General Goals Stars Wars: Character relations The Force as a metaphorical problem Star Wars: A universal narrative? Sequentialization: The collapse of narrative?

Review: Conditions for SF Science fiction is a relatively recent literary genre, dating only from the nineteenth century. What accounts for its recent appearance, or what are the conditions for its appearance (this is another way of asking why didn’t it develop earlier and in some other culture)?

Review: Status of SF Science fiction is still regarded with some suspicion as a legitimate form of culture (i.e. worthy of serious scholarly attention). What are some examples of the genre (or authors) that have made it into the canon?

Previous Slide Mary Shelley H.G. Wells Jules Verne Ursula LeGuin

Review: (e)Utopia and Dystopia Science fiction is sometimes broadly understood as utopian (eutopian) or dystopian. What do these terms mean and how are they applied to the genre? What function might either form have? Partly in regard to these types, what can science fiction do that many other genres cannot in terms of its social content?

George Lucas Star Wars [IV] (1977)

Characters Luke Skywalker Ben Kenobi Han Solo Leia Organa Darth Vader C-3PO R2-D2

Character Relations One of the successful traits of the film is its character chemistry: the pairing or grouping of characters whose differences are complementary and therefore interest-generating. Describe how this is accomplished within the character list.

Luke Skywalker

Ben Kenobi

Han Solo

Leia Organa

Darth Vader

C-3PO

R2-D2

Good Guys and Bad Guys How are sympathies manipulated in this film? How is good and evil reduced to clear-cut sides? Note that the good guys are presented in a certain way—racially, physically, in gender, and ideologically. segment: 2.45-4.45

Critique of Representation Is there reason to criticize this representation, given the fact that much science fiction is regarded as alluding to contemporaneous social problems? Consider the way that identity and singularity is manipulated—what else can we add?

Reluctant Hero Han Solo is a type: the reluctant hero. What characterizes this type? Have you encountered it in other works of literature or film? How would you define this type? What range of character traits are possible within the type (thinking of other examples that you can come up with)?

The Force What is the Force? This is not defined very well here—better in later films (e.g. The Phantom Menace). But, what do you make of it in this film? Is this a religious concept? a supernatural phenomenon? a metaphor? Note that Kenobi remarks on the “dark side” of the Force, which gives rise to more questions. segments: 34.30-; 1:00.40-

Comparison Note how the Force is turned into a special effect/action movie gimmick in later films, such as we find in the opening segment of The Phantom Menace (1999). segment: 5.00-6.20

A Universal Narrative? Why was Star Wars so successful? Assume that the movie represents something universal in its way of telling a story. What are the components of its universality? Or does it also have a claim to universality?

Cultural Specificity, etc. Why would Chinese film viewers have any reason to find the film engaging (or would they)? Consider other marks of difference that might influence the reception of this film, especially the accusation that the series tends to express racism towards East Asian people.

SF as Masculine Students as well as critics often identify science fiction as a “masculine” genre? Why would it be understood this way? Presumably, Star Wars was watched enthusiastically by women, too, so what does the film provide for them if it is catering primarily to (young) men? Consider the function of Leia—really the only woman in the movie.

Note The final destruction sequence seems especially sexualized, though from a masculine perspective. segment: 1:56.30-

The Collapse of Narrative? This episode of the series should be compared to Revenge of the Sith (2005). If you have seen this film, you should think about how it differs from the original film. segment: 57.30- Consider (as more evidence) an important fight scene from The Empire Strikes Back. segment: 1:39.30- … 1:45.30-

Summary of Turner Films are narratives. These narratives are constructed. Because narrative cuts across many fields, it is studied by a large range of researchers. Their conclusions as to its nature differ.

Preceding Slide Claude Lévi-Strauss Vladimir Propp Stuart Hall Roland Barthes

Turner Summary Narratives, universally, have social functions. Narratives refer to a ground which legitimizes practices. Some narrative structures seem to be shared, possibly universally shared (Propp’s structuralism). Propp viewed characters as types that fulfilled certain functions (though not necessarily as different actors).

Propp’s Function Sequence Propp identifies 31 functions which he claimed always occurred in the same order in Russian fairy tales. Not all 31 must appear, but the order must be maintained.

Propp Character Functions 1 the villain 2 the donor or provider 3 the helper 4 the princess and her father 5 the dispatcher 6 the hero or victim 7 the false hero

Character Applications in SW Villain Donor Helper Princess Dispatcher Hero False hero Darth Vader Obi-Wan Kenobi Han Solo Princess Leia R2D2 Luke Skywalker

From AV (984)

Continued

Social Functions for Audiences A film (plot) could confirm or reinforce a belief, give voice to or concretize a set of values, persuade the viewer to adopt a point of view, serve as a fantasy to counter reality, project a goal that is worth striving for or realizing, …

Social Meanings of Star Wars We always ask why a work appears when and where it does, which is related to why it appears (function) for whom. Some have suggested that the first Star Wars film, released in 1977, had a mollifying effect on Americans who began to see their country as, at least potentially, a culture in decline.

The U.S. in the 1970s Why would they feel this way in 1977? This would require considering the events following World War II, and particularly the changes from the early 1960s to the mid 1970s.

Star Wars as Allegory How might the film be allegorized to fit the contemporaneous American situation? Who stands for what? Why would this fantasy response (a form of consumerism) be sufficient instead of addressing the problems that caused anxiety?

Continuing Meaning Why did the series continue? Why was it possible to resurrect the series in the 2000s (The Phantom Menace, The Clone Wars, and Revenge of the Sith) and to do so again in 2015 (The Force Awakens)? If films have this sociological function, what new problems are these new films addressing? Does this shift in the type of problem help explain why the films are fundamentally different from the first and possibly second film (in fact, I think the second one, The Empire Strikes Back, may be the best)?

Nostalgia What does Booker mean by calling Star Wars a nostalgia film? There is a technological answer and a social answer. passages: 114 (genre, politics)

The Idea of the Rebel Why is the idea of the rebel problematic—or why does contemporary reflection on the film lead to such problems? passages: 118

For Next Time Read: Poetry after 1960 Review for history examination