the material doesn’t have the authority to impart insights. Eliezer had to go off on a riff about Luke’s behavior in that situation. But it is a situation that we are all pretty familar with, and one that lots of us connected with. The technique is no different that Greek philosophers and lecturers using Greek mythology references to make their point. Remember when the gods did this, remember how Hercules was doing that, what can we learn from that? Or referencing bible stories to make a point in a church sermon. George Lucas wasn’t trying to teach anything more important than that Luke was a whiny brat, who was reckless, implusive, and lazy.
It was important to establish that because originally Luke was going to be seduced by the dark side, kill his father, and join the Emperor. At which point Leia would undertake Jedi training and turn Luke back to the good side, and together defeat the Emperor once and for all. That’s why, when Luke flies off to Cloud City, Yoda and Obi-Wan are talking, and Yoda points out that Luke isn’t the only hope, that “there is another.” (Which obi-wan should have known seeing as how the prequels put obi-wan at the birth of Luke and Leia.)
Episodes IV, V, and VI, were the just the middle, Lucas had in mind I, II, and III and VII, VIII, and IX.
I’d like to believe that what he had in mind in the 70′s was not at all what we saw on hte screen in the late 90′s, early 00′s. Those were just commercials for the special effects of Industrial Light and Magic.
Anyway, the point is not about Sci-Fi, its about a common cultural reference upon which to draw your general argument.
VII-IX actually did get into the expanded universe, but, AFAIK, only as comics, not novels.
And, in fact, the emperor returns from the grave by possessing clones he had made in advance. He turns Luke to the dark side, and Leia turns him back, and together they destroy the emperor.
Not that that affects this post one iota, just a tangent.
retired urologist,
the material doesn’t have the authority to impart insights. Eliezer had to go off on a riff about Luke’s behavior in that situation. But it is a situation that we are all pretty familar with, and one that lots of us connected with. The technique is no different that Greek philosophers and lecturers using Greek mythology references to make their point. Remember when the gods did this, remember how Hercules was doing that, what can we learn from that? Or referencing bible stories to make a point in a church sermon. George Lucas wasn’t trying to teach anything more important than that Luke was a whiny brat, who was reckless, implusive, and lazy.
It was important to establish that because originally Luke was going to be seduced by the dark side, kill his father, and join the Emperor. At which point Leia would undertake Jedi training and turn Luke back to the good side, and together defeat the Emperor once and for all. That’s why, when Luke flies off to Cloud City, Yoda and Obi-Wan are talking, and Yoda points out that Luke isn’t the only hope, that “there is another.” (Which obi-wan should have known seeing as how the prequels put obi-wan at the birth of Luke and Leia.)
Episodes IV, V, and VI, were the just the middle, Lucas had in mind I, II, and III and VII, VIII, and IX. I’d like to believe that what he had in mind in the 70′s was not at all what we saw on hte screen in the late 90′s, early 00′s. Those were just commercials for the special effects of Industrial Light and Magic.
Anyway, the point is not about Sci-Fi, its about a common cultural reference upon which to draw your general argument.
VII-IX actually did get into the expanded universe, but, AFAIK, only as comics, not novels.
And, in fact, the emperor returns from the grave by possessing clones he had made in advance. He turns Luke to the dark side, and Leia turns him back, and together they destroy the emperor.
Not that that affects this post one iota, just a tangent.