Luke Skywalker's Heroic Journey in 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' Anonymous 10th Grade

It was George Lucas who in 1977 (with the release of Star Wars: A New Hope) reintroduced the world to Joseph Campbell’s works, particularly the ideas expressed in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces and a concept he discussed therein called “The Hero’s Journey,” in which a hero goes on an adventure and despite challenges, wins a victory. In A New Hope, that hero was Luke. In A New Hope’s sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, Luke is once again the hero of the film.

The first step in a refined version of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey is called “The Call to Adventure.” This is when a hero is called – as the step’s name suggests – to start an adventure. In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke is called to adventure by – interestingly enough – Obi Wan Kenobi’s force ghost, who instructs him to go to Dagobah to be trained by Jedi master Yoda. The next step of Campbell’s hero’s journey is called “Refusal of the Call to Action.” In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke doesn’t necessarily refuse his call to action; instead, he is unable to accept his call of action because of the crippling injuries he has sustained in the wintry cave, injuries which prevent him from moving – let alone traveling to a far away planet.

The next step in Luke’s hero’s journey...