The Hero's Journey in A New Hope
A scene in A New Hope that shows the film as a hero's journey narrative is when Luke Skywalker is in a local tavern in Tatooine. At first, Luke rejects the call to adventure but after his uncle and aunt are killed by the Empire, he agrees to accompany former Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. For the adventure, Kenobi and Luke need an adequate ship to make the trip to Alderaan. They enter the tavern, looking for Han Solo and Chewbacca for the transaction, regarding the Millenium Falcon. However, before they can discuss, Luke is approached aggressively by a goon. Before the thug could react, Obi-Wan comes to his aid and immediately eliminates the individual with his lightsaber.
Joseph Campbell's monomyth encourages us to look at this scene as the Crossing of the First Threshold stage in the hero's journey. The crossing of the first threshold is described as "The point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of their world, and entering an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known." The tavern scene fits this description fits the definition well, with the tavern being a dangerous environment and Luke being in an unfamiliar situation.
While I could see this scene potentially being depicted as Belly of the Whale, I think the scenes with him training under Obi-Wan are a better choice. Belly of the Whale is described as the final separation from the known world and the willingness of the character to undergo a great change. This explanation is represented as Luke is leaving Tatooine and training to become powerful in the Force.
Great blog post, Olisa! I completely agree that at this point Luke’s world shifts, in terms of the unfamiliar environment, obstacles, and purpose. I think this is a scene which can apply to either stage, but I think your interpretation and evidence align it well with the Crossing of the First Threshold, truly highlighting how Luke is stepping into the unknown and setting the stage for his transformation.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good categorization of the "crossing the first threshold" stage in this post. Though, I'd also be inclined to think of the tavern scene as more of "belly of the whale," as I believe the first threshold is crossed when Luke and the gang actually enter the spaceport. Furthermore, there's also that scene with the big canyon a few minutes prior to them entering the spaceport, which is a pretty blatant nod to some sort of threshold being crossed. That said, your interpretation could work as well. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI like your take on the fight in the tavern being the separation from the known world. I assume that Luke had been to the planet that the tavern was located on, prompting the idea that this was still known territory. However, as the fight breaks out he witnesses a side of Obi-wan that he hadn't seen prior in this respect, indicating that this is his breakthrough for what is to come. I personally find this seen as the Belly of the Whale. That being said, my opinion is changing with these thoughts and analyzation.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I totally agree that this scene is a big turning point for Luke as he steps into the unknown. The tavern is definitely a wild and unpredictable place, making it a solid fit for Crossing the First Threshold. I can see why some might argue for Belly of the Whale, but I think your take makes a lot of sense since his training with Obi-Wan feels like a better fit for that stage. Really cool breakdown of the hero’s journey here!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post. I agree that the scene in the Tavern shows Luke's Hero's Journey because it starts his whole adventure with Obi-Wan Kenobi. I think that in some parts of your blog post could've been described in more detail, but overall you did a good job on your blog post.
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