The moment in the film Star Wars: A New Hope that I will be analyzing is when Luke Skywalker crosses the first threshold. The scene I am choosing specifically is when Luke is traveling with Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2D2, and C3PO to the city of Mos Eisley. I believe this represents both Luke crossing a geographic threshold as well as a symbolic threshold on his hero’s journey. In this blog post, I will dissect why this scene best fits into the step in Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey monomyth of crossing the first threshold into the adventure phase of Luke Skywalker’s personal journey.
This scene begins when Luke realizes that the stormtroopers had killed his aunt and uncle as well as destroyed his home. This ultimately pushes him towards his adventure, as he has nothing else to lose. From this moment on I believe that Luke Skywalker has entered the “crossing the first threshold” phase of his journey. Skywalker’s departure from his home and entrance into Mos Eisley is the defining moment in which he switches from being in a world that he knows into the unknown that is ahead of him. It also marks the beginning of his journey altogether. Not only has he crossed over from his known world into his undetermined future physically, but this scene marks the moment in which he fully launches himself into his hero’s journey.
It is important to highlight that Luke is not crossing this threshold alone on his adventure. He is accompanied by his “Supernatural Aid”, which is Obi-Wan Kenobi. When in Mos Eisley, he is faced with his fears for the first time. As he enters the city, the stormtroopers stop the group’s hovering car to interrogate them, checking to see if they are rebel infiltrators. With the help of Obi-Wan’s powers of the force, they are able to escape safely. In this sense, the viewer can see Kenobi as both a supernatural and a physical aid that helps guide him through his hero’s journey. Overall, Obi-Wan Kenobi is the character who directs Luke Skywalker the most through his expedition, and even after his death, he inspires growth in Luke’s journey.
A notable part of Luke’s travels through the threshold is how it allows him to face the next step in his adventure, according to Joseph Campbell’s monomyth. The city of Mos Eisley is home to the Cantina, the next pivotal moment in Luke’s voyage. His entrance into the city meshes with the “belly of the whale” phase of the hero’s journey, which he experiences while in the Cantina. Luke Skywalker’s “crossing of the first threshold” is a series of firsts for his character and in the end, allows him to develop the skillset he needs to complete the rest of the hero’s journey.
Ellen, this is a great breakdown of the "crossing of the first threshold" step in Star Wars: A New Hope which, coincidentally, I also wrote about. I agree with your analysis, and specifically your identification of Luke's "mental crossing," but I also think there is some nice symbolism and imagery with the physical crossing into Mos Eisley, as you say. In terms of physical location, Mos Eisley represents a place of danger, criminal activity, and the first intentional immersion--by crossing the threshold of a safe life--into the descent. Your point about the stormtroopers was nice and something I missed, and overall, I enjoyed your post.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above comments. You did a great job at dissecting the Crossing the First Threshold phase of Joseph Campbell's Hero Journey. I also think highlighting the fact that Luke was accompanied by Obi-Wan is a key aspect of the phase. I think it is interesting how, compared to Siddhartha, the supernatural aid stayed with Luke for so long before finally letting him go (or in this case being killed). Overall, this is a great post and analysis!
ReplyDeleteHi Ellen, great blog! Like many others have written about Star Wars, I appreciate your acknowledgment of Luke recognizing that the Storm Troopers killed his family. This definitely had a larger mental impact of Luke accepting Obi-Wan's offer to learn how to use the Force and go forth in his journey. I think your combination of multiple steps in the monomyth to understand Lukes though and the place he was in in Mos Eisley was unique. Great connections to many points in this story and well done!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post Ellen!! Previously, I had thought that the Crossing of the First Threshold could be characterized by Luke reaching Tatooine. However, your argument is extremely compelling, and I also appreciate how you touched on the psychological impact of Luke’s aunt and uncle’s death had on him to go through with the journey.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis of the explicit crossing the first threshold imagery presented in Star Wars. Mos Eisley is the first overtly foreign environment that Luke encounters before being launched into his journey. I think the concept of crossing a threshold is depicted especially well in the scene immediately before entering the space port, where Luke, Obi-Wan, and the droids are shown standing on a cliff overlooking Mos Eisley. The cliff overlooking the far-off spaceport makes the crossing of the threshold a tangible action of crossing a physical barrier.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis of crossing the first threshold. I wrote about a similar thing in my blog, and Mos Eisley is the first time we see Luke in an unfamiliar, uncomfortable situation, following the deaths of his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. You did a good job showing Obi-Wan as being his supernatural aid in numerous stages of the movie. Nice blog!
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