The Force That Can Be Explained Is Not the True Force

100 / DIALOGUE: A Journal of Mormon Thought cipal issue, there are choices to be below; a fellow bird whom you made between better and worse, can look after and find bugs and bad and better, good and good. seeds for; one who will patch your bruises and straighten your ruffled The truest vision of life I know is that bird in the Venerable Bede feathers and mourn over your that flutters from the dark into a hurts when you accidently fly into lighted hall, and after a while flut- something you can't handle. ters out again into the dark. But Ruth [his wife] is right. It is some- If one can overlook the sexism im- thing—it can be everything—to plicit in this idea, The Spectator Bird is have found a fellow bird with a comforting book in that it reaffirms an whom you can sit among the raf- idea which is the basis for faith: that in ters while the drinking, boating, the end, the best in life will not be at the and reciting and fighting go on mercy of the worst. The Force That Can Be Explained Is Not the True Force BENJAMIN URRUTIA Star Wars; from the Adventures of nemesis, Darth Vader, he bears exactly Luke Skywalker. George Lucas. New the same title, "Dark Lord", as the un- York: Ballantine Books, 1976. 220 pp., seen villain of The Lord of the Rings. $1.95 Tolkien's friend and colleague, C. S. Star Wars. Starring Mark Hamill, Lewis, probably deserves some credit Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cush- also. Lewis, after all, was the first to ing and Sir Alec Guinness. Written and successfully combine theology and sci- Directed by George Lucas. A Lucasfilm ence fiction. Chewbacca the Wookie, Ltd. Production. Released by 20th-cen- who appears to be a cross between Big- tury Fox. foot and the Wolfman, and yet comes across as a lovable creature, resembles Obi-Wan Kenobi, that ancient warrior, some of Lewis's Martians in Out of the knight of the Jedi, resembles in many Silent Planet. ways Don Juan, the hunter and warrior Some of the features of the plot of (and sorcerer) of Carlos Castarieda's Star Wars are reminiscent of The Stars books. Even their names are similar, and like Dust and the Foundation Series, both live in the desert. Obi-Wan's trick both by Dr. Isaac Asimov: Despotic Ga- of perfectly imitating the call of a Krayt lactic Empire searching for planet, some- dragon sounds very much like something where in the galaxy, that serves as base Don Juan would do. Both instruct their for small (but brave, intelligent and ded- young apprentices not to trust their de- icated) group of rebels against tyranny, ceitful senses, to "let go" of themselves who want to reestablish things as they and discover new ways of relating to the were before. However, Asimov would universe. The influences on George Lu- never have used as much action nor as cas from J.R.R. Tolkien have been dis- much metaphysics as George Lucas puts cussed (see TIME, January 2, 1978). Sir into Star Wars. Alec Guinness, who portrayed the knight Han Solo and Chewbacca are heirs to of the Jedi, was well aware of Obi-Wan Ishmael and Queequeeg, Huck and Jim. Kenobi's similarity to Gandalf, and The tried and true formula works all the played the part accordingly. As for his better from Chewie being not merely BENJAMIN URRUTIA, after a sojourn in Israel is now serving a mission in New York City. Reviews / 101 noncaucasian, but nonhuman, and from teachings in the Force. However, the the currents of space replacing those of closest parallels are those from the Mor- river and ocean. mon scripture. Consider Obi-Wan Ken- Going even further back, C-3PO and obi's confident words: "If you strike me R2D2 seem to be a reincarnation of two down, I shall become more powerful characters, by now mythological, created than you can possibly imagine." Con- by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra— sider also his smile and the serene way although, in an amusing reversal, Artoo he puts up his sword, and dies, but in- Deetoo, who resembles Sancho Panza deed only to become more powerful than physically, is far more Quixotic than his ever. The moment of his death is the interpreter, and more willing to reach the moment of his greatest triumph. The unreachable star. same is true of Christ and of every Chris- The strongest similarities, however, tian: "Whosoever shall seek to save his in basic themes, ideology, and philoso- life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose phy, can be found in the Book of Mor- his life shall preserve it" (Luke 17:33). mon and other scriptures of the Church "Verily, verily I say unto you, Except a of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If corn of wheat fall into the ground and Lucas has read these books, we are seeing die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it their influence clearly at work. Other- bringeth forth much fruit" (John 12:24). wise, we must chalk it up to the workings Consider, in the Book of Mormon: Abi- of the Force. dani, the Ammonites, the Prophet Mor- At any rate, in both Star Wars and mon. For all of them, the moment of the Book of Mormon there is at the core death was the moment of victory. of the story a long and painful struggle Yet both the Book of Mormon and between monarchists (the Imperials; the Star Wars teach that this is not the only king-men and Lamanite kings) and re- option available, that the supreme sacri- publicans (the Alliance; the Judges), the fice is not required of everyone. For some latter being fewer in number and re- (Luke Skywalker, General Moroni, the sources, but sustained by their faith (in two thousand), it is right and proper to the Force, in God) and by the fact that take up arms in a defensive war, to de- they are struggling to preserve their fend their homes, liberty and faith. homes, their liberty and their beliefs The concept of the Force seems to against a cruel and ruthless enemy. The have evolved in the process of artistic worse of the enemy are apostate traitors creation. In a scene in the film, though (Darth Vader; Amalickiah). Note that not in the book, Kenobi feels a disturb- Vader murdered Luke Skywalker's fa- ance in the Force that informs him that ther very much as Nehor murdered Gid- a world has been destroyed. Sir Alec eon. Guinness avers he is not satisfied with The force, "an energy field generated the way he played this scene (TIME, by all living beings (or which generates Ibid.). But then, he is a perfectionist. them) and which fills the entire uni- Similarly, Luke Skywalker comes out verse," is described in another LDS much gentler and sweeter in the movie, scripture, the Doctrine and Covenants, and Princess-Senator Leia Organa as 88:11-13: "And the light which shineth, more intelligent and sympathetic. In the which giveth you light, is through him book, one must confess, some of the who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the dialogue lacks polish and most of the same light that quickeneth your under- descriptions lack vividness. These flaws standings; which light proceedeth forth have been eliminated in the film. On the from the presence of God to fill the other hand, a scientific error has been immensity of space—The light which is introduced: the space battles are too in all things, which giveth life to all noisy. In reality, they would be quite things, which is the law by which all silent, since there is no air in outer space things are governed, even the power of to transmit sound waves; however, a God who sitteth upon his throne, who is quiet battle would not be fun to watch. in the bosom of eternity, who is in the A more serious error is the biological midst of all things." design of the Banthas, the animals ridden Described but not explained; for the by the Sand People: a beast so huge must force that can be explained is not the require a great amount of foliage to stay true force as Lao-tsu would say. Indeed, alive; in a desert environment it would there is some similarity to Tao and Zen starve to death..

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