STAR WARS: A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARGINALIZED GROUPS

 

 

“It’s their planet we’re the hostiles” (Kasdan, Solo: A Star Wars Story)  a young rebellious Han Solo proclaims to a man impersonating an Imperial Captain in Solo: A Star Wars Movie. The “we” Han refers to in his remarks is the Empire. Through his concern for the natives, Han seems to explain that the natives are just protecting themselves. The Empire is the one that is in the wrong as they are attacking the natives. The natives are just doing what any normal animal who is feeling threatened would do which is fight back. The implications of his comment lead to the discussion of how marginalized groups are treated by the people in power.  Robert J.C. Young in Postcolonialism: A Very Short Introduction reflects the impact imperial powers have had on colonial territories after or while the imperial powers were ruling the territory. The text further explains that the people in power have little to no regard of how their actions affect marginalized groups. These marginalized groups can be thought of as Subalterns. Subalterns are people who are oppressed and also lack the access to power to have their role in society recognized.

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, a postcolonial theorist, speaks on the inability of the Subaltern to have their voices heard in society. In her essay, “Can the Subaltern Speak?” Spivak expresses the concern of how the Subalterns can’t be represented by any intellectual. She explains, “Because ‘the person who speaks and acts … is always a multiplicity’, no ‘theorizing intellectual … [or] party or … union’ can represent ‘those who act and struggle’ ” (Spivak 76). Spivak makes clear that people who speak out are the ones that already have a platform and access to the power of asking their leaders for changes in the government. However, those people who are struggling in society don’t have access to the power of asking their leaders for help. Not only that but she expounds upon the fact that the people who do have access to communicate to the leaders can’t represent the Subalterns because of their different experiences and lifestyles. Spivak wants the marginalized groups to come together and stand up for themselves rather than someone helping to give them a voice. In this way, their voice is the truth that is not influenced by any other person and only recounts their experiences. Spivak helps us understand that the Subaltern are the marginalized groups of people who are not represented in society nor recognized by the elite class. Due to the fact that the elite class does not understand the Subalterns, the elite class fails to regard them as part of society and treat them like human beings. The elite class only cares about any gain they can achieve by oppressing the marginalized groups.

There have been numerous arguments about how marginalized groups are oppressed by the elite class. However, there haven’t been many cases looking into why marginalized groups treat each other poorly. In this paper, I propose that the reason one marginalized group negatively represses the progression of another marginalized group is to uplift themselves and provide themselves with a sense of power. Through the understanding of “Can the Subaltern Speak?” I will explain why one marginalized group is attempting to gain power by oppressing another marginalized group. I will accomplish this by analyzing the relationship between various marginalized groups. Furthermore, I will draw my conclusions by analyzing relationships between marginalized groups in history.    

Before we start the analysis of how one marginalized group treats another marginalized group, we must look at how each group is marginalized. In Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, the story of Star Wars: A New Hope is retold but through various characters some whom we see on screen and others whom we do not.

One of the perspectives the audience gets to experience the story through is MSE-6. MSE-6 is a repair and delivery droid who is programmed by TK-421 and is sent out on tasks by TK-421 and other Stormtroopers. MSE-6 is seen as a piece of technology by the Imperial power. However, through his interactions with TK-421, it is revealed that he is more than a piece of technology. For example, whenever MSE-6 is listening to TK-421 talk, he can pick up on the rhetorical questions asked by TK-421 and doesn’t respond to them. He can also tell when TK-421 is being sarcastic which is something that requires a higher level of thinking that an “incompetent” (Weldon 278) thing or person wouldn’t be able to do. Through the insight given by MSE-6 ’s perspective, it is revealed that MSE-6 can understand everything as well as humans. He has human attributes that are failed to be recognized by the Imperial army. The Imperial army refer to him as “ … Gross incompetence …”  (278). This is just not true because MSE-6 has attributes that can qualify him to be a human. The fact that he is not regarded as more than just a piece of technology shows how he is marginalized.

The Jawas are also treated poorly by various groups in Star Wars: A New Hope, hence being identified as a marginalized group. When Luke and Obi-Wan get to Mos Eisley, a Jawa comes and starts touching Luke’s speeder and Luke shoos the Jawa away as though he is an animal. Luke doesn’t treat the Jawa with respect, but rather as a mindless being. The Jawas are well-established business people who know how to run a business. If the Jawas were as senseless as Luke treats them they wouldn’t have been able to create a way to make money. One that requires a certain level of thinking and logic to be able to function correctly.  Through another perspective in Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, we meet a Jawa by the name of Jot who works on a Sandcrawler in Tatooine. Jot asks to be moved to a different department, “Jot requested a transfer off the salvage line, which his supervisors frustrated with Jot’s spotty attendance, was more than happy to grant.” (McElroy 44)  The Jawas have a system set in place to run their business. They have superiors who check up on the workers, they also take attendance, and they have different departments. Jawas like Jot have a job just like human beings have jobs. There are many parallels between humans and Jawas, yet Jawas are treated like animals and not like beings who are equal to humans.  

The Pykes are another marginalized group in the Star Wars universe; however, they are not marginalized in the same sense as the Jawas and droids. The Pykes achieve their wealth through illegal means. They are forcing enslaved alien species to mine the Spice mines of Kessel for them. The Spice the Pkyes are mining is defined as, “ a type of illicit substance or substances in demand throughout the galaxy” (Wookieepedia). The Pykes are the drug cartel of the Star Wars Universe. More than just being a cartel the Pykes are criminals, and no one welcomes criminals into their society. Even after criminals have done their time in prison they have a hard time assimilating back into society. Hence The Pykes are marginalized because of their criminal activities.      

Critics might argue that the marginalized are not oppressing another marginalized group because they have no power to be able to oppress someone. Although marginalized groups do not have absolute power, the power each marginalized group does have is distributed through privileges, and every individual has privileges. For example, Jot chooses not to wipe R2D2’s memory because he feels that R2D2 is on a critical mission. Jot shows a sense of power over his decisions here, he is tasked to wipe the memories of the droids by his superiors and he chooses not to wipe R2D2’s memory. C3PO also chooses to belittle R2D2 even though he has experienced mistreatment by the humans and knows how it feels to be treated poorly. C3PO doesn’t sympathize with R2D2 for also being part of a marginalized group. He doesn’t even try to treat R2D2 as his equal. This makes it quite evident that C3PO does have some control over his actions and decisions. The Pykes are also choosing to enslave alien species and forcing them to work for them for free. The Pykes could easily pay the alien species that are working for them which would greatly help the enslaved aliens. All these groups have the privilege of free will, yet they still choose to oppress another marginalized group.

C3PO is seen belittling R2D2 throughout the Star Wars series because he wants to be the superior being in their interactions with each other. In this analysis, I will be considering droids as a living species rather than a piece of technology. This is because through MSE-6’s perspective there is enough evidence to support the argument of them being living beings. After C3PO and R2D2 have been captured by the Jawas, the Jawas arrive on Uncle Owen’s farm to sell him some of their droids. When Uncle Owen is analyzing which droids to buy, he asks C3PO a question. C3PO answers, “Of course I can, sir. It’s like a second language for me… I’m as fluent in Bocce…” (Lucas, Star Wars: A New Hope) Uncle Owen interrupts, “All right shut up!” (Lucas, Star Wars: A New Hope) Uncle Owen cuts off C3PO before he can finish his answer fueling the idea that C3PO is not welcomed in society. By telling him to “shut up” Uncle Owen degrades C3PO and pushes him away from feeling like he belongs.  Through this interaction, it is very evident that C3PO is seen as an inferior being and he doesn’t like it as it is the nature of all living beings to want to be the alpha. This leads him to belittle R2D2 so he can feel dominant, he does this in response to the way he is treated by Uncle Owen and other humans in the movie. As Darth Vader is invading Tantive IV, we see C3PO and R2D2 trying to get out of the line of fire. As C3PO is following R2D2 he remarks, “I should have known better than to trust the logic of a half-sized hermocapsulary dehousing assister… ” (Lucas, Star Wars: A New Hope). C3PO attacks R2D2’s intelligence, body shames him and also devalues his role on the ship. These comments show that C3PO wants R2D2 to feel bad about himself and to feel as though he has no role in society. These comments are all fueled by his need to make others feel inferior to him because he was treated with inferiority by several humans in the movie. There are various other times throughout the series where Han tells C3PO to shut up and disregards C3PO’s opinions and ideas.

The research paper The “What” and “Why” of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behavior by Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan explores what events lead human beings to make certain decisions and what effects that has on their health. The researchers describe, “External regulation. This is the classic case of extrinsic motivation in which people’s behavior is controlled by specific external contingencies. People behave to attain a desired consequence such as tangible rewards or to avoid a threatened punishment. ” (Deci & Ryan 236) Deci and Ryan allude to the fact that sometimes people are influenced by things around them, and they do things to achieve some reward. For example, in C3PO’s case, he is pressured by how he is treated by humans to treat R2D2 poorly. He hopes to achieve the sense of dominance over R2D2 through his poor treatment of R2D2. This sense of dominance is the reward he is seeking.

The Jawas are another marginalized group who enslave droids and do so because that is the only way they can survive and make money. When R2D2 and C3PO end up on Tatooine in their search for Ben Kenobi, they are both captured by a group of Jawas. The Jawas put the droids into a ship crowded with other droids who have missing parts and are old and rusty. The Jawas proceed to erase the memories of the droids, this way they can sell the droids to plantation owners who are in need of droids to work their plantations. This scene includes various allegorical references to the slave trade that took place in America. The African-Americans were captured, chained together, and forced into crowded ships that would take months to reach America. When they reached America, they would be sold to plantation owners who would come and inspect them and make sure they were in good health. The Jawas are seen doing the same thing with the droids. The Jawas put restraining bolts on the droids, put them on a “ship,” wipe their memories, and sell them to plantation owners. The wiping of the memory is a reference to how the African-Americans were deprived of their culture and homes when they were captured.  The question arises why do the Jawas commit such a deed? The answer is the Jawas are driven by the monetary rewards and the opportunity to move up the social class ladder through their wealth.

In the article The Royal Slave: Nobility, Diplomacy and the “African Prince” in Britain, 1748-1752 by Ryan Hanley, a story of William Ansah Sessarakoo, an African Prince,  sold into slavery is told. However, the part of the article I want to focus on is not the story of William Ansah Sessarakoo but his father: Eno Baisie Kurentsi. Eno Baisie Kurentsi is one of the most powerful slave traders on the West African Coast. Hanley explains, “By the 1740s, Kurentsi’s trade with the Europeans at Anomabu, as much as his military resources and de facto local political authority, had helped to secure his position as one of the most influential Fante caboceers out of the dozens in the region.” (Hanley 2) By working with the Europeans and selling his fellow Africans into slavery, Kurentsi was able to acquire wealth and power in the region. The motivation for Kurentsi to sell his fellow Africans into slavery can be used to understand why the Jawas were selling droids. The Jawas have set up their operations so that they can acquire monetary rewards. By acquiring large amounts of sums, the Jawas hope to gain more wealth and increase their status in society.

In Solo: A Star Wars Story we meet the Pykes who are an alien species on the planet  Kessel and control the spice mines of the planet. In the spice mines, there is a substance called Coaxium. Coaxium is essentially hyper-fuel which is sought after by The Galactic Empire and various other criminal organization such as Crimson Dawn. Han Solo must go to Kessel to get unrefined Coaxium and get it refined to give to Dryden Vos, the public face for Crimson Dawn, to repay his debt to him. When Han arrives on Kessel numerous species are enslaved working in the mines to recover the unrefined Coaxium. Among these different species are Wookies and several droids which are being controlled by restraining bolts. The other species that are being forced to work in the mines are chained together with guards ready to tase them if they act out of line (Kasdan, Solo: A Star Wars Story). The Pykes are motivated by the monetary reward that can be achieved from the mining of Coaxium. They are trying to make money which includes them enslaving other marginalized groups and having them work for free increasing their profits. They are not concerned about the effects their actions have on the people. They want money, and through their wealth, they want to gain more power in society.

In the article The Iraqi Occupation of Kuwait: New Historical Perspectives by Joseph Sassoon and Alissa Walter, the authors take another look at the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait. The researches make clear that the dispute was over oil and the revenue earned from the oil more than it was about the people of Kuwait. Iraq had claimed that Kuwait had always been a part of them and when they gained their independence from the British they asked the Kuwaitis to overthrow their ruler and join Iraq. The British did not let this occur, and there continued to be small conflicts between the two countries. However, at the end of the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq was in debt, and Kuwait didn’t want to help them pay the debt (Sassoon & Walter 610). The researchers write, “The crisis between the two countries was reignited at the end of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88). Iraq was deeply in debt from a combination of high military spending and low oil revenues throughout the 1980s” (610) It is clear that the conflicts among Iraq and Kuwait were about oil and economic prosperity that can be achieved from oil. Iraq just wanted Kuwait so that they could take control of the oil and make more money. The control of oil would also give Iraq control over more territory and more power. The Iraqis were a marginalized group who had just won their independence from the British and decided to go bother another marginalized group: the Kuwaitis. The Pykes in the Star Wars Universe were also motivated by the same idea to mine for Coaxium to make more money and through their economic wealth, they would be able to control large parts of the galaxy. Hence, the enslaved alien species are just a “casualty of war” for them. They will do what they see fit to get power and wealth in the galaxy, just like Iraq tried to do by invading Kuwait.

Marginalized groups treat other marginalized groups poorly because they are acting in their best interest. As Spivak explains in her essay humans act in what is in their best interest whether that’s wrong or right. Through the actions of C3PO, the Jawas, and the Pykes with great certainty I can say that they all act in ways to increase their power. C3PO belittles R2D2 because he feels as though by belittling him he will be able to have dominance over R2D2 and feel more like the alpha. The Jawas and the Pykes both are motivated by the monetary reward they can achieve through enslaving other marginalized groups. Similar to how African rulers would sell fellow Africans to the Europeans. Furthermore, the Pykes believe that through the monetary rewards they will be able to take control of the galaxy. The same way Iraq wanted to take over Kuwait so they could reap the rewards associated with the oil found there. Therefore, the reason why one marginalized group oppresses another marginalized group is because one group wants more power. The power that has been deprived by oppression from the elite class. What the marginalized groups fail to realize is that the only way to gain power and be heard is to unite together and face their oppressors. The same way the United States became a world power by standing up to their oppressors and forming their government which allowed them to acquire more territory and wealth over time. This is what Spivak was arguing in her essay: if the marginalized groups want to be recognized by society, they must unite and fight their oppressors and let them know of their concerns. Can the Subalterns Speak? No. However, if they want to change their status in society, they must learn to speak.    

 

Works Cited

 

Deci, Edward L., and Richard M. Ryan. “The” what” and” why” of goal pursuits: Human needs

and the self-determination of behavior.” Psychological inquiry 11.4 (2000): 227-268.

 

Hanley, Ryan. “The Royal Slave: Nobility, Diplomacy and the “African Prince” in Britain,

1748–1752.” Itinerario 39.2 (2015): 329-347.

 

Howard, Ron, director. Solo: A Star Wars Story

 

Lucas, George, director. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

 

McElroy, Griffin. “Stories in the Sand.” Star Wars: from a Certain Point of View, Del Rey, 2017,    

49. 35–49.

 

Sassoon, Joseph, and Alissa Walter. “The Iraqi Occupation of Kuwait: New Historical

Perspectives.” The Middle East Journal 71.4 (2017): 607-628.

 

Spice.” Wookieepedia, starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Spice#cite_note-Phasma-3.

 

Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. Can The Subaltern Speak?. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1988. Print.

 

Weldon, Glen. “Of MSE-6 and Men.” Star Wars: from a Certain Point of View, Del Rey, 2017,    

296. 271–296.