Yeck1

AndrewYeck
A.P.Literature
Mrs.Rutan
30March2016

HowGeorgeLucasMoldedaModernMyth
Atthetimethat
StarWars
wasreleasedin1977,theVietnamWarwasinfullflightand
theAmericanpeoplewerelookingforawaytoescaperealityforawhile.Childrenhadtheirtoys
andimaginationtokeepthemhappybuttheadultswereforcedtodealtheeffectsthatwarhadon
theeconomyandontheirlives.Luckily,GeorgeLucaswasaliveandinspiredtoproduce
Star
Wars
,acombinationbetweentheusablepast(Gordon),bitsofAmericanpopculture
(Gordon)popularduringthattime,andpiecesofmythologyrelatabletoeverydaylife.By
bringingtogetherthisholytrifectaofstorytellingandunitingthemasonefilm,Lucaswasableto
createastorythatisancient,modern,andfuturisticallatoncewhilerelatingtothecurrent
problemsofthattimesuchaswarandextremeuseofpoweringovernment.
StarWars
was
relevantwhenitcameoutandhasremainedrelevanttomoderndayissueseversince,arguably
because
StarWars
usesacombinationofpopularmythologytobecomeastorythatisamost
preciouspossessionbecauseitissacred,exemplary,[and]significant(Eliade),onespecific
mythrelatedto
StarWars
being
Antigone
.
Alotofmythologyisaboutovercomingagreaterpowerandin
Antigone
,ayoung
memberofsocietyisdoingjustthatfightingagainsttheleaderofapowerfulgovernmentin
ordertoavengeherdeadfamilyandsavefuturegenerationsfromtheproblemsshehadtoface.


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StarWars
followsthesamestorylineas
Antigone
,pittingyoungLukeagainsttheEmpireafter
theykilledhisAuntandUncle.BothAntigoneandandLukeareinexperiencedatthetaskat
handbutaredeterminedtodefythegovernmentalpowersthattookawaytheirfamilyand
chokeditssubjectswithunbearablelawsandpractices(beittherefusaltoburyabodyorthe
refusaltoceaseblowingplanetstobits)thatWhoeverdisobeysintheleastwilldie(Sophocles,
4142).Theirdeterminationdefiesalloddsand,intheend,leadstothedownfallofthecorrupted
leader.ThetwostoriesaresosimilarthatitishardtoimagineGeorgeLucashadneverheardthe
mythof
Antigone
.Eventhoughtheideaofreusingastorytomakeanewmoviemayseemvery
unoriginalandunimaginative,thefuturisticsettingandclassicalessenceof
StarWars
gavenew
lifetotheoldenplotlineandmadethefilmamajorsuccess.SinceLucasdidformthebasisof
StarWars
withthesame,timelessplotof
Antigone
,
StarWars
becameatimelesstaleitselfand
continuestowithstandthetestoftime.
Ontopoftheplotbeingmythologicalinorigin,
StarWars
alsofollowsabasicpatternof
maincharactersinmythology,wherethecharacterhasaDeparture,Initiation,andReturn
(Gordon)thatleadstothecompletionoftheirquest.In
TheOdyssey
,OdysseusmustleaveIthaca
tofightintheTrojanWarwhichishisDeparture(Gordon).Afterfightinginthewarand
readyingaboatbackhome,OdysseusforgetstopraytoPoseidonforasafejourneyacrossthe
seatheInitiation(Gordon)stageandispunishedbysailingtenmoreyearsandlosing
manymenbeforearrivinginIthaca.OnceheishometheReturn(Gordon)stageOdysseus
isabletokillallofhiswifessuitorsandrestorepeacetotheirhome,followingthepatternof
Departure,Initiation,andReturn(Gordon)toaT.Lukesjourney,whilenotasobviousor
bloodyasOdysseuss,followsthesamepattern.LukesDeparture(Gordon)actuallytakes


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placebeforethebeginningofthemovie,whenheisfirstleftbyAnakinonTatooineandis
separatedfromthecorruptioncausedbytheEmpire,justasOdysseuswasseparatedfromthe
corruptioncausedbythesuitors.LukesInitiation(Gordon)isafterhefirstmeetsObiwan
Kenobi,learnsthattheRebellionneedshishelp,anddiscoversthattheEmpirehadkilledLukes
uncleandaunt.Withnothinglefttolose,LukedecidestojointheRebellionandReturn
(Gordon)totherealworldthatAnakintookhimawayfromandfacetheEmpireheadon.Both
LukeandOdysseusleavecivilizationtogothroughatimeconsumingtransformationbefore
returningandsavingtheday,aclassicplotlinethatLucaswassmartenoughtoincludein
Star
Wars
,betteringhisfilmwiththetimetestedideaofyoungheroismandcharacterdevelopment.
Ontopof
TheOdyssey
beingcloselyrelatedtoLukesdevelopment,Homeralsohadhis
influenceonmanyotherfactorsof
StarWars
,includingthecreationofthemischievousdroids,
C3POandR2D2.Whileitmayseemhardtobelievethatanancienttaleofsailorsandwarriors
couldberelatedtobickeringspacerobots,itistherolesofthesecharactersthatgivethemtheir
similarity.
TheOdyssey
isanintensemythologicalretellingofthejourneyofakingthatmust
mightoffgiants,waterserpents,sailthroughstorms,andmanyotherdeadlytasksso,asyou
couldimagine,thereadercangetprettytenseafterhearingthistaleforawhile.Homerrealized
thisandso,inordertogivethereaderabreakfromtheseriousnessofthetale,addedbrief
momentsofcomicrelief.HomermakesoneofOdysseusstroublesintoameetingwithawitch
namedCircewho,aftergivingthesoldiersdrinkandfood,transformedthesoldiersintopigsby
astrokeofherwand,andshutthemupinherpigsties(Homer,Book10).Thesemomentsof
comicreliefhelpdisperseanystresscreatedbythestoryandareusedin
StarWars
aswell.
LukesjourneytodestroytheDeathStarinvolvesalotoffighting,explosions,andneardeath


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situationsthatcreatestressandsoGeorgeLucasusedHomerstechniqueofcomicreliefand
addedthecharactersC3POandR2D2tocreatethehumorthat
StarWars
sodesperately
needed.Justwhentheplotisthickening,youcanexpectC3POtocallR2D2aoverweight
globofgrease(Lucas)oranearsightedscrappile(Lucas)andgivetheaudienceagood
chucklebeforestartingthenextgalacticbattle.
StarWars
wasingeniousatitstimeofreleaseandisstillaclassictoday,incorporating
thewellknownideasof
Antigone
srebellionagainstthegovernmentandHomersDeparture,
Initiation,andReturn(Gordon)whileappealingtoallaudienceswiththemilleniaoldtechnique
ofcomicrelief.Lucastookallofthesemythsandcombinedthemtocreateafuturisticstory
abouttheeternalstrugglesofhumankindandexecutedthetaskwithsuchfluidityandnatural
appealtoallagesthat
StarWars
canthelpbutbecomeatimelesstreasureandamodernmyth.

Ihavethoughtful,

Ihave

Ihavesome

Ihavelittleanalysis

creativeanalysis

solid/appropriate

analysis,butits

and/oritpoorand

andcomplete

analysisanda

basic,surfacelevel,

haslotsof

responsethat

completeresponse

underdeveloped

misinterpretation

addressesthe

thataddressesthe

and/ormyresponse

and/oritisnot

prompt(10pts).

prompt(8pts)

maybecomplete

complete,and/orit

butitdoesnotfully

doesstayfocusedon

addresstheprompt

theprompt(05pts).

(67pts).


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Iusethoughtful,

Iuseappropriate,

Iusesome

Iuseverylittle

wellcitedand

clearlycitedand

appropriateand

evidenceand/or

integrated

integratedevidence

clearlycited

thereareerrors,

evidencefrom

fromAntigoneand

evidence,butitis

poorlyconnected,

Antigoneandother

anothersecondary

limitedand/orhad

etc.youfailto

secondarysources

source(8pts).

someminorerrors

includeany

(10pts).

youalsoinclude

secondarysources

Antigoneanda

(05pts).

Ihaveclearand

secondarysource

Ihavethoughtful,

effective

(67pts).

creative,and

organization(8pts).

Ihaveweak,

effective

Ihaverelatively

incomplete,and/or

organization

clearorganization,

confusing

(10pts).

Ihavesolid

butitislimited,

organization(05pts).

mechanics,and

clich,etc.(7pts).

Ihaveinventive

someerrors,but

Ihavepoor

mechanicsandno

theyarent

Ihavebasic

mechanicsandlots

distractingerrors

distracting(4pts).

mechanicsand

ofdistractingerrors

(5pts)

somedistracting

(02pts).

errors(3pts).

Idonotfollowthe

Ihavethe

***

appropriateMLA

Ihavemostofthe

MLAformatand

formatand

MLAformat(3pts).

requirements

requirements:34

(02pts).

Ihaveanalmost

perfectworkscited

Ihaveaworkscited

page(4pts).

page,butacouple

workscitedpage,or

minorerrors(3pts)

therearemany

pages,
doublespaced,
etc.(5pts)

Ifailtoincludea

errors(02pts).


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Ihaveaperfect
workscitedpage
(5pts).

SCORE:43/45


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WorksCited
Eliade,Mircea."TheStructureofMyths."
TheStructureofMyths
.RutgersSchoolof
CommunicationandInformation.Web.30Mar.2016.

Gordon,Andrew."StarWars:AMythforOurTime."
StarWars:AMythforOurTime
.Web.30
Mar.2016.

Homer."BookXof
TheOdyssey
."
TheInternetClassicsArchive
.Web.30Mar.2016.

Sophocles.
TheThreeThebanPlays:Antigone,OedipustheKing,OedipusatColonus
.Trans.
RobertFagles.NewYork:PenguinLiterature,1984.Print.

StarWarsIV:ANewHope
.Dir.GeorgeLucas.LucasfilmLtd.,1977.DVD.