The Circle Is Now Complete: Anakin Skywalker, Relationships, and the Psychology of Men (Part II)

Transcription

1 The Circle Is Now Complete: Anakin Skywalker, Relationships, and the Psychology of Men (Part II) A review of the film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (2005) George Lucas (Director) Reviewed by Stephen R. Wester This review is the second of two discussing the character of Anakin Skywalker as detailed throughout Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (McCallum & Lucas, 1999), Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (McCallum & Lucas, 2002), and most evidently Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. The first review detailed how Anakin, as part of a traditional male socialization, experienced what some (e.g., Pollack, 1998; Levant, 2001) might controversially call a developmental trauma in that he was forcibly separated from his mother from a very early age so as to join the Jedi Order. This required him to suppress his fears over leaving her and also reinforced his move toward independence. Through his subsequent relationship with his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, however, Anakin learned several potentially positive characteristics including individualism, independence, assertiveness, and

2 a sense of self-sufficiency. This combination served Anakin well in the events portrayed in Star Wars: Episode II leading up to the Clone Wars detailed in Star Wars: Episode III. You might say that the first review dealt with Anakin's light side the positive effects of male gender role socialization. This review, conversely, will address Anakin's dark side, evidence of the negative effects of male gender role socialization. For example, one identified hallmark of the emerging psychology of men (see Levant & Pollack, 1995, for a review) is a recognition of the degree to which men are socialized to avoid the expression of fear and deal with their problems in a straightforward, solutionfocused manner. It is not that they do not experience fear (Wester, Vogel, Pressly, & Heesacker, 2002) but rather that they are taught to avoid disclosing it so as to appear strong, competent, and in control of their lives (e.g., G. R. Brooks, 1998). It is that fear and how he chooses to deal with it that defines the psychological dark side of Anakin Skywalker. In Star Wars: Episode I, Anakin expresses fears about leaving his mother Shmi on the planet of Tatooine in order to join the Jedi Order. His mother encourages him to, in effect, suppress those fears. Indeed, during his Jedi entrance examination Anakin is asked if he is afraid. Anakin denies being so (probably following the advice of his mother), but Yoda refutes him saying, much fear in you, I sense, young one (T. Brooks, 1999, p. 231). In Star Wars: Episode II, the fear becomes more specific, as does Anakin's coping style. The film details how Anakin lives with nightmares regarding the death of his mother Shmi and how he deals with this fear by taking direct action. He first attempts to continue suppressing them through meditation. Eventually, however, he decides to rely on another socialized male gender role coping style direct action. Anakin defies Jedi Council orders and returns to Tatooine to search for his mother. He finds her captured and eventually killed by a tribe of marauding Tusken Raiders, which leads Anakin to exert his revenge by killing the entire tribe. Later, when recounting the experience, rather than recounting the fear that led him to take action, Anakin focuses on his anger. Padmé, Senator from the planet Naboo and Anakin's current assignment, tells him that to be angry is to be human (Salvatore, 2002, p. 285), to which Anakin retorts to control your anger is to be a Jedi (p. 285). In effect, it seems that the Jedi Order have continued socializing Anakin to suppress feelings, even those feelings men are traditionally allowed to express (e.g., Wester et al., 2002). Again, we see the paradox detailed in the extant literature on the psychology of men behaviors adaptive in certain situations become maladaptive in other situations. Although Anakin's solution-focused behavior pattern might work well in combat, it interferes with his ability to cope with his fears in an appropriate fashion. Anakin's denial of fear worked in Star Wars: Episode I he was admitted to the Jedi order. It merely postponed the issue, however, because in Star Wars: Episode II, the fear drove him to take action contrary to the orders of the Jedi Counsel. More important, both suppression and action failed in the sense that he did not rescue his mother, and murdering the tribe of Tusken Raiders began his walk to the dark side of the Force. Certainly, this could be called a negative consequence!

3 The negative consequences to a traditional male gender role socialization become both more obvious and more complex in Star Wars: Episode III, as Anakin's fear shifts to losing his wife Padmé. When Anakin begins to experience nightmares regarding his wife's death in childbirth, he searches for clarification from those around him, seemingly having learned from his reaction to the loss of his mother as well as from his Jedi training. Specifically, Anakin reaches out to his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who he believes is much like a father to him. He struggles with his socialized preference for direct action and his Jedi preference for suppression of fear. Unfortunately, in Star Wars: Episode II, Obi-Wan merely tells Anakin that dreams pass, in time (Salvatore, 2002, p. 85), and he counsels Anakin to mind his thoughts while also reminding him that he made a commitment to the Jedi order, a commitment not easily broken (p. 86). In effect, Obi-Wan suggests he repress his concerns and pay attention to his job instead. When Anakin confides in Yoda during Star Wars: Episode III that he cannot let his nightmares come true, Yoda informs him, what you fear to lose, train yourself to release. Let go of fear, and loss cannot harm you (Stover, 2005, p. 184). Again, Anakin is in effect told to ignore his fears in a manner very similar to how young boys might be told to stop crying because, after all, big boys do not cry. Anakin cannot accept this advice; his gender socialization for direct action, especially in response to a feeling such as fear (e.g., G. R. Brooks, 1998), is too strong. Moving again to employ his solution-focused style, he begins to search for a way to prevent the death of Padmé despite the fact that the Jedi had always taught that the gravest danger in trying to prevent a vision of the future from coming to pass is that in doing so, a Jedi can actually bring it to pass (Stover, 2005, p. 182). This leads him to Senator Palpatine, who has also been an important mentor figure in Anakin's life throughout Star Wars: Episodes I and II. Indeed, earlier during Star Wars: Episode III, when the Jedi Council asks Anakin to spy on Palpatine because they fear he is using his political powers to become a dictator, Anakin agonizes over the assignment. He describes Palpatine as a friend like family (Stover, 2005, p. 210), and he likens spying on Palpatine to betrayal. Palpatine, who will eventually reveal himself as the evil Sith Lord intent on destroying the Jedi, manipulates Anakin's fears while also playing on both his preference for direct action as a coping style as well as his socialized loyalty to friends. Whereas Obi-Wan used his relationship with Anakin to impart positive characteristics, Palpatine uses his to twist Anakin into making bad choices. He convinces Anakin that, only he, Palpatine, possesses the knowledge that will save Padmé. However, the price of that knowledge is Anakin's protection of Palpatine from the Jedi who are intent on overthrowing the Republic. All told, by the middle of Star Wars: Episode III, Anakin perceives the Jedi as having rebuffed his search for answers and Palpatine as being able to provide those answers. This is an untenable position, developed by the confluence of Anakin's male gender role socialization, the actions of Palpatine, and the actions by the Jedi Council. Trapped betwixt these variables, driven by his fears as well as his loyalty, Anakin makes what the Star Wars mythos might call his destined choice. He sides with Palpatine, is named Darth Vader, Lord

4 of the Sith, and turns against the Jedi. As both the psychology of men literature as well as Jedi lore might predict, however, his choice leads to horrific consequences: Padmé is killed, the Jedi are extinguished, the galaxy is driven into civil war, and we the viewers are ready for the second trilogy to begin. The purpose of this review was to explore the dark side of Anakin Skywalker as best explained by the psychology of men. However, it is difficult to review Anakin's developmental trajectory independent of the Star Wars universe. In Star Wars: Episode III Obi-Wan Kenobi said to Anakin, as they prepared for their battle on a lava station on the planet Mustafar, that only [the] Sith deal in absolutes the truth is never black and white (Stover, 2005, pp ). Yet the Star Wars sexology is replete with absolutes good versus evil, light versus dark, technology versus nature, freedom versus oppression. Indeed, it may actually be these absolutes that account for the saga's popularity. They capture universal archetypes while also allowing for simple solutions to complex problems. Unfortunately, they also exaggerate the obvious. Men, for example, might find common ground with Anakin's fears and revel in his dealing with them by conducting negotiations with a lightsaber (Salvatore, 2002, p. 202). Yet, in reality, most men would never condone such behavior. Some individuals might even go so far as to support Anakin's choice to, in the end, renounce his Jedi vows, join the Sith, and become Darth Vader. Indeed, who among us, when afraid, has not wanted to exert absolute power and control over a situation rather than face their fears? However, most of us are forced to find more mundane solutions to our troubles. Hayden Christensen does an excellent job portraying Anakin Skywalker's struggle with fear as well as his subsequent search for answers in Star Wars: Episode III. Some of his delivery does fall flat. One would expect more passion at certain points in the film, but in his defense Christensen is stepping into a history set in motion by Star Wars creator George Lucas 28 years ago. There may not have been enough room for him to bring more of his own personality to the character of Anakin Skywalker, given his predetermined transformation into Darth Vader. In addition, some of the finer points to Christensen's performance were overshadowed by the virtual effects of Episode III. It is a visually stunning film, full of action and computer-generated sequences. Anakin's development from boy to man gets lost on occasion, and it takes a few viewings for it to fully come through. Of course, if my kids have anything to say about it, I'll have plenty of chances to research the issue. References Brooks, G. R. (1998). A new psychotherapy for traditional men. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

5 Brooks, T. (1999). Star wars: Episode I The phantom menace. New York: Del Ray. Levant, R. F. (2001). The crisis of boyhood. In G. R. Brooks & G. E. Good (Eds.), The new handbook of psychotherapy and counseling with men: A comprehensive guide to settings, problems, and treatment approaches (Vol. 2, pp ). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Levant, R. F., & Pollack, W. S. (Eds.). (1995). A new psychology of men. New York: Basic. McCallum, R. (Producer),Lucas, G. (Writer/Director). (1999). Star wars: Episode I The phantom menace [Motion picture]. United States: 20th Century Fox. McCallum, R. (Producer),Lucas, G. (Writer/Director). (2002). Star wars: Episode II Attack of the clones [Motion picture]. United States: 20th Century Fox. Pollack, W. S. (1998). The trauma of Oedipus: Toward a new psychoanalytic psychotherapy for men. In W. S. Pollack & R. F. Levant (Eds.), New psychotherapy for men (pp ). New York: Wiley Press. Salvatore, R. A. (2002). Star wars: Episode II Attack of the clones. New York: Del Ray. Stover, M. (2005). Star wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. New York: Del Ray. Wester, S. R., Vogel, D. L., Pressly, P. K., & Heesacker, M. (2002). Sex differences in emotion: A critical review of the literature and implications for counseling psychology. The Counseling Psychologist, 30, PsycCRITIQUES October 5, 2005, Vol. 50, Release 40, Article , American Psychological Association