Beyond Light and Darkness: A Generation Awakens<\/b><\/p>\n
When George Lucas chose to declare the first ever installment of Star Wars<\/span> \u201cEpisode IV,\u201d he introduced viewers to a universe in motion, and already in the throes of conflict. In the original and prequel trilogies, conflict emerged from and challenged the galactic balance between the light and dark sides of the Force, the mystical energy field that connects all lifeforms. In the original and prequel trilogies, these are represented by factional ideologies. I argue that the first two installments of the 2010s sequel films subvert this light side-dark side balance of the force. Rather than a conflict between metaphysical ideologies, the sequel trilogy frames the most vital conflict in the Star Wars<\/span> universe as generational. In my three parts, I argue first that the Star Wars sequels intentionally subvert the morality of the previous Star Wars films, leaving a thematic void; second, that this void is filled by a narrative that older generations have failed the younger; and third, examine Rey and Kylo Ren\u2019s navigation of a status quo dominated by elders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Part I: The Subversion of the Sequels<\/b><\/p>\n In the original Star Wars trilogy, the conflict was between a dark side-aligned homogenous, uniformed, fascistic Galactic Empire and the centralized, liberal-democratic rebellion that ultimately defeated it. In the prequel trilogy, the established order favored the light side of the Force instead of the dark; a benign and participatory Galactic Republic contemplated whether the need to quash an uprising justified the means of militarization, only to find that they had created the conditions for dark side authoritarianism.<\/span><\/p>\n The first 2010s sequel film title, \u201cThe Force Awakens,\u201d subtly but definitively shifted these thematic grounds. It introduced the idea that the Force itself could lie dormant, and could ebb and flow. Previously, the Force had been conceived by characters as something which required \u201cbalance<\/span>.”<\/span><\/i> The Force, or so the governments aligned with both its dark and light sides claimed, would ideally consist of a greater portion of the side they favored. As a voice in the first trailer for the film boldly proclaims that \u201cthere has been an awakening,\u201d a helmetless, panicked FN-2187 bursts through the bottom of the frame (The Force Awakens Teaser,<\/em>\u00a00:05).<\/em> That physical jumpscare heightens the drama and significance of this moment: it is the first cut showing a stormtrooper with helmet removed in a Star Wars film. A new generation of stormtroopers has been unmasked. It does not matter that, at this point in the film itself, Finn has abandoned the First Order and fallen in with the Resistance. What is more important is the fact that the first trailer\u2019s opening shot humanized a stormtrooper. The moment raised questions about the stormtrooper\u2019s identity. The process of posing these questions itself added shades of nuance to fans\u2019 understanding of themes in Star Wars. Was this stormtrooper-man a double agent? A genuine stormtrooper or a Resistance operative? A man fully convinced of the First Order\u2019s cause or a quiet saboteur? The ambiguity constructed around Finn itself catalyzed a discussion of the moral convictions of characters that were formerly regarded as blind servants of evil. Marketing for <\/span>The Force Awakens <\/span><\/i>intentionally made readers question moral dichotomies Star Wars once took for granted. It left a thematic vacuum that the sequel films, once released, would fill.<\/span><\/p>\n Part II: The Tragedy of the Boomers<\/b><\/p>\n The moral dichotomy that replaced it encouraged viewers to question the guidance of an older generation characterized as unimaginative, weak, and often inept. Though protagonists Rey and Luke\u2019s starting circumstances in both trilogies are similar, their differences cement the failure of old ideas of leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n In the original trilogy, Luke\u2019s aspirations to mastering the light side parallel contemporary American middle-class, meritocratic aspirations. The Binary Sunset scene in <\/span>A New Hope <\/span><\/i>vividly establishes Luke\u2019s sense of his current station in the universe and his desire to become more. As Luke stands on a sand dune, his face washed in red, he forlornly stares at Tatooine\u2019s twin suns setting. A horn blares forlornly. In the suns\u2019 eerie light, the tiny Lars homestead seems miserly. This brief scene, as our first intimate moment with Luke, establishes the sincerity of his loneliness and longing. We empathize with Luke\u2019s need to see the galaxy and gain a sense of purpose. The scene contextualizes his later eagerness to devote himself to the Jedi cause and his intense curiosity about the life of his father. They reflect his desire for meaning, direction, and perhaps greatness.<\/span><\/p>\n