May the Fourth be with you this Star Wars Day. Americans — and people around the world — love the universe and characters of Star Wars for many different reasons, but in my opinion one of its greatest appeals is that it is founded upon and permeated with the American ethos.
Without ever mentioning the U.S. or the Constitution, Star Wars transferred the American philosophy to a galaxy far, far away. People have called it a space Western, and to some extent it is; I speak here specifically of the three original Star Wars movies, the ones I have seen and love. Obviously, in having the heroes be freedom-loving rebels against a tyrannical Empire, the original films harked back to America’s own history and Revolution. But the individualism, optimism, self-sacrifice, and determination to overcome the impossible that used to define Americans are very clearly the virtues of the heroes of the original Star Wars trilogy.
Luke Skywalker is the apparently ordinary farm boy who dreams of joining the Rebel Alliance and taking on the all-powerful Empire. The idea that Luke’s powers are in his blood is not very American, but certainly the fact that his choices define his path is. Luke and Dark Vader both had the power and the choice to be either great Jedis or great Sith leaders; Vader chooses evil, and Luke good. Luke could have rejected his mission, or stopped his Jedi training altogether, but he did not.Individualism does not preclude community, but helps community. The heroes of Star Wars are very loyal to their friends, their Alliance, and their families. Often their greatest individual feats and achievements are accomplished specifically to help others. But, just like Americans of old, Luke and Han and Leia and the rest all understand that they cannot expect their leaders or anyone else to make the hard choices for them. They all understand the responsibility each person has to take on evil and oppression. It is cowardly to lie low or compromise. It is heroic to stand up and fight. Our Founding Fathers would heartily approve.
Indeed, the emphasis on individual choice is crucial throughout the original Star Wars movies. Luke makes the choices to reject the Dark Side of the Force, become a Jedi, and risk his own life for his friends. Most importantly of all, he chooses to believe in his father’s ability to repent, ultimately saving both Vader and the galaxy. Leia chooses to defy Vader when it could mean her tortuous death. Han Solo chooses to defy personal gain and personal safety to come back and save his friends, and then join the Rebel Alliance. R2D2 chooses to deliver Leia’s message to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan chooses to die to save the lives of his friends. Lando Calrissian chooses to help Han et al. after initially and mistakenly trying to compromise with Vader, putting all his material success at jeopardy to do so. C3PO chooses to stick with R2 and Luke even when that means facing his greatest fears.
The latter is crucial because, in the original movies, there was also a very clear understanding of good vs. evil, liberty vs. tyranny, something that used to be a defining belief in American politics, religion, and military policy (not so much now). This understanding does not preclude the possibility of redemption, for Vader repents and is redeemed. But when individuals like Lando try to compromise with evil, with tyranny, it ends in disaster. Only when the rebels choose good and liberty despite seemingly inevitable defeat do they win. And, no matter the odds, the rebels always believe they can win. They are not impractical or unprepared, but they
are idealists. They have hope that liberty and justice will eventually be triumphant, no matter how powerful the tyrants become. That is a most American attitude indeed.
Americans love rags-to-riches stories; they love tales of the underdog beating the mighty, of freedom winning against authoritarianism. The original Star Wars movies had so much to love — adventure, “magic” (the Force), romance, friendship, (Jedi) knights, character development, heroes, villains, redemption, spaceships, plot twists, aliens, battles, and victories. But ultimately, the underlying philosophy that inspired, permeated, and brought together the Star Wars universe was a uniquely American one. So today, my fellow Americans, enjoy an excursion to a galaxy far, far away yet strikingly familiar, and may the Force be with you.