George Lucas's influences

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[edit] The Monomyth

When coming up with his original vision for Star Wars, George Lucas was heavily influenced by the work of Joseph Campbell, a renowned thinker who popularized the idea of the archetypal hero's journey.

In his The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), referring to Carl Jung's work and theories on archetypes and symbolic, Campbell argued that important myths from around the world all share a fundamental structure, which Campbell dubbed the monomyth. This fundamental structure contains a number of stages, including:

[edit] A call to adventure

In classical Myths, heroes are often taken out of extremes conditions : they are princes or poors. From time to time, the hero is the child of a God or a Lord, but some difficulties accompanying his birth - a prophecy, a curse - may compel him to travel to a more humble place where he will be raised. For instance, Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome, were protected and fed by a wolf before being raised by a shepherd. Perseus, son of Zeus and princess Danae, grew up in a a fisher hut until he was old enough to go on his journey.

The Skywalkers of the movie saga (Anakin, Luke and Leia) all follow this scheme. Anakin was born from the Force and a human woman, Shmi Skywalker, giving him a methaphysical affiliation comparable to numerous mythical and religious figures (Hercules, Theseus, Jesus of Nazareth,...). Luke and Leia, twins born from a prestigious couple - a hero and a royal figure - are separated at birth and raised in different, but still archetypical, environments (farmers for Luke, royal family for Leia).

The Fool (Tarot Card)

In many ways, Anakin and Luke can be compared to the figure of the Tarot card game called "The Fool", which presents us a young inexperienced boy going on his travel, carrying on his back the few possessions he might need. The sun shining behind him represents the divine nature of the Fool's wisdom and exuberance. He is frequently accompanied by a dog, sometimes seen as his animal desires, sometimes as the call of the "real world", nipping at his heels and distracting him. He is seemingly unconcerned that he is standing on a precipice, apparently about to leap, engaged in the supremest act of idiocy or trust.

A hero's journey really begins with a call to adventure, the first episode of a succession of events that will separe him from his home and his family. This call may sometimes come from his inner mind, and by this way the hero will be following his path on his own will. But most of the time, destiny brings the call by sending a messenger, individual or animal, whom will catalyze the beginning of the initiation. Generally, the hero doesn't recognize the fulfillment of his destiny. The way things are going seems accidental, if not ordinary to him, even if it represents the key of a new world, full of power and danger.

Traditionally, the messenger is sent by a royal personality, and brings with him an omen or a premonition. Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace and the tandem R2-D2/C-3PO in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope both correspond to that function. Sent to Mos Espa during his royal protection assignment, the Jedi brings to young Anakin an occasion to realize his dream, as well as a prophecy about a Chosen One that will bring balance to the Force. The R2 unit carrying the message of the princess also brings the omen of the events to come, his "rusty innards" containing the Death Star plans. The protocol droid is also a messenger, unintentionally. His first conversation with Luke is full of prophecies : when Luke complains about the fact that he will never be able to leave his uncle's farm, C-3PO asks if he can be of any help to his new master. To which he responds : "Not unless you can alter time, speed up the harvest, or teleport me off this rock!". Ironically, the appearance of the droids will fasten the departure of Luke in a quite violent way.

Seen as archetypes, the droïds can be compared to instances of the psyche. C-3PO seems to be only an ego, unaware of what surrounds him. He is fluent in over six million forms of communication, but while he can hear everything, he seems unable to understand whatever happens. Artoo, on the other hand, could be the incarnation of the subconscious mind. His strength is inner : he can assimilate and treat a considerable amount of datas but can only communicate through Binary or writing via an interface. By the way, he is often using Threepio as a translator. He is the keeper of secrets as well as the one who will draw Luke on the way to adventure.

[edit] Keepers of the Threshold

To get rid of the chains leashing him to is ordinary life, the hero has to pass a symbolic threshold, often guarded by spirits representing the initiatic trial. Those guardians can be evil or benefic, but they always keep the same meaning on the beginning of heroes' journeys. Even well-intentioned and protective, their behavior is double-edged, as they try to dissuade the hero to follow his path, "for his own good". The Jedi High Council denying Qui-Gon Jinn's request to train Anakin, and Uncle Owen refusing to let Luke go before the harvest are representatives of that kind of good spirits the hero may have to face. Since these obstacles are impossible to resolve with a fight, destiny and/or gods' will intervene to push the obstacle away, often in a brutal way leaving no option to both the hero and the guardian(s).

URoRRoR'R'R, malevolent keeper of the Threshold.

Gods/destiny can choose to break the chain to set the hero free. Qui-Gon Jinn managed to free Anakin after he won the race by betting with his former master Watto, even if in that case his mother Shmi was left behind, leaving an emotional bond unbroken. Later, being killed by Darth Maul, his dying wish was for Kenobi to take Anakin as a padawan, which Kenobi promised to fulfill, and so the prophecy could accomplish. The Stormtroopers slaughtering the Lars acted as destiny's hand, crushing at once the guardians and the chain as well as all that defined Luke's life before adventure calls him.

But some more "refined" stratagems can be used by superior entities. In some medieval myths, the knight follows a mysterious pure-white apparition (an animal or a woman most of the time), which brings him into the darkest place of a forbidden forest. When Luke tries to retrieve Artoo who escaped from the farm, he enters a dangerous territory, where he will be confronted by Tusken Raiders. Somehow, he will never really be able to go back home.

Myths can put another type of threshold on the way, with a more dangerous kind of guardian to confront. This one is able to do anything that will prevent the hero to go on discovering the world beyond the limits of his home or his village. Cerberus ensured that spirits of the dead could enter, but none could exit the Hades. Theseus is attacked by bandits when leaving his village Troezen to join Athens. Same way, Luke, escaping the authority of his uncle, his quickly attacked by the Sandpeople. Being too unexperienced at this point of the story, his quest and his life could have abruptly ceased if he had not been saved by a strange silhouette.

[edit] The teacher, wise and helpful, and the magic artefact

Often does the unexperienced hero realize that he cannot progress in the achievment of his quest without a supernatural support at its beginning.

""Not infrequently, the supernatural helper is masculine in form. In fairy lore it may be some little fellow of the wood, some wizard, hermit, shepherd, or smith, who appears, to supply the amulets and advice that the hero will require. The higher mythologies develop the role in the great figure of the guide, the teacher, the ferryman, the conductor of souls to the afterworld.""

―Joseph Campbell^[src]