{"id":435,"date":"2018-11-20T08:36:38","date_gmt":"2018-11-20T13:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/postcolonialstarwars\/?page_id=435"},"modified":"2018-12-13T14:47:14","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T19:47:14","slug":"christian-gehres","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/postcolonialstarwars\/anthology\/fall-2018\/christian-gehres\/","title":{"rendered":"Christian Gehres"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everything is a form of Rebellion <\/span><\/p>\n

Merriam Webster dictionary defines rebellion as \u201cshowing a desire to resist authority or control. It is acting against what is commanded that one does in a certain situation\u201d (Rebellion). In the original <\/span>Star Wars<\/span><\/i> trilogy, the audience is presented with an intergalactic conflict with rebellion at the heart of the plot. The original trilogy\u2019s storyline is built entirely on a rebellion against the Empire, however, there are many forms of rebellion found within the overlying rebellion which fuel the plot of the trilogy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two categories of rebellion that are evident in the original trilogy are active rebellion, the visible conflict within the films, and passive rebellion, such as silence and the struggle against one\u2019s inner self, which are not directly addressed or made obvious within the trilogy. In today\u2019s society, there are many forms of rebellion and activism, much like that seen within the original Star Wars trilogy.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many modern-day forms of rebellion, especially through activism and protests. For example, many people rally and protest against political decisions that they do not agree with. For example, two of the largest protests in the United States in recent years were the 2017 and 2018 Women\u2019s Marches. Much like rebellion in Star Wars, these protesters stand up for their beliefs and do act against their oppressors. This act of doing what one believes in can be seen in multiple instances throughout the initial Star Wars trilogy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The New York Times described the 2018 Women\u2019s March as \u201c<\/span>a deluge of revelations about powerful men abusing women, leading to the #MeToo moment, [which] has pushed activists to demand deeper social and political change. Progressive women are eager to build on the movement and translate their enthusiasm into electoral victories in this year\u2019s midterm elections\u201d (The New York Times). Similar to many situations in <\/span>Star Wars<\/span><\/i> where characters were fed up with being treated poorly or being oppressed in different ways, these protestors took their frustrations out onto the national scene in the United States to work for a change. This is an example of recent forms of active rebellion within the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n

The overarching form of active rebellion found in the <\/span>Star Wars<\/span><\/i> trilogy is that which fuels the plot of the series. The entire series is built around the Rebels\u2019 armed struggle against the Empire, their active rebellion against their oppressors. This is the most obvious form of rebellion in the series. We often see scenes where there are standoffs between the Rebels against the Empire. <\/span>Many subjugated groups around the world today can relate to this armed rebellion against an oppressive force. There must be some sort of resistance to throw off an empire, much like in the <\/span>Star Wars<\/span><\/i> films.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout the original Star Wars trilogy, there are many different forms of rebellion. \u00a0During this series, we see many main characters act out in some form of rebellion. Characters rebel against something they do not believe in or act out against something they find bad. Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and Darth Vader, for instance, all carry out some sort of rebellion within the series. Numerous forms of rebellion in <\/span>Star Wars<\/span><\/i> are woven into the plot of the series. Within this large-scale rebellion, the audience sees acts of rebellion which fuel the plot and continue the storyline over the three episodes. <\/span><\/p>\n

Han’s rebellion against the Rebels is a constant in the series: he constantly wants out of the rebellion and decides to leave on multiple occasions, only to remain due to some unforeseen circumstances.<\/span> Every time Han states his desire to leave the Rebellion, it serves as some sort of character development and how the audience perceives his character. Han Solo is first shown as this mysterious \u201cbadass,\u201d so to speak, but then wants to leave the Rebel Alliance because he does not want to put his life on the line. The audience first sees Han\u2019s desire to leave the Rebellion during <\/span>Star Wars: Episode IV \u2013 A New Hope<\/span><\/i>,<\/span> after Han helps Luke, Leia, the droids, and Chewbacca off the Death Star and back to the Rebel base. Han then decides to cash in on his payment for the transport and leaves. However, during the mission to destroy the Death Star, Han returns and helps Luke blow up the Death Star. <\/span>Now, instead of being a deserter, Han is a hero to Luke, within the Rebel Alliance, and in the eyes of the audience.<\/span><\/p>\n