A really interesting article connecting American history and ideologies to the Star Wars movies.
Star Wars: The American Mythology Episode I
Star Wars: The American Mythology
A really interesting article connecting American history and ideologies to the Star Wars movies.
Not sure this is on topic, but you can tell that Lucas really was actually just slapping every Jungian archetype together in one story- that's why, IMHO, it's not just American Mythology, it's intentionally Pan-Human mythology, which is why it's so awesome to us, of course!
A really interesting article connecting American history and ideologies to the Star Wars movies.
Not sure this is on topic, but you can tell that Lucas really was actually just slapping every Jungian archetype together in one story- that's why, IMHO, it's not just American Mythology, it's intentionally Pan-Human mythology, which is why it's so awesome to us, of course!
I'm in agreement that the themes in Star Wars are not themes that are unique to American culture. However, I do think that Star Wars was always more likely to be part of American culture than any other. Science Fiction/Space Opera with a handful of British exceptions, is a pretty American thing to begin with.
What is ironic is that we embrace that notion of rooting for the underdog, and we identify with the Rebel Alliance given our Revolutionary history, but significant parts of the world think of us as the Empire, just as we thought of the British as the Empire.
But so what does it say about us when only Luke and Han get medals, whereas Leia not only leaves Chewie without a medal, but calls him a walking carpet to boot? Samuel Johnson, at the time of the American Revolution said "How is it that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty among the drivers of negroes?" (source).
Remember Lucas was a friend of Joseph Campbell. (Mr Power of Myth himself)
If you're into mythology at all, you can't throw a dead cat without hitting something that Campbell did. His body of work looking at the mythology of the various cultures of the world is crazy impressive.
A really interesting article connecting American history and ideologies to the Star Wars movies.
Not sure this is on topic, but you can tell that Lucas really was actually just slapping every Jungian archetype together in one story- that's why, IMHO, it's not just American Mythology, it's intentionally Pan-Human mythology, which is why it's so awesome to us, of course!
I'm in agreement that the themes in Star Wars are not themes that are unique to American culture. However, I do think that Star Wars was always more likely to be part of American culture than any other. Science Fiction/Space Opera with a handful of British exceptions, is a pretty American thing to begin with.
Japan has it's own share of space operas too. I'm more in the crowd that Star Wars is more of an international mythology now than a purely American one. It might be doubtful that the original would have been made if not for a film like The Hidden Fortress. People really love this thing everywhere now.
Edited by KubernesI'm in agreement that the themes in Star Wars are not themes that are unique to American culture. However, I do think that Star Wars was always more likely to be part of American culture than any other. Science Fiction/Space Opera with a handful of British exceptions, is a pretty American thing to begin with
Japan has it's own share of space operas too. I'm more in the crowd that Star Wars is more of an international mythology now than a purely American one. It might be doubtful that the original would have been made if not for a film like The Hidden Fortress. People really love this thing everywhere now.
Oh, excellent point!
A really interesting article connecting American history and ideologies to the Star Wars movies.
Not sure this is on topic, but you can tell that Lucas really was actually just slapping every Jungian archetype together in one story- that's why, IMHO, it's not just American Mythology, it's intentionally Pan-Human mythology, which is why it's so awesome to us, of course!
I'm in agreement that the themes in Star Wars are not themes that are unique to American culture. However, I do think that Star Wars was always more likely to be part of American culture than any other. Science Fiction/Space Opera with a handful of British exceptions, is a pretty American thing to begin with.
Japan has it's own share of space operas too. I'm more in the crowd that Star Wars is more of an international mythology now than a purely American one. It might be doubtful that the original would have been made if not for a film like The Hidden Fortress. People really love this thing everywhere now.
Lucas borrows from two sources the most. Hidden Fortress is one of those sources. The other (which Lucas twists to tell a VERY AMERICAN story) will be the center of the second article. 
The mythology is who the Americans actually are.
A really interesting article connecting American history and ideologies to the Star Wars movies.
Not sure this is on topic, but you can tell that Lucas really was actually just slapping every Jungian archetype together in one story- that's why, IMHO, it's not just American Mythology, it's intentionally Pan-Human mythology, which is why it's so awesome to us, of course!
It absolutely oozes Jungian archetypes too.
Boy, those were the days Lol!
Edited by DarthBadger6Well I don't take this too serious but in some ways yes, Star Wars is the American Mythology while Lord of the Rings is the English Mythology. Every culture has their stories told in Myths, it's just part of being human.
Well I don't take this too serious but in some ways yes, Star Wars is the American Mythology while Lord of the Rings is the English Mythology. Every culture has their stories told in Myths, it's just part of being human.
Yup, Tolkien very much wanted to create the English epic, the way Beowulf is the epic of the Danes, and the Illiad & Odyssey are for the Greeks, and the Aeneid was for the Romans. While I would like to think that he succeeded, I don't know to what degree the Lord of the Rings has eclipsed the other stories as being 'that story most told' to the nation's youth.
But I think that Star Wars is probably the 'story most told' in the United States, aside from the bible, which (obviously) has a different role in our society.