peace and stability are what the Jedi fight for in the galaxy.

The Jedi’s ultimate goal is to eliminate the Sith, who go against what the Jedi stand for. Before Episode I takes place, the Jedi have just learned of the demise of Darth Plagueis, and think that the Sith have been eradicated. This is why they strive to keep the peace in the Republic, because if the Sith were truly dead and the Republic was at peace, the Jedi would have completed their goals. When it is revealed that the Clone Wars was an elaborate plot to revive the Sith and destroy the Jedi, the Jedi turn from their motives to keep the status quo to combat the Sith. In the original trilogy, the Jedi actively combat the status quo for the same reason, because they value the destruction of the Sith over peace. In the “Legacy” comic book series by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, Cade Skywalker, the last living Jedi, goes rogue with a small band of Freedom Fighters after the return of the Empire, going against all odds to overthrow the Sith once more. In effect, the elimination of the Sith, the Jedi believe, will be met with the embrace of their values.

The Jedi teach that emotions are hindrances. The most basic teaching of the Jedi is to let go of their emotions. The Jedi are often called to search, study, dissect, and let go of their feelings, so that the irrationality of emotion is converted and integrated into the Jedi’s stream of logic. This gives them a neutral standpoint overall, as they dissect both their evil emotions, such as hate, jealousy, and greed, and their good emotions, such as love, compassion, and joy. They learn to control their emotions, which is why they are opposed to the Sith, who learn to let their emotions control them. Yoda’s primary teaching to Anakin is, “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." These negative emotions, the Jedi believe, cascade into one another. In the same way, the Jedi believe that attachment and love lead to jealousy, which leads to fear, and begins the cycle of negative emotion. Thus, even compassion and attachment are observed as obstacles to the Jedi.

The Jedi are also very passive about the future. They want the Force to flow as it will, as it does in peace. They oppose war because they believe it collides with the will of the Force. They oppose the Sith because they try to control the Force, and the future, to their own needs. Yoda’s primary teaching is to let the force flow freely. He teaches that "Careful you must be when sensing the future... The fear of loss is a path to the dark side." And that "Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Attachment leads to jealously. The shadow of greed, that is." In other words, any natural occurrence is to be accepted, and any attempt to change a natural occurrence is greatly frowned upon. The Jedi believe that the Force can take care of itself without any outside help.

The Sith, on the other hand, embrace their emotions to draw power from them. They care about civilization, they care about life, they care. And with this care, this love, they can choose diverse paths. They can choose to protect this life and its freedoms, as Darth Vader, Darth Pinzex, and Tanya Solo do in Revenge is the New Hope by Nick Phoenix, prolong this life as Darth Plagueis the Wise devoted his life to, or force order and protection on this life by stifling its freedoms as Darth Sidious does in the Star Wars movies. They are constantly upsetting the Jedi’s views on emotion, and although they are not usually too concerned with the Jedi, Darth Sidious’s teachings about order and protection encourage the stifling and even eradication of the Jedi Order, which is made a priority by Darth Krayt in “Legacy.” Other than that, the conflict stems from the Sith’s embrace of their emotions and love of mankind obstructing the Jedi’s utopia.

The Sith, therefore, can either be compassionate or cruel, as long as it furthers human life, and the Jedi must be completely neutral and dispassionate, and this is where the conflict spawns. Thus the conflict in Star Wars is not between good and evil, but between passion and dispassion, between action and inaction, between alignment and neutrality. The Jedi, as neutral peacekeepers, clash with the Sith not because the Sith are inherently evil, but because they are movers and shakers of the flow of the Force, because that choice that the Sith are given threatens what the Jedi work for. This is the true conflict behind Star Wars.

The Trinity vs. The Force by Cassee Bring

Trinity V.S. the Force

Does the force symbolize the trinity? In Star Wars George Lucas says he didn’t use religion symbolically in the story. But the main characters seem to be heavily influenced by the force and put their faith in it. It’s just like Christians putting their faith in Jesus Christ and relying on guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, and the Jedi come to rely heavily on what they call The Force. When they say let the force be with you it’s basically symbolizing God being with them. That the force is going to protect them and be their rock just Christians are with Jesus Christ. When Obi-Wan says, "you can destroy me, but I will become more powerful than you can imagine" to Vader during their Light Saber fight, he implies that by dying and going to be with The Force (God), he becomes much more powerful. With Christians death has no power over them, they will be with God one day in heaven.

Luke Skywalker is also seen as Jesus in the movie. Good must fight evil to win but the good that comes from Jesus evil exists no more. Luke has many battles with the dark side and doesn’t know what will occur in them but it is known he will always be victorious. Just like Jesus had many hard trials and was crucified but he still had victory over all by rising from the dead and making many believe in him. Princess Leia also has some characteristics of Mary. Luke cares for Mary very much and would definitely sacrifice his own life to save hers. Just how Jesus sacrificed his life for everyone’s sins. Leia is also confident that everything will work out and be okay even when she is in danger like Mary.

Now with the dark side darth vador would obviously be representing Satan. Satan wasn’t always bad he was an angel until he got jealous of Gods power and got sent eternally to hell. Just how Anakin was on the good side until he tries to save pademay but loses sight of it and ends up killing her, turning to the dark side. They both are very similar but a big difference is that darth vador in the end goes back to being good before he dies. Satan is and always will be bad and will never be redeemed by good. The death star I think is a symbol of hell because of all the evil. The star troopers would be Satan’s legion symbolically. It’s strange the star troopers are white when the whole dark side is black.

It’s very close to the Christian biblical story even though George Lucas said he didn’t use religious symbolism. It could just be a coincidence, a very big one. Overall the Force is the jedis “God”, they put their faith, hope and love into it. Just how Christians live to do Gods will, in Star Wars it’s the same. There destiny is decided by the force. The trinity and the force are greatly a like but different at the same time. Overall the story lines are very similar even if they weren’t meant to be that way.

Failing Isn't the End by Cassee Bring

Failing isn’t the End

Even if you fail in battle you can still win the war. Battles in the Lord of the Rings are not just fights they affect the whole story like with the characters actions, emotions, fate and the ending of the story. There is a lot of symbolism in the battles. The last battle is the biggest and the most symbolic.

The last battle, battle of the Pelennor Fields there was many failures on the good side. But their was always hope because they kept having more people show up and fight for them just in time. Every time they were about to loose more reinforcements would come. I think this is symbolizing that the good is always going to prevail over evil even if they are set backs and losses. I think this also symbolizes the good side never giving up no matter how bad it gets.

In the beginning of the battle it starts out with mynis tirith and the orcs. When the orcs finally break through the wall and are winning overall, the rohirim show up to help. They would probably would of lost then if the rohirim didn’t show up. The rohirim kept them in the battle. When they started to loose their strength again Aragorn legolas and gimley bring the spirits from the path of the dead. The spirits from the path of the dead take over and kill all the orcs. They win the battle even though of all the failures they had. In the end they were more good forces then evil and good conquers evil.

I think Tolkien uses the failures and more forces coming to help, as a symbol of not giving up and that there is always hope no matter how dire the situation is. I think he also uses the battle as a symbol of unity with the good side.

In conclusion you can fail multiple times in a battle but that doesn’t mean you are going to lose the war . Because as long as you keep your head above the water until more reinforcements come you haven’t lost. They are just failures not losses. In Lord of the Rings they do just that. They fail many times in the battle but more allies show up just in time to keep them in it. Then they finally start coming back and gaining strength and win the war. Failures are not losses they are just motivation to do better.

The Minds of Heroes by Victoria Kegler

The Lord of the Rings

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Star Wars: Episodes IV, V, & VI

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The Minds of Heroes

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Victoria Kegler

“Emotion: any strong agitation of the feelings actuated by experiencing love, hate, fear, etc., and usually accompanied by certain physiological changes.” [1] There are countless stories upon planet Earth, written and spoken over millennia, where emotion and experience drive the plot and the story. How do their experiences and their emotions change them into the people that do what need to be done? The Lord of the Rings’ Frodo Baggins, and Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker, are prime examples, becoming completely different people than they were originally, driven and changed by their experiences and the emotions of those experiences.

The Lord of the Rings have been books that have always been loved by a large populace; the movies have only encouraged more love of the epic trilogy. But what goes on with the minds of the heroes that we see, read of, and love within the story? How could the events affect them? Emotions are a key part of everything, fiction or not. We are driven by a purpose, and that force of will is always on behalf of something, so there is caring for that; as a lone example. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry, name any and you could see it; the varying results of their experiences and how they feel about them.

Tolkien writes the heroes as being complicated beings, as though they were truly real, but speaking from a strictly motion picture view, there you can see the emotions depicted by the actors to the best of their ability; and at this they do a fair representation. With the motion pictures you can see the emotion and the actual struggle play out. You can see the grief in everyone’s eyes as Gandalf falls in Moria after the Balrog, they believing him to be dead. The book has written, as they flee after the fall of Gandalf:

“Frodo heard Sam at his side weeping, and then he found that he himself was weeping…” [2] From this they leave, appearing to be driven by the memory of the quest that Gandalf has set them on in the hopes of saving all of Middle Earth. So there it is: their grief, as well as their understanding of priority, driving their deeds.

All through the entirety, the characters are going through their hardships and their challenges, each changing according to individual circumstance. Boromir, unfortunately, was unable to endure and ignore the allure of the One Ring that Frodo had,

mere inches from his own grasp, but understood what he had done as Frodo fled from him and all the others, enough to accept his death as it came in its turn.

Their emotions change their thinking, their experiences change their views. The beginning of the story has Frodo fighting to save his Shire, yet at the end, he can’t go back. The Shire isn’t for him anymore. In fighting to save it, he lost it. The days of his innocent Shire life are razed by his tormented experience in delivering the Ring to Mordor. He is too changed, too tormented by that journey, to be able to forget it and go on with the life of before.

Frodo may or may not be a well rounded example, however, he is the main character, and thus he goes through the greater part of the trials of the story. The Ring, holding the evils of Sauron, weighs upon him, torturing him. Changing him. His views of the world he knows goes from the joyous ignorance of his Shire days before his quest, to the knowing of the evils in the world beyond after the Ring’s destruction.

Characters go through transformations, a metamorphosis, they evolve past the more innocent views of their previous lives. Experiences change your perception, they change you, whether for better or worse it is up to the person.

The Star Wars Movies echo this. With one character, Luke Skywalker, going through grief, realization, and changing from the boy on Tatooine to the Jedi Knight on the forest moon of Endor. In the beginning with the murder of his aunt and uncle, Luke goes with Obi-Wan (Ben) to deliver help to the rebellion. His grief undoubtedly turns to thoughts of vengeance, to either get his revenge, or to make sure that they didn’t die for nothing. This is also where he realizes that he can train as a Jedi, with Obi-Wan as his teacher. However, the grief is even deepened with the death of Obi-Wan by the hands of Darth Vader upon the first Death Star. The thought of Luke wanting revenge enters the viewers minds, because that is what it seems to be that he wants. But, with the actions he portrays, and the guidance of Obi-Wan’s ghost, he deviates from the expected path.

The next event comes with Yoda entering the picture. Going through the Jedi training Luke learns that the Dark Side is ruled by negative emotions. When leaving there he vows to return. The following event is the one that changed Luke’s perception of everything concerning Darth Vader. His fight and the truth of Darth Vader being his father revealed. Luke then returns to Dagobah, to attempt to finish his training with Yoda, only to learn that the fact of his father is true. This, and that he is not alone in the state of being Vader’s child; he has a sister. Again, Luke experiences a death; Yoda passes on.

With the truth un-veiled and Luke experiencing feelings for his father, and sensing the good, he decides to save the one that supposedly deserves his wrath; embracing the lessons of the Jedi that Yoda taught him.

Within all of these stories, the events, the knowledge, change the people. From these experiences and learning’s, their perceptions are changed. Luke, with his assumption that Darth Vader is the evil of the Empire. Frodo with his belief of the innocence of Middle Earth.

These events, experiences, lessons, and turnings, change the minds of the people. They view things differently, and act differently than their previous selves.

The Luke of Tatooine would have killed Emperor Palpatine, or even Darth Vader, in the hate and revenge that he felt. The Jedi Luke saw the same deed as not part of what he had become, he embraced the ways that he was taught, and thus was a Jedi Knight in his mercy and disobedience of what the Emperor wished. Luke succeeded in saving his father, and in the winning of the Rebellion. In the end the Galaxy was saved.

Frodo of the Shire would never had been able to journey to Mordor, Frodo the Ring-bearer did just that. The person he was would never have succeeded without the experiences that changed him into who he became. In the end Middle Earth was saved.

It is always in the end that we realize that all the character went through was entirely necessary to the end result. They are changed, just as we are.

The Minds of Heroes

Bibliography

[1] www.dictionary.reference.com ( http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/emotion )

[2] The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, by J. R. R. Tolkien, pg. 323 (in my personal copy) [page #

Luke, I Am Your Father...Now, Help me Overthrow the Galaxy or The Importance of relationships in the Star Wars Galaxy by Kiernyn Orne-Adams

LUKE, I AM YOUR FATHER…… NOW HELP ME OVERTHROW THE GALAXY.

The importance of relationships in the Star Wars galaxy

“The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi”. “If he could be turned, he would be a powerful ally”. “Yes….Can it be done?” “He will join us or die, my master”. The preceding dialogue between the Emperor and Darth Vader is a perfect example of the way that various relationships drive the story of Star Wars. Luke poses a threat to the Empire because he is Darth Vader’s son, and therefore he has a high amount of the Force within him. If Luke had been the son of a simple farmer, the story wouldn’t have developed as it did. As a result of his relationship with his father, Luke is able to become the hero of the galaxy, and at the same time Darth Vader can fulfill his destiny as the Chosen One by defeating the Emperor. Throughout the Star Wars saga, the different relationships between characters allow the plot to progress. Three main types of relationships recur throughout Star Wars: the friend or ally, the romance, and the mentor or parent. These main relationship types recur through all stories, but Star Wars is unique because it uses relationships to explain concepts and further the story.

The friend or ally relationship is one that is nearly universal; everybody knows what it’s like to have a friend, or at least someone with the same goals. To many heroes, friends are particularly valuable because they are often the only emotional support for the protagonist as they face their obstacles, and Luke Skywalker is no exception. In Return of the Jedi, the Emperor tells Luke that his faith in his friends is his weakness. Looking back through the movies, it’s clear to see that for once, the Emperor knew what he was talking about. Luke is constantly at risk because of his devotion to his friends, and at times, he even risks the entire rebellion to save his loved ones. In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke abandons his training because he perceives that his friends are in danger. By going to rescue them, Luke inadvertently walks into a trap and nearly dies. Nevertheless, it’s this loyalty that allows Luke to tap his inner strength and become a hero. It’s also important to mention the role of allies in Star Wars. Even though the allies might not be close friends, they do have a certain bond because of their passion for a common goal. The Empire may have been overthrown by Luke, but he would never have succeeded if not for the rebels who worked tirelessly for success. Each ally used their unique talents to create an army with more power than any homogenous organization like the storm troopers could hope to achieve. The friendships and allegiances in Star Wars allow for victory to be achieved.

The romantic relationship is a simpler component, but still essential to the movie. Han and Leia have the only truly romantic relationship in the films. The nature of their characters causes a simple courtship to become a pivotal story point. Both characters are stubborn and set in their ways, with no desire to fall in love. Yet when they’re brought together, Han and Leia begin to exhibit new traits. Han begins to actually care for others, and as a result he decides to stick around and aid the rebellion. Leia also opens her emotions, which in turn causes her to become a more proactive character. Even though she is a proactive character from the beginning, her love affair with Han leads her to take important risks, such as sneaking into Jabba’s palace to rescue Han. Later on, Leia and Han fight for the resistance side by side, and their feelings for each other motivate them to work as a team. Their combined skills bring victory to the rebellion, demonstrating that the power of love is indeed capable of creating superhumans out of ordinary schmucks.

The mentor or parent relationship is an important role in any adventure story. Without the mentor, no character would be able to grow and learn. Obi Wan-Kenobi and Yoda are prime examples because they literally mentor Luke through the important obstacles that he faces. If it wasn’t for Obi-Wan, Luke would never have known how to use the Force and begin his journey, and without Yoda, Luke couldn’t have truly become a Jedi. Darth Vader and the Emperor have a similar relationship; without the Emperor’s urging, Darth Vader would never have become so villainous and in touch with the Dark Side, and it was these qualities that made Darth Vader the prime antagonist. The sole parent-child relationship in Star Wars is also the driving force of the story. Starting at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, Luke struggles with inner conflict over his father. He feels that it’s his destiny to overthrow the Empire, but he doesn’t want to face the idea of killing his own father. Luke also feels trapped in the shadow of Vader’s reputation because he knows that he has the same potential for power and destruction. However, the most important component of the parent child relationship is Luke’s belief that Vader still has some good in him. Luke fills the role of a child who believes wholeheartedly in their parent, in spite of any contrary evidence. In this case, Luke’s childlike faith drives the conclusion because Darth Vader finds his inner goodness and destroys the Emperor only after reconnecting with his son. The mentor and parent roles in Star Wars are some of the most important because they give the heroes the wisdom and courage they need to achieve their goals, and at the same time the characters gain a better understanding of themselves through the parental and mentoring influences.

Star Wars is first and foremost an adventure story, and as such it requires certain elements to make the saga continue. The different relationships influence each character to take certain paths which in turn create the course of the adventure. Whether finding their inner strength by rescuing their friends, helping others to be with the one they love, or gaining a greater knowledge from both their teachers and the children, the characters in Star Wars undertake all choices and actions as a result of their relationships. It’s safe to say that without the different relationships, it wouldn’t be Star Wars, but rather…. Star people fighting each other in a disconnected way and going nowhere. It’s the relationships that transform Star Wars from an ordinary battle story into a unique and fascinating adventure with friends and family that might not be all that different from your own.

Lord of the rings (and his cousin's best friend's pony) or The Complexity of Middle earth by Kiernyn Orne-Adams

LORD OF THE RINGS (AND HIS COUSIN’S BEST FRIEND’S PONY)

OR

THE COMPLEXITY OF MIDDLE EARTH

Sometimes, a book or movie comes out in which absolutely nothing happens. The plot meanders along, with hardly any background or explanations. Everything is just supposed to fall into place and be understood. A perfect example is Catcher in the rye, a novel in which all the action is based around one character and his experiences. The only details described are those that had significance to the main character. On the other hand, some books and films are so filled with details that they can have entire encyclopedias devoted solely to filling in the blanks. Although some of these stories can become ponderous from all the extra facts, others are enhanced by the detailed back-story. The Lord of the Rings is one such saga. In The Lord of the Rings, the complexity of Middle Earth enriches the story, even if not all of the details are used. There are three main areas that enrich the story through their complexity: The physical details of both land and individual, the backgrounds of each story, and the deeper emotions of each character. When combined, these three areas create a unique story that has impacted millions the world over.

The first area that enriches the story with its use of detail is also the most literal: the physical world of Middle Earth. Throughout the films, there are whole scenes showcasing the breathtaking beauty of the land. Even the sparsest of shots shows a huge array of geographic wonders, from giant mountains to simple fields. The land is shown with such detail that it almost feels as though one is really in Middle Earth. It’s not just the land that is so detailed; almost every scene has huge amounts of extras. These extra people transform a simple battle scene into an epic war, an impressive feat considering the amount of battles in the trilogy. The huge amount of soldiers adds a feeling of power and force to the story that couldn’t be achieved without the large-scale effect. Whether it’s reflected in the scope of the land or the massive size of the armies, the physical aspects of Middle Earth are richly detailed, and as a result the story is given a feeling of greater splendor.

Many stories give a lot of focus to the history of the main characters and settings while ignoring the stories of the lesser players. The Lord of the Rings is unique because it elaborates on the history of each character and region, even those that barely appear in the actual story. Tolkien was never happy to just describe a little bit of an area; rather, he elaborated on the history of every land and creature that was even briefly mentioned. For instance, the history of the Elf race is well detailed, and yet there are only a few elves that feature in the story. Similarly, Gimle reminisces throughout the story on various aspects of dwarf culture, even though the dwarves are barely seen or mentioned otherwise. Finally, Tolkien elaborates on the history, status, and daily lives of the hobbits in the Shire even though many of them are minor characters whose duties and history don’t affect the main story. However, in describing the hobbits or the dwarves or any of the people, or even explaining more about the kingdoms than was necessary, Tolkien added a level of realism to a tale of pure fantasy. Adding more history to the lands and characters adds more to the story and gives the reader a greater appreciation of the individuals.

Although physical and historical details are beneficial to the story, perhaps the most important area of complexity is that of emotions. The characters in The Lord of the Rings have a great deal of emotional conflict, all of which is played out for the audience. As a result, the viewer can better connect to the story because they recognize some version of their own feelings. However, it’s the difference between the viewers’ emotions and the characters’ feelings that gives the story greater depth and value: the characters in the story must deal with their emotions in response to massive battles and magical journeys. A perfect example is the case of Aragorn. Aragorn has many conflicting emotions throughout the story, struggling with anger, fear, doubt, and love. Even though he rarely reveals them to others, Aragon’s feelings govern everything that he says and does, and as a result his character wouldn’t be understandable without a clear view of his emotions. The same is particularly true for Gollum. On the surface, Gollum seems like nothing more than a miserable little creature whose sole obsession is the Ring. Once his inner thoughts and emotions are revealed, Gollum can be understood and even pitied. Instead of being a mindless demon, he can be seen as an innocent person trapped in his own head by his love of the Ring, and the viewer can then understand all of the actions that he takes throughout the story. Both characters have a huge impact on the story, but their effect can’t be grasped unless one can see the exact feelings the characters experience.

Essentially, The Lord of the Rings wouldn’t be able to exist if Middle Earth and its people weren’t so complex. The main reason for this is the idea of an alternate universe. Many stories don’t need as much detail to have a good plot because they’re set in a world that is real and familiar to the audience. On the other hand, The Lord of the Rings is set in a fictional universe, where the human race is the only link between Middle Earth and our world. Because Middle Earth is completely imagined, it needs to be thoroughly complex in order to make sense as a story. The intense detail of the land and its residents let the audience connect to tangible aspects of their life, from historical events to a hiking trip. The thorough history of the people themselves allows for a greater understanding of how the character was formed, while the complexity of emotions let the viewers appreciate the choices that each character makes. All of the different details combine to create a hugely complex and layered world, and the depth of said world changes the story from a generic fantasy tale to a classic piece of work that sets the standard for those who seek to create their own new universe.

Capitalism is Invading Middle earth by Quinlan Cao

Capitalism is Invading Middle earth

Everybody has three primary obligations in life: live, die and pay taxes. In The Lord of the Rings, the characters don't have to deal with the IRS, but they do have to confront life and death. Throughout the trilogy, several characters come face to face with this scenario. The conflict between life and death is the defining factor in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Gandalf seems like the obvious example of the importance of life and death. Gandalf the Grey seemingly dies after his battle with the demonic Balrog, and is resurrected as Gandalf the White. He tells Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli that he will remain on Middle Earth until his task is done. Of course, his task is to aid Frodo in destroying the ring and defeating Sauron. Clearly, death would not suffice for Gandalf, because he had an obligation to fulfill in life. Gandalf spent over 2,000 years trying to destroy the ring, and can be credited as one of the most important reasons why the West was victorious.

In his own life, Aragorn also had to face death by braving the Paths of the Dead. Without the Army of the Dead's assistance, the West sure would have been routed at Minas Tirith. Furthermore, both Aragorn and the Dead essentially had a promise to fulfill - if the Dead would renew their allegiance to Men, Aragorn would remove the curse. Naturally, the Dead made the decision to aid Men at Pelennor Fields. The end result turned out to be mutually beneficial.

One interesting parallel between the Gandalf and Aragorn examples is that life and death follow a pattern. In both instances, death followed failures in life. As much as he tried, Gandalf couldn't find a way to defeat Sauron all the way up until his death. The Dead failed to aid Isildur and Men in their time of need, and were caught in a limbo between life and death. In The Lord of the Rings, failures in life are often followed by death, which results in resurrection or redemption.

Death torments Denethor, which becomes apparent in The Return of the King. Denethor makes it quite clear that he favors his eldest son Boromir over his other son, Faramir. Denethor feels that Faramir's entire life was a failure, and wishes that Faramir would simply die. Denethor sends Faramir on a suicide mission to take back the outpost of Osgiliath, and out of respect for his father and his brother, Faramir obeys. Of course, Faramir and his men are slaughtered and Faramir's body is returned, apparently dead. Denethor intends to burn Faramir and himself. There's only one problem - Faramir is heavily injured, but not dead. Clearly, Denethor feels that death is the only fitting end to a life full of failures. In this case, life could not make a father proud of his son. Thus, Faramir rode out on his suicide charge as a last ditch attempt at earning respect from Denethor.

In The Lord of the Rings, there are those who refuse to comprehend death. Other than invisibility, one of the "benefits" of possessing the ring is long life. The ring makes immortality easy. Along with unpaid debts, obsessing over the ring keeps many characters alive for long periods of time. Denial of death can be just as important as accepting death.

Life and death is a common theme in The Lord of the Rings. Several characters must face death, while attempting to accomplish something in life. Most of the time, the two coincide. Without death, it's entirely possible that the plot may not have turned out the way it did. Some say that the debt that all men pay is death. In The Lord of the Rings, debts are often paid through death and resurrection. It's a good thing the IRS doesn't have authority in Middle Earth. Facing death is hard enough without having to pay taxes.

Good Always Conquers Evil by Madeline Christiana Holt

Good Always Conquers Evil

Lord of the Rings / Star Wars

If good conquers all evil, then why couldn’t Frodo release the ring into Mt. Doom at the end of The Lord of the Rings?? In church they teach us that good always conquers all of evil, no matter what. If this is so, then why was the ring able to overcome the one trying to dispose of it. Throughout the Series we see that Frodo gets weaker everyday on his journey, this is because carrying the ring is a heavy burden, along with this we see that in the battles good always seems to overcome the evil. In Star Wars, there is a lot of conflict going on between the good and the dark side. All the conflict was because the dark side wanted to find Luke Skywalker and convert him to the dark side.

In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo was possessed by the ring because it was a burden to carry. It was a burden to carry because carrying so much power is hard to handle. Frodo was forced to put the ring on his finger when he came into contact with more evil forces who were trying to take the power away from him for them selves. At the end of the movie, Frodo was not able to throw the ring into the volcano because the ring had basically taken over his mind and his body. When Frodo had told Sam that the ring was his, and it belonged to him and only him, he placed it upon his finger. After he put it on his finger, Smeagol had attacked him and bit of the ring along with Frodo’s finger. In results of this, evil had overcome the good. The only reason the ring had been destroyed was because Sméagol had been distracted by his “Precious” and he was attacked by Frodo. Sméagol had fallen into the lava along with the ring, and Frodo was hanging onto the cliff and was saved by Sam.

In Star Wars, we find out that Darth Vador is the father of Luke Skywalker. The purpose of star wars was to track down Luke and his sister, Princess Leah and convert them to the dark side as their father had done the time before. Converting to the dark side, forces you to use your hate as a weapon. When Luke finds out what they are trying to do he goes against what the want and remains a Jeti, the good guy. He tells the Dark Lord that he will not do what his father had done, that he will never ever join the evil forces. That he wishes to remain a Jeti. When the Dark Lord hears this he gets angry and Darth Vador attacks Luke. Luke ended up using his anger as a weapon and cut off his father’s hand. The Dark Lord then attacks Luke and tries to kill him and Luke calls out for his dad to save him. Darth Vador lifts the Dark Lord up and kills him. This shows the joining of good and evil. What used to be good was tricked into becoming evil, and with help from his son he had overcome the evil forces that were straining him, and he was able to again be similar to a good man as he was before. It was amazing that Darth Vador was able to overcome his hypnotized mind to save his son. Only love could do that, and with evil there is no such thing as love.

In the battles of The Lord of the Rings, the good seems to almost always defeat the evil forces. In the major battles of this movie, the people fighting for the right reasons had doubled the times the evil forces had won battles. The good doers had won four times, and the evil doers had won twice. In the end of the movie, the good forces had over ruled the evil and had taken them all out. This is a stand for “Good Always Overcomes Evil.” Good will not overcome evil all the time, but good does eventually over rule evil forces and evil doers. Also, something to notice is that it takes more evil than it takes good to overcome something. In the battles we see a lot of bad people, and not so much good people but they still seem to win. This is because they are fighting for the right reasons. J.J.R Tolkien had stated that “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and christian work.” Therefore, he had to have based his stories based on his beliefs, whether religious or not.

The battles of Star Wars all represent something. The battles represent the journey of a father to his son, and a son to his father. The movies show how eager Darth Vador was to find his son. It makes you wonder if all he really wanted was to see his son. At the end of the sixth movie, Darth Vador asks Luke to take off his mask so that he can see his son with his own eyes, instead of seeing him through his evil mask. Even though Darth Vador would die if his real face was revealed he did it anyways to see his son the way he was supposed to, the right way. This represent the evidence that a mind can be corrupted by thoughts, especially evil ones but that the goodness in one person can come out when something from their past that is brought to them that once meant the whole world to that individual. Evil can be overcome when someone shows the love and need for them that they need to see. Good overcomes all evil some way or another. Instead of being repaired, Darth Vador had wanted to get rid of his evilness, he wanted to show that he was proud of his son and that evil is not the answer. This is very important, because it had showed Luke what evil can do to you. It showed that his father really did care about him. Luke believed that his father could not kill him because, how could you kill your own son?? He thought that his father had to have felt some kind of emotions towards him, at least a little bit. You can’t just have no feelings for your son that you had from the woman had once loved. Darth Vador had broken her heart when he had turned to the dark side, and it killed her. Why would he want to loose his son and daughter as well?? Luke secretly had feelings towards his father, and all of that was revealed at the very end of the movie. Darth Vadors last words were, “Tell your sister you were right about me.” Therefore, he could not kill Luke because he loves him. Deep inside you can tell that Darth Vador was very proud of his son for turning the offer that the Dark Lord had given him down, Luke did what his father could not. His father gave into the evil because it looked more powerful, and he wanted all the power he could get. Luke already new that all good over comes all of evil, and with that he was able to save his father from evil just before he had died.

Through watching these movies we gain the knowledge of how different people and things interact with each other. We learn how good and evil can join together, work together, or how they can overcome each other. Walking away with the knowledge of both The Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars is a good way of gaining the ideas of how good and evil exactly works. Combining The Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars could be a definite good life lesson, and teach us a lot about this subject.

The Forces of the Dark Side by Acacia Prechtel

The Forces of the Dark Side

By: Acacia Prechtel

“Anger, fear, aggression... the dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny,” says Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back. Emotions influence everything a human does. Emotions have their purpose, but losing control of them is dangerous. Anger clouds judgment. Fear causes anger, sadness, and rashness. Aggression causes destruction. The Force can only be used when a person’s emotion are under control. As soon as a Jedi loses control of their emotions, they can no longer control the Force. The emotions of the dark side, fear, anger, and aggression, are the hardest to control. Luke learns how to control each one through out episodes IV, V, and VI of Star Wars.

During Yoda’s teaching, Luke loses his concentration because he feels afraid for his friends. Luke cannot keep the images of his friends in pain from his mind, no matter how hard he tries. Perhaps, if he had been able to clear his mind he would have realized that it was a trap designed to capture him. The best course of action would have been to stay and train with Yoda, and have enough power to save his friends. However, in Return of the Jedi Luke realizes that he has to face his fear and control it to confront his father.

When Luke goes into the cave on Degobah he sees himself in Darth Vader’s clothes. He is afraid of going to the dark side because he sees how easy it could be to give into his fear. In his last battle with Darth Vader, he overcomes his fear. He is given the opportunity to go over to the dark side, but he doesn’t let himself.

When Luke faces Darth Vader for the first time, he is angry. His anger fuels his desire to save his friends. Because of this he falls into the trap that Vader and Landa have set for him. If he had kept his mind clear and his emotions under control, he would have realized the trap. As it was, his anger clouded his reasoning. He blindly attacked Darth Vader. He did not have his wits about him and his emotions kept the Force from being easily accessible.

Luke is not very aggressive. However, when he gets angry he does not think twice about using his aggression. He fights for his friends no matter what. His friends are considered his weakness because he immediately moves to aggression to save them. He is on the attack as soon as they are in danger. Many people would love a friend like this, but a Jedi must control all emotions. During the fight with his father in the carbonate chambers, Luke loses control of his aggression. Luke did not learn to control his aggression until his final fight with his father. He wanted his friends to be safe. The Emperor threatened Luke’s friends so Luke attacks the Emperor. Had he controlled his aggression, he could have seen that his friends were safe. Instead, he went farther over to the Dark Side.

Luke is not an angry person. Nor is he fearful or aggressive. He has these emotions when his friends are in danger. By the end of The Return of the Jedi, Luke realizes that being in control of his emotions lets him have at least some control over the situation at hand. When his emotions aren’t controlled, then none of the situation is in his control. Slowly but surely, Luke becomes a Jedi master. At the end of The Return of the Jedi, Luke brings back the legacy of the Jedi. He controls the Force, he masters his emotions and he still has his friends. The challenges were not too much for him to overcome.

Obi-Wan KeGandalf by Katherine Meagher

Obi-Wan KeGandalf

Comparing and Contrasting the Two Famous Works of our Time

By Katherine Meagher

There are two great works in our modern time that stand out above all the rest; The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien and the Star Wars trilogy, created by film-maker George Lucas. Such works have gone down in history as well known and timeless, known by a high percentage of people all around the world. Being very famous pieces of literature and art, both series have large fan bases that span across the world. At first glance, these two series look very different and, in truth, they are. But if one strips away the complex details that cause the differences, the basic features of the story are still the same. These things are the character personalities, the events in the plotline, and the experiences that the corresponding characters experience.

The basic roles of characters such as Frodo Baggins and Luke Skywalker, Gandalf and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Aragorn and Han Solo, and other such characters are closely related even in such different stores set in different eras. The plots still hold the same pathways that the characters take and the basic values are the same. From the green, magical plains of Middle Earth to the vast reaches of deep space, the tales that are woven are wondrous ones that are, though different, basically the same.

First off, one has to have the background and knowledge of each subject is useful for comparison. The basic story of Lord of the Rings is the basic story of good verses evil and the triumph of light over dark. It starts with a ring, a ring that has a mind of its own. Truly evil, it corrupts the heart of whoever holds it. One day, it falls into the hand of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who then passes it down to his nephew, Frodo Baggins. Frodo is then charged with carrying the evil ring by Gandalf the Grey and sets off with his companions Sam, Pippin, and Merry in order to save the world from total destruction. In their journey, the four hobbits travel to many different realms of Middle Earth and meet many great and powerful characters that are either allies or enemies.

In the story of Star Wars, the galaxy has fallen to the rule of an evil Empire that threatens the freedom of the intergalactic people. The responsibility of freeing the people is thrust in front of a young man named Luke Skywalker, a resident of the desert planet Tatooine. Only at the age of nineteen, Luke sets off on a journey to learn the ways of the Force and defeat the Empire, taking the Dark Side of the Force with it.

When one strips down these plot lines and their characters, one can find that they are very similar. The characters and their basic roles are closely related as well as the basic plot, themes, and even the drive of the characters.

The hero is a very important element in the adventure story. The hero is the main character who goes on a life-changing journey for the better of man-kind. The hero is constantly plagued with enemies, rabid monsters, and even the terror of temptation. The two heroes of the two different series are the characters Frodo Baggins and Luke Skywalker.

Both heroes start off in humble up-bringings; Frodo in the Shire and Luke on Tatooine. Their adventures start at the absence of a parental figure that either disappears or dies. Frodo’s uncle Bilbo leaves the Shire at his 111^th birthday, longing for adventure. He leaves the ring behind due to Gandalf’s orders, leaving it in Frodo’s possession. Luke, retrieving the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 from the old Obi-Wan Kenobi, is absent when the Empire’s troops storm into his house and kill his uncle and aunt, Owen and Beru Lars. In this, the two character’s lives have already been drastically changed and they are left with an opening, an opening that signifies that they can move on and do what they wish. This opening leaves opportunity to leave and start a quest to save the world. Their adventures begin in a matter of seconds.

They are then met by their mentors, whom they have either been introduced to before. The mentor then takes them to the threshold point, where the hero steps into a land different than the one they are from. For Frodo, Gandalf instructs him and his company to go to the Prancing Pony tavern, where they meet Aragorn. Luke and Obi-Wan go to Mos Eiseley, entering the Cantina and getting transportation from Han Solo and his co-pilot Chewbacca. Afterwards, the hero goes farther along their journey. The hero then strikes at their enemy, making it clear that there is someone, somewhere that is not happy and will do anything to stop the opposing force.

The hero is often tested by the enemy, tempted to switch sides in their battle. Frodo, carrying the ring, is constantly tempted by the ring’s power. Near the end, he decides to keep the ring and is then stopped by Gollum, who also is obsessed with the seductive trinket. He is then saved from temptation when the ring is finally destroyed and Gollum with it. With Sam’s help, Frodo regains his sanity and makes his way back home.

Luke, at the end of Return of the Jedi, is tempted to kill the Emperor and join the Dark Side. Many times, he resists while fighting with his father, Darth Vader. At the last minute, he almost turns until he realizes that he will become just like his father if he does not change his ways. Having a near death experience, like Frodo, Luke is saved by his father, who sacrifices his life to save his only son.

There are many people who accompany the hero on their journey. This includes the rugged traveler who is tougher and sometimes more focused than the hero. In both stories, this character would include Aragorn and Han Solo. Both characters come from similar upbringings; both were put in a place where they knew no one and were raised alone and on their own for survival. Both meet up with the hero in shady places, becoming guides and providing transportation to an important destination.

They, however, have their differences. Aragorn is more serious while Han has the tendency to joke around. Most of the time, Han seems to have difficulties in placing where his responsibilities lie while Aragorn knows exactly what he is doing. Their position at the end of each series are different as well; Aragorn takes his rightful place as king while Han gets the girl and becomes a General for the Rebel Alliance. Aside from those differences, the characters of Aragorn and Han are very much alike.

Another important character in the hero story is the mentor. The mentor guides the hero, helping him or her grow until it is time for the bird to leave the nest. These characters are the wizard Gandalf and the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Gandalf puts Frodo on the path to save Middle Earth, guiding him all the while. He helps Frodo and guides him until they reach the mines of Moriah, where he battles with the fiery and satanic Balrog and perishes.

Obi-Wan trains Luke to become a Jedi and help defeat the Empire. Obi-Wan helps the group through the Death Star and keeps Vader’s gaze off of them when they need to escape. To help them escape, Obi-Wan lets Vader kill him, sacrificing himself for the good of the group.

Both mentors are old and wise, both holding more potential than what is expected. They both have points where they die, sacrificing themselves for the good of the group of heroes they are leading, and then they come back to life to keep guiding the heroes, either coming back in a human form or in a spiritual, ghost-like form. This absence helps the hero grow, letting them leave the nest, so to speak. The hero can then depend more on themselves, giving them the power to have confidence to stand on their own. The power and wisdom of the mentor help push the hero and the plot-line along, helping both things grow.

In conclusion, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars are more alike than one would originally think. Their characters and plot-lines are strikingly similar, despite a few obvious differences. So why is this? Does it possibly have anything to do with how we humans operate? There are at least a handful of stories that have a lot of the same principles and events that are shared between Tolkien and Lucas’ masterpieces. Both movies are majestic and powerful, made of beautiful concepts and even morals that can be unearthed through deep analysis. Maybe it is so because we humans have a sense of what we want a good story to be like and what the characters in that story are like. These things create something that appeals to all of mankind and maybe it is due to this collective taste.

Lord of the Rings and Star Wars are truly great works of art that will go down in history. Many masterpieces are remembered forever and maybe one day, these things will be recognized as great things such as works like Shakespeare’s plays or Jane Austen’s novels. Such great works will live on forever, known forever as some of the greatest works of the 20^th century. They are already on their way there and in the future, they will live on as works of genius.

End

What Do Iran and the Galactic Empire Have in Common? by Quinlan Cao

What Do Iran and the Galactic Empire Have in Common?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a puppet, while the puppeteer is the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei. Ahmadinejad is inferior, but he receives all of the attention. Khamenei lurks in the shadows, making the actual decisions for his puppet. Ahmadinejad isn't nearly as powerful many would have you believe. The power structure in Iran is similar to the power structure of the Galactic Empire. In Star Wars, Darth Vader is not an unstoppable, ruthless machine incapable of virtue. The following analysis of Darth Vader, his personality, and his lifestyle will illustrate his benign qualities.

Obviously, Darth Vader is all business and does not like to wait around. Like Ahmadinejad, Vader garners attention by making threats. He will accomplish a task through any means possible, eliminating those who stand in his way. If Vader wants an answer, he will strangle you until you provide one. If one of his subordinates makes a wrong move, they will probably end up dead. One toe out of line under Vader's watchful eye is a death sentence. Imperial commanders and Stormtroopers alike fear the hand of Vader.

Darth Vader represents physical force. Unfortunately, brute force is essentially ineffective. The Emperor prefers to enforce his will through fear. For the Emperor, fear is power. For Vader, power encompasses Force choke and a lightsaber. The Emperor's method is clearly more effective at keeping order. Vader can only be in one place at a time, whereas the Emperor can use his Stormtroopers to spread mass fear. Vader may instill fear in his lone, helpless victim, but the Emperor can instill fear in victims throughout the empire. Vader's power pales in comparison with the sheer dominance of his master.

Darth Vader does not make any of his own decisions. He simply carries out the orders of his master. A powerful person is usually an independent person. Darth Vader tends to be completely dependent on the Emperor to tell him what to do, when to do it, and how. Had it not been for the Emperor telling him otherwise, Vader would have set out on his own to look for Luke. Episodes IV, V and VI consistently show a relationship between master and pupil where the hooded master provides his masked pupil with orders to carry out. Vader simply doesn't have the power to call the shots.

Darth Vader eventually overcomes the Emperor and the dark side of the Force. Vader reveals his compassionate side when he throws the Emperor down the shaft. The sight of his son being tortured became too much for the once vile villain. You could argue that Vader made his own decision. However, Vader was, once again, influenced by an outside factor - in this case, the Force lightning killing his son. Even when he was known as Anakin Skywalker, Vader was susceptible to his emotions. This characteristic usually isn't found in irreversibly evil characters.

Is it really possible to consider Darth Vader as a villain? In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine convinced Anakin Skywalker that the dark side of the Force could save Padmé from certain death. She still died, and it was too late for Anakin. Anakin-turned-Vader was the victim of a sleazy scam that left him with nothing but the ability to use the Force and wield a lightsaber. With no other option, Vader was left to do the bidding of the con artist who saved his life. In our society, someone who is kidnapped and forced to serve the kidnapper isn't looked upon as a villain. Vader could fall in the same category.

. Darth Vader is consistently ranked as one of the greatest villains of all time. In many respects, the "honor" just isn't appropriate for Vader. Of course, Darth Vader is an imposing and heavily-armed figure. Star Wars just wouldn't be the same without him. However, Vader lacks authority and is heavily dependent on others. Thus, it's hard to accurately label Darth Vader as a villain. Like Ahmadinejad, Vader is one of the best examples of a puppet on strings. We should be thankful that the puppets can't provide each other with nuclear fuel and lightsabers. That would be quite a show.

Emotions of Star Wars by Andrew Velazquez

Emotions have ruled the lives of many. This is a fact of life, and is expressed in the Star Wars films. This isn’t truly a bad thing, according to Sith beliefs; but if one goes with the Jedi beliefs, one must throw out all emotion to become one of them. Then again there are the characters that are neither Sith nor Jedi, such as Han Solo, Boba Fett, C-3PO, etc.

As was stated before, the Sith believe that emotions are not a bad concept. If one was to become a Sith, one would be allowed to have full range over their feelings. What they do with these feelings is completely up to them. This is why most believe that the Sith are evil in comparison to the Jedi. They emphasize on hate mostly and use the Force for their own gain. However, this is the cliché and inaccurate thought. Look at Darth Plagueis the Wise. He was the master of Darth Sidious and had the power to bring the dead back to life. It was just that ability that caused his death. He refused to teach Sidious his power, and was killed in his sleep. So, ask yourself, Sith: good or evil? Answer: Depends on the Sith.

To combat these “evil Jedi”, the Jedi formed in hopes of keeping peace throughout the galaxy. The Jedi believe that emotions are a one way ticket to the Dark Side, or Sith side, of the Force. Being perceived as evil from their perspective, it is naturally their mission to combat them in their wicked ways. But to become one of the Jedi, one must practically become an empty shell, only to fight Sith and keep peace. Look at Ki Adi Mundi. He, out of all the Jedi, is the most subservient to the Jedi council. He makes no decisions on his own, and is basically a puppet at Yoda’s emotionless disposal. Because of this love for the councile is why he allows himself to be so submissive. So again ask yourself, Jedi: Good or evil? Answer: Neither.

Now how about the so called “neutral” characters, they don’t really care about not having their emotions. So in this since, if the character wasn’t a Jedi, they were a Sith with no Force power, an unofficial Sith, if you would.

In conclusion, the emotions of the characters have a great impact on the decisions of the characters. Good or bad, there was defiantly an impact. Sidious’s thirst for power, Ki Adi Mundi’s love for the council, Luke’s temptation to turn to the Dark Side, all impacted the course of the story.

Darth Vader by Miriam E. Baker

Darth Vader

Darth Vader is one of the most powerful and darkest of the villains in Star Wars history. But who is really behind the mask of shadows that he wears? Darth Vader shows many characteristics of a villain and in the end showed characteristics of a hero, so does he die a hero or a villain? Is he a cold hearted killer? What was he like before he fell into temptation, and why did he turn to the dark side? What makes him turn on his own son and ultimately save his son’s life? This character analysis is going to look at all of these questions and look into the role Darth Vader plays throughout episodes four, five and six.

Darth Vader was once the apprentice of Obi-Wan Kenobi. During his apprentice ship he learned the ways of the force. But his undisclosed story begins before his training. It begins when he was called Anakin Skywalker. He was born on the planet of Tatooine, when he was a slave. He was a very skilled pilot, and it was possible that he was the one from the prophecy that would restore balance to the force. There was another possibility however, this being that he could have been created by the Sith Lords from lifelessness and was meant to be the perfect apprentice to the Dark Lords. When the council finally agreed to teach Anakin, he was trained in the ways of the Jedi. In the end Anakin became entranced by the dark arts. When he began to have visions of his forbidden and beloved wife Padmé Amidala dying, he became distraught with grief. One of his trusted friends, later revealed to be Sith Lord Darth Sidious, told him of a way to immortality. In the end, Anakin began to doubt the power of the Jedi and knelt before the Sith Lords. He was hence forth called Darth Vader. He did not know that his wife had given birth to twins, and in the end when he felt that he had been betrayed by his wife, he killed her. He then fought his old master. He was defeated.

The Empire now used Darth Vader’s hatred to destroy the other Jedi and to get whatever else they wanted. Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker no more, only Darth Vader remained, a being consumed by evil, fear, and hatred. As Obi-Wan Kenobi said, “Your father was seduced by the dark side of the force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker, and became Darth Vader, when that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed…” (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Return of the Jedi). Over the years, he loyally served the Empire and used his power to destroy all that got in his path. He was the reason that the Jedi were annihilated.

In “The New Hope”, Darth Vader’s son, Luke Skywalker, did not know that Darth Vader was his father. Luke had no direct confrontations with his father in this movie. Darth Vader was revealed by Obi-Wan Kenobi, to be a betrayer of Luke’s father and the reason for his destruction. Darth Vader first demonstrated the power of the dark side of the force when he was questioned by the council. He also demonstrated his piloting skills in the final battle of “The New Hope”. By the end of “The New Hope”, Darth Vader remained a villain with no signs of regret or desire to change (The New Hope).

Darth Vader’s character was further developed in “The Empire Strikes Back”. It was shown how the other people who served the empire feared him and his power. Darth Vader had become completely obsessed with finding his son Luke. During Luke’s training with Yoda, Luke entered a cave and fought with what appeared to be Darth Vader. When he cut off Darth Vader’s head, he saw that it was his head that had been chopped off. Darth Vader was given orders from the Empire to kill, or turn Luke to the dark side. Darth Vader, at this point, knew that Luke was his son. Darth Vader fought with his son and in the process, cut off Luke’s right hand. After Vader defeats Luke, he reveals to him that he is his father by telling him “… I am your father.”(Darth Vader, The Empire Strikes Back). Luke is devastated by this news and does not want to believe him. He also tells him, “Luke, you can destroy the emperor, he has foreseen this is your destiny. Join me and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son.” (Darth Vader, The Empire Strikes Back). Luke refuses to join Darth Vader. Throughout this movie, Darth Vader serves as a temptation to Luke and a servant of the dark side. At the end of this movie he had offered to spare his son if he joined him, rather than just killing him on the spot. At this point he was still a being filled with anger, fear, and hatred (The Empire Strikes Back).

Throughout the third movie, “Return of the Jedi”, Darth Vader acts as a constant temptation to Luke and as always, a servant to the dark side. He is obsessed with finding his son, he has yet to learn of his daughter, Leia. In this movie, Luke accepts that Darth Vader is his father. In this movie, Luke says, “…Because there is good in him, I felt it. He won’t turn me over to the emperor, I can save him, I can turn him back…” (Luke, Return of the Jedi). This, for the first time, shows that not everyone has given up on Darth Vader; his son was not willing to believe that he was no longer Anakin Skywalker. Darth Vader can sense the presence of his son, Luke, and Luke can sense Darth Vader. Later in the movie, Luke tells his father “I know there is good in you the emperor has not driven it from you fully.” (Luke, Return of the Jedi). Darth Vader is surprised by his son’s words but still does not believe it is possible that he can turn from the dark side. Darth Vader takes his son to the emperor, so that he may be persuaded to join the dark side. Luke continues to try and persuade his father to return to the right path throughout the battle before the emperor. At this point in the movie, Darth Vader still plays his role for the side of darkness. During this fight, Darth Vader also loses his right hand. Darth Vader watches his son be tortured by the emperor. When Luke begs, “Father please…” (Luke, Return of the Jedi)Darth Vader is conflicted with emotions and attacks the emperor, killing him but sustaining mortal injuries. When Darth Vader was dying in his son’s arms, and Luke said that he had to save him, he said, “You already have, Luke. You were right about me…” (Darth Vader, Return of the Jedi). Darth Vader dies in the arms of his son (Return of the Jedi).

Darth Vader was one of the main villains in Star Wars. He was also the most developed villain in the series. He was corrupted by his own fear and hatred. He was hated and feared by most, and was depicted to be beyond redemption. All but one believed that Anakin Skywalker had died, lost forever. Luke Skywalker alone believed that his father could be saved. Throughout movies four, five and six, his part was to help the dark side, but in the end he sacrificed himself to save his son. Because in the end he died for his son I believe that he died a hero, and that Anakin Skywalker was saved, and brought back from the side of evil. I think that the reason Darth Vader helped his son in the end, was because his son still believed in him. Like a soul in free fall, Darth Vader reached out and grabbed the only hand offered to him, and was saved by Luke’s love.

Work Cited

Lucas, George, dir. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Twentieth Century Fox, 1977. Film.

Kershner, Irvin, dir. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Twentieth Century Fox,

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Marquand, Richard, dir. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Twentieth Century Fox, 1983.

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