Researching Themes in Star Wars

[Atuna Lemep]

Hi, everyone. I'm new here, so if this is in the wrong spot, I'll have it moved.

Basically what I want to do is this: I'd like to discourse about the connections between Star Wars and our reality as seen in the films, books and games. I'm a college student doing a thesis on this topic and it requires an audience extension, which basically means I engage an audience about my topic and take away their thoughts while sharing some of my ideas.

That said, my idea is to find as many good parallels between Star Wars and reality as I can. So far I've nailed down ethical issues, religion, advancing technologies and human suffering/accomplishment as concrete ties. Slavery and unethical treatment of droids (or, the tie in being, other ethnic groups) are examples of subtopics I've started writing on.

But I'd like to hear what this community thinks now. In what ways do you see Star Wars paralleling our own universe?

 

[The Judge]

Hi -- I can't stop and offer any thoughts on this at the moment, but I don't really this is a science question, so I'll move it over. I'll take it to the Star Wars forum for the time being, but it might end up in SFF Lounge as it's a bit more philosophical and what-have-you.

 

[Huttman]

Here's one: The crumbling from within the Republic, the corruption, has uncanny similarities to our systems dissolving from within. I have myself noticed so many of them in these films, I always thought Mr. Lucas was extremely lucky or extremely insightful to have hit the nail on all of them like he did.

Btw...Welcome to sffchronicles!

 

[Dave]

What about the way that Cyborgs are seen as not completely human and not to be trusted?

As we move towards better quality artifical eyes and ears, and possibly other body parts, just like in the Bionic Man, there is a possibility that they could actually improve upon the original, but there is a natural instinctive resistance to this. The sprint runners with artifical legs are somehow seen as cheating. Many novels have been written where men with interfaced electronic memory or processing are seen as not to be trusted. Where is the distinction between man and machine, where is the point where that boundary is crossed?

So, in the Star Wars we have a main villain who is a Cyborg and who immediately brings out all of those prejudices in us. We may warm to him in his death, but only because the man overcomes the machinery - it was the fault of machine all along.

It is also very clear in the scene where Luke gets his artifical arm that somehow he has taken the first steps on the same pathway as his father to the Dark Side.

It isn't a new idea though - Metropolis

 

[Atuna Lemep]

What about the way that Cyborgs are seen as not completely human and not to be trusted?

I have already thought on this one, actually. It's a very notable topic in Star Wars. Not just Cyborgs, either, but droids as well. Droids are not seen as completely human and have rights denied them, as in A New Hope when the bartender in Mos Eisley kicked the droids out.

To Huttman, I really like that idea. I never thought of that.

Can anyone offer other thoughts or suggestions? Perhaps some sources to arguments on the subject? I'd love to have a discussion about this topic.

 

[Abernovo]

I'll add another welcome to the Chrons. I can't provide sources to arguments, but there is the issue of caste in Star Wars.

It appears that some species are born to roles, or are portrayed in stereotypical roles. For example, you have the Jawas, who are itinerant traders, with specialist skills, who cannot be wholly trusted. Possibly, it wasn't intentional, but just that most of the non-humanoid species seem poorly developed as characters.

I wonder if part of it is an observation that the 'other' is often distrusted, similar to the reaction cyborgs that Dave suggests, or your own comment about treatment of droids.

 

[Rodders]

Life is so cheap in the movies.

Han's a stone cold killer (Greedo), Anakin's starts life as a slave, Vader kills his own Officers without a second thought, Clones are second class citizens, clearly sentient droids have no place in society outside of servitude, Stormtroopers are just cannon fodder, there's blatant racism as the Empire's quite Humanist (?) and the Emporor just uses his Sith Apprentices and has no qualms about watching his allies getting killed off.

Sure, It's a kids movie, but the morality could be quite an interesting topic.

There's the obvious religious aspect and the triumph of the spirit over technology (ewok vs imperials).

 

[Atuna Lemep]

Life is so cheap in the movies.

Han's a stone cold killer (Greedo), Anakin's starts life as a slave, Vader kills his own Officers without a second thought, Clones are second class citizens, clearly sentient droids have no place in society outside of servitude, Stormtroopers are just cannon fodder, there's blatant racism as the Empire's quite Humanist (?) and the Emporor just uses his Sith Apprentices and has no qualms about watching his allies getting killed off.

Sure, It's a kids movie, but the morality could be quite an interesting topic.

There's the obvious religious aspect and the triumph of the spirit over technology (ewok vs imperials).

Yes! This makes sense. I had harped on this issue already in my paper, but you raise a lot of interesting points I never thought of. Thank you.

The paper came together nicely, guys. Thank you for the help. Loved the ideas. If any others occur to you, post then; final draft isn't due until later in the month, so there's time to include more new info.

 

[Rodders]

Are you thinking of posting it here? I (and I'm sure my fellow Chronics) would be interested in reading it.

 

[Dave]

Are you thinking of posting it here? I (and I'm sure my fellow Chronics) would be interested in reading it.

And that would then make you part of our community, rather than someone who only came to take away some ideas from us, and then never return again.

 

[Atuna Lemep]

I intended to. Just got it back, A on the assignment.

docs.google.com/document/d/1J--IaPjsAgouKmKR4drMbXmjFgZ-ccgJRs8Fj4nr92A/edit

I'm not certain I got everything you guys suggested into the paper, but I did use all of the suggestions in some way, so thank you all for the help.

 

[scriptproducer]

Regarding religious parallels: Anakin Skywalker was the product of a virgin birth! In an extraordinary act of free will, he does what Luke cannot -- he kills the emperor and (as prophesied) fulfills his destiny as the one who would restore balance to the universe.

 

[Alex Mason]

The Jedi are Taoists.