Remembering Carrie Fisher: Heroine On- And Off-Screen

On December 27th of last year, the “Star Wars” world lost its Princess and General Leia Organa when actress Carrie Fisher passed away due to a heart attack. If you’ve been following my posts, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of “Star Wars” and so you might also understand that Fisher has had some influence on my life, so her death deeply saddens me.

Image source: starwars.wikia.com

Of course, many of us know Fisher as the iconic heroine, Leia Organa, a princess who –unlike others in many stories that came before this one, was not the type to be a helpless damsel. But reading or watching her interviews, you get a sense that this bold, smart character wasn’t just Leia but Fisher herself.

Outside playing an ass-kicking space-adventuring princess and leader in the Star Wars movies, Fisher’s smarts shone through in her other role as a respected writer. Apart from applying her skills to “oomph” up the screenplays for “Sister Act,” “Hook,” and “The Wedding Singer,” she also authored novels, non-fiction titles, plays, and screenplays. As an English teacher, I appreciate anyone who creates literary art, and her semi-autobiographical novel “Postcards from the Edge,” is legitimately insightful and engrossing to read. Additionally, later, Fisher was also known to light up Twitter with her witticisms.

Image source: Wikipedia.org

 

She was also known to be a feminist; interviews would show her disappointment over how a woman’s physical appearance would be held to a different level of scrutiny that men would rarely experience. She was also said to have raised her daughter, actress Billie Lourd, without gender because more than being a strong woman, she wanted Billie to be a strong person.

Also a champion for mental health, Fisher notably appeared in Stephen Fry’s “The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive,” and has been known to speak frankly about her experiences living with addiction and mental illness in ways that helped reassure so many suffering with the same conditions that a normal life (‘Whatever that is,’ she once said) was still possible. Watching her, one could even say that success was highly possible.

Truly, through her many roles, Carrie Fisher has touched so many lives, and I’ll always be grateful to her for being a part of mine in some way.

As a woman and a Star Wars fan, Wendy Eber considers Carrie Fisher one of her heroes and will always remember the actress and writer with utmost respect. Read more about Wendy’s thoughts on Star Wars here.

Star Wars: Anticipating Episode Viii

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” will be coming out this Christmas. And though everyone is excited to see the new additions and old favorites (Darth Vader anyone?), at the back of everyone’s minds is the creeping shadow of “Star Wars: Episode VIII.” The eighth chapter of the “Star Wars” saga is slated to come out in December 2017. The wait is simply maddening, and all those unanswered questions from Episode VII aren’t helping.

Image source: highsnobiety.com

Probably, the biggest question that has to be answered is where in the name of Endor did Rey come from? To date, over a dozen theories have surfaced, and none confirmed. Is she a Skywalker? That seems to be the sensible plotline. If so, is she Luke’s? She is strong with the Force, as strong, or maybe even more powerful than Han Solo’s murderer, Kylo Ren.

Next up, who is Snoke, really? Some say this trilogy’s new big bad is Anakin Skywalker because of the scars Snoke bears. Recent theories mentioned he may be Mace Windu (Samuel Jackson’s character was reported not to have died at the hands of Palpatine). But one thing is for sure – Snoke has felt and has used the Dark Side of the Force.

Another issue keeping “Star Wars” fans up at night is the possibility of other old-timers returning, such as Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian, and perhaps even Darth Maul. Wouldn’t that be something worth joining the Rebellion for?

Image source: themarysue.com

Wendy Eber is a true and tested ‘Star Wars’ geek. Like her Facebook page for more insights on that galaxy far, far away.

Resonance and Criticism of Politics in the “Star Wars” Universe

The politics present in the “Star Wars” saga is a contentious issue among many people. Many older fans preferred the simplistic approach employed by the original saga while others dug deep into the then-expanded universe and later the prequels that looked at the complicated politics of the galaxy and reveled in them.

More serious political analysts have criticized the initial setup of the prequels’ government. Of course, one could also argue that these elements were precisely the point. Corruption has eaten away at the core principles of democracy, allowing corporations like the Trade Federation to buy out representation.

Image source: starwars.wikia.com

Scandals have eroded the influence of otherwise benign rulers like Chancellor Valorum and made the people clamor for a stronger, decisive executive, who is not always attuned to their best interests. They have also become too reliant on the Jedi Order, whose security responsibilities detracted from their true purpose. The coming of war, secretly orchestrated by their own leader, made the people more keen on giving up liberty for safety, a recurrent theme that undermines even our own democracies in real life.

In the outer rim, the weak presence of government enabled the proliferation of lawlessness, which has colored the perception of one of its most notable residents, Anakin Skywalker. His frustrations with the government and its inability to protect its most vulnerable citizens was one of many things that made him fall prey to Chancellor Palpatine’s deceptions.

Throughout both the canon and legends continuities, the Republic giving in to the Empire led to the establishment of an order dedicated solely to keeping its power by playing people against each other. The racist regime put humans paramount over other races and legislated the enslavement of nonhuman dissidents. When people asked for security, all they got was more fear and oppression, thus sowing the seeds for the Rebel Alliance.

Image source: starwars.wikia.com

In the sequel trilogy, we also see signs of what happens when dangerous reactionary movements are treated with kid gloves and painful history gets downplayed. The First Order, a junta that reveled in a misplaced sense of nostalgia and twisted concepts of order and discipline, had began a campaign of conquest in an attempt to revive the Empire that jeopardized the unwitting New Republic once more.

Wendy Eber here, fanfiction writer, literature teacher, and creator of droid OC RT-CT. Catch more of my thoughts on the literary aspects of my favorite saga here.

The Effects Of The Force: How Star Wars Influenced Pop Culture

Star Wars is one of the movies that have shaped the course of film from the moment it first appeared on the big screen. But how has it affected popular culture today? Here are some of instances:

“May the Force be with you”

Whether you’re a fan of the series or not, you know this is a quote from Star Wars. “May the Force be with you” is one of the most popular references often used even in everyday conversation to say “Good Luck”. May the Fourth, considered internationally as Star Wars Day, is obviously a derived from this very quote.

Image source: vimeo.com

The Dark Side

Come to the Dark Side, we have cookies. You’ve probably heard some kind of variation of that sentence once or twice from your friends or on viral memes. You might possibly have been tempted to go over the Dark Side – who doesn’t want cookies? Am I right? The Dark Side of the Force is where the power of the Sith comes from and therefore the side of evil.

Image source: theatlantic.com

Lightsabers

Who wouldn’t want to battle with colorful beams of light, especially when they make that satisfying “whoosh” sound whenever you wave them around? In movies and in real life, lightsaber battles will always be epic. There are also lightsaber pens, night lights, chop sticks and other useful stuff so you can easily incorporate Star Wars in your daily life.

Star Wars music

John Williams’ score for Star Wars is iconic and prevalent in pop culture. From the movies to special occasions like weddings or birthday parties, it is not unusual to hear it blasting from the speakers. You’d know something bad is coming up the moment you hear a band playing the “Imperial March”.

Hello there, I’m Wendy Eber, a true Star Wars fan. Follow me on Twitter for more interesting tidbits of Star Wars trivia and other fandom news.

The Hero’s Journey and the Rhyme and Reason of Narrative

One of the most famous works that inspired “Star Wars” was Joseph Campbell’s seminal work “The hero with a thousand faces,” which tells of the common patterns of the hero narrative that resonates throughout the world’s cultures. It is a pattern of themes we see not only in famous works of fiction but also throughout myth and religion.

Image source: Lucasfilm via denofgeek.com

The hero’s journey or monomyth, although varying somewhat, involves a pattern that calls the ordinary hero to do extraordinary feats. From humble, ordinary beginnings, the hero, of a background relatable to the audience, is called to adventure but is first hesitant to take it.

The hero’s wise mentor is responsible for guiding the hero away from ordinary world and out of the threshold, into a new world with rules and mores different from those to which the hero is accustomed. It is here that the hero gains allies, faces the great challenges and ordeals that demand sacrifice, and receives a reward, only to take a long and perilous journey back. It is in this close that the hero once more has to make a sacrifice, upon which the conflict is typically solved and returns, with the capacity to change the world as the journey had changed the hero.

Just try to watch “A new hope” and not see each of these points in Luke’s journey. It’s unmistakably by-the-numbers, and yet works brilliantly.

Indeed, going exactly by Campbell’s book was hailed as one of Lucas’ many strokes of genius, creating a saga that not only blended well the elements from across genres but also captured the epic feel of the myths of old.

Image source: thewritersjourney.com

Star Wars’ greatest storytelling aspect wasn’t because it was original, although the blending was so thorough it had become so, but because it was resonant. The journey of Luke (and to a degree his father Anakin and student Rey) would resonate in a pattern that reminds everyone of the universal heroes of humanity’s rich tapestry of cultures.

Wendy Eber, literature teacher, amateur literary critic, and writer of Star Wars fan fiction, at your service. Catch more on my thoughts on literature on my blog.

Interesting Tidbits on ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’

The “Star Wars” franchise has rewarded its faithful followers for decades with complex worlds, compelling plotlines, gripping and emotionally-charged action sequences, and endearing, larger-than-life characters. So far, there have been seven major films based on “Star Wars” episodes, a number of television shows, and an animated movie, “The Clone Wars.”

Image source: gizmodo.com

Incidentally, “The Clone Wars” was the first “Star Wars” movie to be released in theaters that wasn’t an episode. This Christmas season, a second feature film that isn’t an episode will be released. What do people need to know about “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”? Here are a few interesting tidbits for the fans.

• This is the first “Star Wars” film that award-winning composer John Williams won’t be scoring.
• Although rumors abound that Hayden Christensen would be reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker, it was reported now that the role of Darth Vader will be going to Welsh actor, Spencer Wilding.
• Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, the galaxy’s newest leading lady in “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” has discredited rumors that the heroine in “Rogue One,” a rebel by the name of Jyn Erso, is Rey’s mother.
• Costumes from “Star Wars: Episodes IV, V and VI” will be used in “Rogue One.”

Image source: moviepilot.com

Hello! Wendy Eber here. As a ‘Star Wars’ fan, I can’t wait to see ‘Rogue One.’ I’m sure it will be a hit given how ‘The Force Awakens’ have turned most of us into fans. Are you ready for this ‘Star Wars’ story? Let me know on Facebook.