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.