Spoilers What do casual fans get wrong about Star Wars?

I've been saying the Jedi were an oppressive theocratic regime
Taking this seriously for a second: once, long ago, I read a science fiction novel set on a world which had an extremely stratified society, likely as a commentary on colonialism. I only vaguely recall the novel (I thought it was an Asimov novel but it doesn't seem that way as I look at his bibliography), but basically you had a small population of highly technologically advanced people controlling a whole planet, with extremely strict laws on interaction (e.g. the "lessers" weren't even allowed to talk to or look at the ruling class). But controlling a whole planet of people was a bit too hard logistically, so they recruited intermediaries from among the conquered population by administering tests to get the best and brightest to work for them, still in subservient roles but with immensely higher standards of living than the common population. However, these intermediaries were expected to dedicate themselves to service, and were not allowed to have children or marry. Over the course of the novel, it turned out that this was a sneaky eugenics program: by recruiting the smart and ambitious ones and then forbidding them from having children, the idea was to remove those traits from the gene pool (it didn't work out very well).

Anyhow, when Attack of the Clones talked about Jedi not being allowed to marry or have emotional attachments, I thought of that story. Force sensitivity is clearly a genetic trait, and if you recruit the force sensitive babies to your weird space wizard cult and forbid, or at least de-incentivize, children, that's not going to be good for the prevalence of force sensitivity in the long run.

Also, if anyone recognize the story I'm talking about and can help me identify it, that'd be awesome. The idea clearly stuck with me, even if the name did not. I can't have been more than 18 when I read it, so it must have been published no later than 1994 (and probably earlier to account for translation and such).
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Anyhow, when Attack of the Clones talked about Jedi not being allowed to marry or have emotional attachments, I thought of that story. Force sensitivity is clearly a genetic trait, and if you recruit the force sensitive babies to your weird space wizard cult and forbid, or at least de-incentivize, children, that's not going to be good for the prevalence of force sensitivity in the long run.
Well, Force sensitivity does seem to be potentially heritable. But that doesn't seem to be the only factor involved - at least not officially. It just seems like heredity is the major factor because people keep writing the stories about the Skywalker and Palpatine families rather than everyone else.
 


A lot of people think of Star Wars as a "Planet of Hats" setting, but if you look at the main sources, members of species have all sorts of various professions.
 

Accusations against the Jedi as fascists are way overblown. What they were was COMPLACENT. Their goals were still good, and they did good for the galaxy, but they had been in the position of righteous authority for so long that they forgot their actual role -- peacekeepers. Both Qui Gon and Yoda understood this, though each approached it in a different way. Qui Gon thought that a major disruption in the status quo (the Chosen One) would fix the problem. Yoda believed that such would only exacerbate the problem and lead to the downfall of the Jedi. Only one of them was right.
 

I think there's a pretty good argument to be made that the casuals understand one very important thing about Star Wars that the hardcore fans don't: the movies are an entertaining way to spend a couple hours at a time and aren't really anything more than that.
In the words of Harrison Ford, as remembered by Mark Hamill, "It ain't that kind of movie, kid." A lot of people seem to forget Star Wars was never meant to be taken any more seriously than an episode of Flash Gordon. Stop looking for deeper meanings behind the Force, the sentience of droids, or trying to explain parsecs are a unit of distance in regards to the Kessel one and just enjoy the spectacle.
 

Well, Force sensitivity does seem to be potentially heritable. But that doesn't seem to be the only factor involved - at least not officially. It just seems like heredity is the major factor because people keep writing the stories about the Skywalker and Palpatine families rather than everyone else.
The Force also has a will of sorts, does it not? There is always a possibility that heritability of the Force is greater right now than it need be or was in the past because it serves the present purposes of the Force for its users to be more strongly connected personally.
 

I think there's a pretty good argument to be made that the casuals understand one very important thing about Star Wars that the hardcore fans don't: the movies are an entertaining way to spend a couple hours at a time and aren't really anything more than that.
I mean, the OP makes it very clear that the hardcore fans aren't just talking about the movies. That's for the casuals. The whole point, as I understand the thread, is that there is MORE TO IT, and that is found in all the extra. So it is kind of weird to try and chastise hardcore fans for not understanding that the movies are simplistic. Everyone knows.
 


I did, after all, say Qui-Gon was right,

OTOH, Qui-gon was a slave trader who cheated at dice.

From a certain point of view.

Anyhow, when Attack of the Clones talked about Jedi not being allowed to marry or have emotional attachments, I thought of that story.

It's worth noting that we didn't get that bit of lore in the entire original trilogy. Which is how we ended up with Luke having romantic partnerships with Mara Jade, Calista, and his sister in various parts of the Legacy stuff.

Sorry, I can't help ID the story.
 

Remove ads

Top