Luke's new life
In Star Wars: A New Hope, the movie starts out by showing Princess Leia’s ship getting attacked by the empire. Knowing that she isn’t going to be able to get off of the ship, she sends the plans of the Death Star and a message asking for help in R2D2. Instead of the plans reaching Obi-Wan Kenobi as Leia had planned, the plans fell into the hands of a farmer named Luke Skywalker. Luke does end up finding Obi-Wan, and this is where his Hero’s journey begins. One of the most significant moments in Luke’s Hero’s Journey is when he decides to go with Obi-Wan to Alderaan after he sees his Aunt and Uncle dead. This scene in the movie represents Joseph Campbell's step in “Crossing the First Threshold.” This step shows the official start of Luke’s journey in helping the resistance defeat the empire.
When Luke first meets Obi-Wan Kenobi and shows him Leia's message, Luke at first was hesitant to go on the journey with him. Luke had his whole life in Tatooine and he still had to help his aunt and uncle with the big harvest. His Aunt and his uncle were his family and he wasn’t going to leave them. Plus, his dream was still to go to the academy and learn how to fly just like his father. When he finds that his aunt and uncle have been killed by the stormtroopers, he decides to go with Obi-Wan. This point of the movie is where Luke’s long journey to travel to Alderaan and eventually free the princess begins.
Joseph Campbell's monomyth helps us to understand this part in the movie as Luke's official departure. His departure from his family, his town, his friends, and his old life. The “Crossing the First Threshold” step in the monomyth shows how Luke decides to leave his town when he finds out that he has nothing left. It shows him leaving his old self and starting his new journey into the galaxy to travel to Alderaan. His agreeing to go represents that he has a fun adventure ahead of him but that he might also face some conflict along the way. The “Crossing the First Threshold” step shows some excitement in the story and in Luke’s journey.
Luke agreeing to go on the journey shows us that the “Crossing the First Threshold” step is important in showing us the excitement and difficulty of Luke’s journey to Alderaan. Him saying yes is very important for the start of Luke’s journey. It shows us that he was able to overcome being isolated from the outside world and have the confidence to start a whole new journey for himself to help the galaxy. The “Crossing the First Threshold” step is important for us to see Luke officially leaving his old life behind and starting his new life. This shows the official start of his journey, and it gives the starting point for conflicts and success throughout the rest of the movie.
This is truly an eye-opening blog post, Antje! I really like your interpretation of Luke’s acceptance of the call as the Crossing of the First Threshold. I would argue, however, that this stage happens a bit later into the film when they reach Tatooine, and are trying to find Han Solo so that they can start the mission. By that point, they have entered an unfamiliar world where the prior rules no longer apply, clearly transitioning into the unknown. But your perspective highlights how Luke’s decision to leave is a pivotal moment in his journey, so I’m torn!
ReplyDeleteHello Antje, I also wondered what Noor wondered about "crossing of the first threshold" being more of a physical departure than a mental one. However, you supported your interpretation well. Additionally, regardless of who is "right", thinking about this step as crossing the first threshold is important because it reminds us of Lukes purpose throughout his journey.
ReplyDeleteAntje, great blog! I loved the analytical recap of the 'crossing the threshold' . I find it interesting comparing his mental and his physical movement. He seemed to develop as a character significantly after reaching the outside world, meaning his journey would've been seemingly less important without this step. I also agree that this step is a good reference for where he started, through his conflicts, and at the end of his journey.
ReplyDeleteI think that George Lucas made a lot of Luke's hero's journey very clear to see, and your categorization of "crossing the first threshold" does a good job in identifying the relevant symbolism in the film. One more thing I'd point out is the physical symbolism we see in the form of that massive canyon shot just before Luke leaves his world, as if the canyon were separating his old life and the one before him. Nice analysis!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Antje! I really liked how you broke down Luke’s decision to leave as the Crossing of the First Threshold. It’s such a crucial turning point, and your explanation makes it clear why this moment is the true start of his journey. I also liked how you emphasized the contrast between his old life and the unknown future ahead of him. Although point about the threshold being a more physical departure is interesting too, I think your take works really well in showing how this moment shifts Luke’s entire path. Great analysis!
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