George Lucas |
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George Lucas |
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"Star Wars Main Title" by John Williams Download Windows Media Player here if you are unable to hear music.
The original Star Wars (now referred to as Episode IV: A New Hope) has roots deep in folklore and myth. This was continued in the sequels and the more recent prequels. Author/film producer George Lucas has borrowed many classic literary devices to create a new universe; thus, students will see it is one rich in familiar themes. One of these themes is called "The Hero's Journey," expounded by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. My unit on Star Wars incorporates Campbell's philosophy, providing students with a completely different perspective of Lucas's story. Star Wars has always been exciting to watch, but now students can discover that it is extremely fascinating to learn!
Suggested Links: Meet the man many scholars consider to be the godfather of Star Wars.
Insider information is prevalent on TheForce.net, considered to be the definitive Star Wars fans website.
An instructor from a small college in California offers this all-inclusive webpage of "The Hero's Journey" from Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
"Move over, Odysseus, here comes Luke Skywalker"
Film critic Steve Persall does a masterful job of explaining myth in Star Wars.
Once again, SparkNotes comes through with helpful information for one of my novel units! The usual fanfare is here: plot overview, analyses, themes, motifs, symbols, etc. The only drawback is that SparkNotes has condensed the original trilogy into this one website.
This PDF (Portable Document File) was originally created to be used in conjunction with Star Wars: The Magic of Myth (see link below). It contains information and activities I will refer to while studying the novel. Special attention should be paid to the outline of "The Hero's Journey" and the article, "Star Wars: a Myth for Our Time" by Andrew Gordon.
The official website for the original trilogy and the recent prequels. Need I say more?
This website is devoted to an exhibition presented by the National Air & Space Museum. Although some pages are no longer available, students may still access information pertaining to mythological connections with A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. It is an opportunity to see Star Wars in a way many students have not seen before!
Online versions of the novels A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi are now available! The text is unspectacular, apparently originating from China. (Don't worry. The conversion to English is only one click away!) Nevertheless, the convenience of accessing these stories on the Internet is what matters most!
As the name implies, this website provides visitors with each Star Wars movie broken down scene-by-scene. However, some effort is needed to maneuver among the many scenes due to the frames format. Other entertaining Star Wars elements are also here to make this Internet stop worthwhile.
Star Wars Spoofs is a hilarious website offering parodies of your favorite Star Wars scenes. You will also find postcards, wallpaper, and animated icons for your computer.
This takeoff of Star Wars has been on the Internet for quite some time. In reality, Store Wars is a message from the Organic Trade Association advocating healthy eating. I finally decided to add it to this webpage because it is funny and tastefully (pun intended) done!
Ancient Greek myth which is often used as a model for "The Hero's Journey."
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© Copyright 2008 A.J. Kimmel |
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