Emaan Irfan Week 9 - Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
Not so long ago… in an America not so different from ours, Arthur Miller wrote, “The fate of each character [in The Crucible] is exactly that of his historical model, and there is no one in the drama who did not play a similar-and in some cases exactly the same role in history.”
One of my teachers always says, “a story can be either a window or a mirror.”
The beauty of allegories is that they can be both. They show us what we are doing wrong and let us reflect on finding a way out.
George Lucas famously described the original Star Wars trilogy as an allegory for both the American Revolution and the Vietnam War. While his critiques are not as bold for the time as Miller’s, they tell an important story of power. Far more people will watch Star Wars than seriously consider democratic decay in our society.
Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith
Anakin Skywalker is told his whole life that he is “the chosen one.” Throughout the story we hear platitudes of the Force’s power and hold. How in the wrong hands, it can destroy a galaxy.
What my point, and what I think the core concept of Star Wars is, is that power is influence.
As people who can control a narrative, we all hold influence. From politicians, filmmakers, lecturers, to elementary schoolers on a playground.
From Anakin’s progression to Darth Vader we see how wielding too much influence can lead to a loss of identity, and we need to keep people off of pedestals.
Did any of you grow up watching Star Wars? Has your perception of Anakin changed since?
Hi Emman! I personally have not watched any Star Wars movies so sadly I cannot say much about it. I really like how you pointed out how power effected by influence. From what you said in your blog, Skywalker was so deeply influenced that he is the "chosen one" which caused him to slowly lose his own identity. From what I get from this is that he is choosing to lose his own identity so that he can be able to fit into the "chosen one's" identity that was influenced onto him. When the idea of power comes in mind, I do not thin many people would think of how influence comes to play. But your blog explains! In Mai's blog, she talks about how in relationships people can influence other peoples' power. I wrote a blog that focused more on money but after reading both your blogs, I can definitely see that money had truly "influenced" the power an individual has. Good job on your blog!
ReplyDeleteHello Emman. I have not watched Star Wars religiously, however, I do occasionally watch the highly-rated releases. Discussing an entertaining movie and relating it to the prompt of power made this read more enjoyable. The idea that power can force one to lose their identity and consume their world resonated with me. Excluding TV, we see this in real everyday life. Many people who have government positions, or even when they possess an unimaginable amount of wealth tend to tie their self-worth to their ability to influence others. This also prompts people to believe that they are better, or superior to others because of their power. The more they trust this idea, the greater the fear of being powerless scares them. Perhaps this is the reason many have an insatiable black hole for money and commanding positions. You also mentioned how people do not deserve to be put on pedestals. People often become egotistical due to the yes men around them. This also happens on the flip side. People would disparage others who do not fit the standards of the pedestal. This leads to a power dynamic between people. We should instead discard the idea and place everyone on an even playing field. This blog provided plenty of food for thought that I will revisit when I have the time. Thank you for writing.
ReplyDeleteHello Emaan! I must admit that I have not thoroughly been invested in the Star Wars trilogy as the two commenters before me. But you have painted the scenario in such a way that even though I have not really known much about the show, I understand the power dyamics and the conversation surrounding power and how it is relevant to the show. Quickly touching on the syntax of your whole piece, I really like how you began your blog with the common "not too long ago," it made for an interesting hook that kept me drawn in. As you can see, that is a thought about your blog that is still lingering in my mind, so much so that I have interrupted my previous thought about the content of your blog just to tell you about how I much I appreciated that hook. But in any case, I agree with you that power is influence. Power is the ability and strength to influence, control, or manipulate any situation. I think it is interesting how power can so easily go astray, and the entire idea of power, which so many people battle for so that it becomes tied to their identity, can completely erase that identity anyway. People want to be associated with power so badly, but they don't realize that too much of it, or too much of a chase for it, can leave you powerless and lost in yourself. Beautiful and compelling work. keep writing.
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