Star Wars world. The world of Star Wars. What is Star Wars World about?

It was an experiment on my part.
It was a challenge to read the book and understand the phenomenon of the film, to see the new through the prism of cinema.
It's strange to pick up a book about a movie epic, but not even know who Luke is.

The author confidently states: Humanity can be divided into three groups: those who love Star Wars, those who like them, and those who are indifferent to them.”
I hasten to add: and those who have not watched a single film.
As they say, we exist.

But for all the factors, for all, I wanted to read the book right away. I expected a squeeze of philosophy and a clearly visible image modern world in a fantasy story. I was not interested in the characters and their twists and turns.
Were your expectations met? Yes and no.
I saw a contradictory picture of the creator pulling a story out of himself (does writers of similar periods not have it?), A lot of inconsistencies in the plot, noted by the author.
At the same time, the obvious refraction of the present through a fairy tale. And this is a relief for me.

If you look globally and through the eyes of a psychologist, all inconsistencies are a reflection of the inner world of the creator. It can also be taken as a random metaphor for life.
How many of us do not converge roads. That's just - just raced along the highway, in a moment you were thrown off-road. Only you were in a blue suit, a minute later in red.
Stupid? Somewhat. I myself recently resented a domestic film where a house was built in one day. And then we understand that blunders are not intentional metaphors, this is what is called a “jamb”. But even without metaphorization, it is clear: mistakes and discrepancies are natural, we all make them, we live in an erroneous reality, sometimes even for a long time.

Another fad: the characters are narrating on their own, ceasing to listen to the author's intention. Hence the contradictions.

“By the way, many writers say literally the same thing, claiming that their characters “seize the initiative” and “tell the story” themselves, under the influence of their own character and moment, acting regardless of the author’s intentions.

All the same Tolstoy comes to mind.

"I don't like it and I don't believe it"- George Lucas, the creator of the science fiction saga, once said when he was offered to kill the main character. There is a limit to everything.

One of the most valuable moments for me was the question raised in the book: “Why do some products (movies, books, TV shows, songs, political projects, ideas) become successful, while others do not?”
Rhetorical question, I agree, but curious.

Various versions are offered as options, which are beautifully illustrated:
- The quality of the material.
- Social influences. “We are often driven by the desire to be involved in something famous, as if you find yourself in an exclusive club.”
- Choice of moment.
- Cultural resonance.
- Network effects.
- Reputation cascades.
- Information cascades.

“We are offered too many products and too many ideas. We can't sort them all."

The author of the book assures that the phenomenon of dependence on the opinions of others is included. It's hard to deny. But it still seems to me that the choice is based on the effect of the puzzle: I read a piece, looked, a puzzle was formed, an answer to a tormenting question appeared. It works exactly like this for me.

Now the main question: so what kind of prism that a person learns through a film?

The lens of Christianity. Issues of sacrifice, love, redemption. Judging by the examples and interpretations, the line is indeed present. She attracts.

Prism "The Story of Oedipus". A story about sons, fathers, absent mothers... An amusing moment: "To every child - boy or girl - the father sometimes seems like a kind of Darth Vader." I deliberately clarified with the children that there is such a thing.

The prism of feminism. Strong and powerful women at every turn. And now the sublunar world is filled with influential ladies.

The author identified 13 interpretations. Each is quite interesting and illustrative.
It seems to me that I would have found more directions where I could apply the idea. Having written out the available ones, I will definitely look for them. And I will apply it to other films and books.
Is it worth it? Only if it brings personal benefit. Brings me.

PS// My husband suggested watching a movie (both of us don't know who Leah and Padme Amidala are), we were given tasks.

Cass Sunstein

Peace by " Star Wars»

Translator E. Koposova

Editor V. Potapov

Project Manager L. Razzhivaikina

Correctors E. Aksenova, E. Chudinova

Computer layout K. Svishchev

Cover illustration Christina Alexanderson

All rights reserved. The work is intended solely for private use. No part of the electronic copy of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including posting on the Internet and corporate networks, for public or collective use without the written permission of the copyright owner. For copyright infringement, the legislation provides for the payment of compensation to the copyright holder in the amount of up to 5 million rubles (Article 49 of the LOAP), as well as criminal liability in the form of imprisonment for up to 6 years (Article 146 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

* * *

Dedicated to Declan - my son

It's hard to see. The future is always on the move.

There is no more exciting adventure than building your own life, and this is true for everyone. After all, the possibilities are endless.

Lawrence Kasdan

Foreword

Humanity can be divided into three groups: those who love Star Wars, those who like them, and those who are indifferent to them. I read parts of this book to my wife, choosing what I thought were the funniest. In the end, she broke down and exclaimed sympathetically, albeit with some annoyance: “Cass, I don’t like Star Wars!” (Actually, I knew this myself, but somehow forgot.)

When I first started my book, I generally liked Star Wars, nothing more. Since then, I have moved into the category of their passionate admirers. Nevertheless, I address my book to all three groups of people.

If you love this movie epic and are sure that Khan fired first, if you have learned everything there is to know about parsecs, Biggs, Boba Fett and General Hux, then you will probably want to know about the difficult stage of the birth of the saga, about its unexpected success and what she says about fatherhood, freedom, and redemption. If you just love these films, you might be interested in the messages they contain: about fate, about the path of a hero, and about how to make the right decision in difficult times.

Well, for those who are indifferent to Star Wars and do not distinguish Akbar from Finn or Windu, it will still be curious to know how the saga became a significant cultural phenomenon, why it caused such a resonance and why its popularity is so enduring. And also what it tells us about childhood, about the complex relationship between good and evil, about uprisings, political change and constitutional law.

In his dream-like poem, "Divination of Innocence," William Blake wrote of the possibility of seeing "a vast world in a grain of sand." Star Wars is a grain of sand in which the whole world fits.

Introduction

Learning from Star Wars

The gods, the heavens, the circles of hell - it's all in you.

Joseph Campbell

By the beginning of 2016, the Star Wars franchise had earned about $30.2 billion. Of this amount, $6.25 billion came from film distribution, almost $2 billion came from book sales, and about $12 billion from toys. The total revenue exceeds the gross domestic product of nine dozen countries, including Iceland, Jamaica, Armenia, Laos and Guyana. Let's imagine that the Star Wars franchise is a state, and the income received from it is its GDP. Such a state would be in the middle of the ranking of 193 countries on our planet. Doesn't it deserve a place in the UN?

Meanwhile, the franchise's profits are steadily rising, especially after the breakout success of The Force Awakens.

But numbers alone cannot convey the scale of Star Wars. "You can't quantify everything." (Didn't Yoda say that?) Look at politics and culture - Star Wars is everywhere. The Strategic Defense Initiative, proclaimed by Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, has gone down in history as the Star Wars Program. After The Force Awakens aired in December 2015, President Barack Obama closed his press conference with, "That's it, Star Wars is coming." That same week, Hillary Clinton ended the nationwide Democratic Party debate with "May the Force be with you!" And around the same time, Republican nominee Ted Cruz tweeted, “The Force…is calling you. Listen to her and tune into today's #CNNDebate debate." Drawing on westerns and 1960s comics, pursuing freedom, singing hope, Star Wars is bipartisan across America.

I must say that this saga is carried away not only in the United States - it is popular everywhere. At the end of 2015, I went to Taiwan to give lectures and meet with the country's president and representatives of the Constitutional Court there. We discussed human rights, legislation, the global economy, Taiwan's complicated relationship with China, but everyone wanted to talk about Star Wars as well. The saga thunders in France, Germany, Italy, Nigeria and Great Britain, it is adored in Israel, Egypt and Japan, it also conquered India. Until 2015, Star Wars was not allowed in China, but now the Force has awakened there too.

There has never been anything like Star Wars in the history of civilization. Thanks to social networks fans of the saga have created a whole cult, with the only amendment that this cult is so great that it went beyond the term. It embraced all of humanity—well, almost all of it. Recently on request " Star Wars» The Google search engine returned 728 million results. Compare: The Beatles - 107 million, Shakespeare - 119 million, Abraham Lincoln - 69 million, Steve Jobs - 323 million, Taylor Swift - 232 million. As proof of how deeply this saga has become part of our lives, here is the first result that a Twitter search turned up: “Crush the hunger with Star Wars Death Star Chocolate Peanut Candy.”

Okay, let's say you don't like Star Wars. Let's say you don't even like them. But regardless of whether you consider yourself a fan of the saga or not, you know a lot about it. You've heard of the Force, right? Do you know the name Darth Vader? Have you ever cried out in the depths of your soul in a difficult moment: "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are my only hope"?

Star Wars brings people together. Wherever you live - in Berlin or New York, London or San Francisco, Seattle or Paris, you probably have an idea of what Darth Vader looks like and what it is " millennium falcon". (That's right, isn't it?) In 2015, the United States and Russia weren't very friendly, and tensions reigned between Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama. But when The Force Awakens was released, a high-ranking Russian official told me with a wide boyish smile, as if recognizing our commonality, that the saga was very popular in his country and that almost all Russians had watched it.

And Star Wars brings generations together. My 3 year old daughter Rian really likes Darth Vader, her 6 year old brother Declan loves to play with lightsaber. And my adult daughter Ellin, since the age of seven, watched the first two trilogies with me. Here's the message she sent me when she went to see The Force Awakens: "Crying over the opening credits... First time on Star Wars without you!"

My parents are long dead, but my mother, a sci-fi lover, loved the first Star Wars movie, released in 1977 (later called A New Hope). My father was a naval officer during World War II, fought in pacific ocean and knew how to handle weapons (he had been in the Clone Wars, so to speak), so this film was a little disconcerting for him. He preferred fishing, tennis and cars to droids and lightsabers. Nevertheless, my father was open to everything new and understood the charm of the film. Healthy as a Wookiee, he died of brain cancer in his early 70s, four years after A New Hope was released. He didn't get to see Ellyn, Declan, and Ryan.

Different cultures have their own customs and traditions. The first things that come to my mind are Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. But nothing compares to the moment when you sit down with your child to watch his first ever episode of Star Wars. The lights go out, the long-awaited golden letters appear on the screen, and the familiar music of John Williams heralds the adventure to come. The child sitting next to you is overwhelmed with delight and impatience. And the room is filled with numerous ghosts. You are happy to meet them again. Star Wars brings back the dead.

CONSERVATIVE REBELLIONS

What do Martin Luther King Jr. and Luke Skywalker have in common?

They are both participants in the uprising, and the rebels are conservative. If you want a revolution, you can follow them, at least as far as rebellions are concerned. Conservative rebels can be very effective because their appeals touch deep feelings: they connect people with their past and with what is most dear to them.

Some, like Leia Organa, are rebels by nature. They consider rebellion to be a good idea whenever the Sith or any other corrupt and evil forces rule the country. For the sake of a just cause, they will be ready to sacrifice their own future. But in general, even the rebels do not like to "reset", especially if this reset is complete. This is true both when we talk about our lives and when we are talking about society.

Of course, there are those who want to blow everything up and start from scratch. Perhaps this is their temperament or their moral convictions require it. But usually people prefer to continue existing lines storytelling. They tend to consider what is written not as a fundamentally different story, but as a new chapter. Yes, there is a reform, but at the same time there is a connection with what was before, or with the best of what was before. We are even more comfortable when it seems that the reform is prepared or predetermined by the past. This applies to episode writers of all kinds, not just Lucas and Skywalkers.

Recall the words of Edmund Burke, the great conservative thinker (allegedly uninclined to revolt), who feared the consequences of "passing fads and fads" in which "the very chain and continuity of the state would be broken." For Burke, this is a tragedy, a renunciation of one of the deepest human needs and a rejection of an irreplaceable source of social stability. Burke spoke with feeling of what might happen if such a break did occur: “No generation will be able to associate itself with another. People will become no better than summer flies.

Let's pause and think about these words. Burke insists that traditions form connective tissue time, that this fabric helps to give meaning to our lives and that it is the most permanent thing available to a person in principle. Of course, this is a conservative idea, but even those who do not consider themselves conservatives love and even consider all kinds of chains and successions necessary. This easily explains the (partial) charm of baseball: it links parents to children, generation to generation. The same can be said about Star Wars, which is why they have remained popular for so many years.

In the Star Wars saga, the rebels seek the restoration of the Republic. In this sense, they are true conservatives. They can be called Berkians - rebellious, but conservative nonetheless. They speak on behalf of their traditions. Emperor Palpatine, on the other hand, is a true revolutionary, as are the followers of the First Order. Luke, the Rebel Alliance, the Resistance want to return to what it was before (to its idealized version). They look for inspiration in the past. There is something primal about it.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a rebel, unequivocally a Skywalker, spiced with a dash of Han and spiced up with Obi-Wan. He sought fundamental change, but was well aware of the power of intergenerational bonding. He proclaimed his commitment to tradition even as he helped write groundbreaking chapters in American history.

Here is an excerpt from King's speech about the Montgomery bus boycott:

“If we are wrong, it means that we are wrong and Supreme Court this country. If we are wrong, then the constitution of the United States is wrong. If we err, then the Lord Almighty errs. If we are wrong, then Jesus of Nazareth was just a dreamer who never came down to earth. If we are wrong, then justice is a lie. And love is meaningless.

UNINTENDED REVOLUTIONS, BIG AND SMALL

In the stunning novelization of A New Hope, Biggs, Luke's friend, plays a rather important role. (He only appears for a few minutes in the film.) In the early chapters of the novel, Biggs reveals to Luke his desire to become a rebel. True, he still does not really know what needs to be done for this. He doesn't even know where the rebel bases are or how to contact them. Here is the important paragraph:

"I know I have little chance of finding them, Biggs admitted reluctantly. “If that doesn't work out, well then…” Biggs' eyes lit up with a strange fire, a newfound maturity in them and… something else. “I will do what I can.”

Biggs has the heart of a rebel. And in the world of Star Wars, he is far from alone. General Tagge, who did not hesitate to use any means on the way up, understood well the problems facing the Empire: “Some of you still don't understand how well equipped and organized the Alliance is. Their ships are excellent, their pilots are better. And they are driven by something more powerful than their engines: this unnatural, reactionary fanaticism of theirs. They are much more dangerous than you imagine." Keyword here is "fanaticism", it is he who can move ordinary people for unusual actions.

Obi-Wan described revolutionary responsiveness well: “Remember, Luke, the suffering of one is the suffering of many. When it comes to injustice, distance doesn't matter. If evil is not stopped, in time it will consume all people - both those who fought with it and those who did not pay attention to it. Firm in their convictions, the rebels live by this code. They agree that distance cannot cancel or reduce injustice, and therefore they fight against it.

The idea that evil eventually consumes all of us was also expressed by the Protestant pastor Martin Niemeller. In his sermons, he criticized Adolf Hitler, for which he spent seven years in concentration camps:

“When they came for the socialists, I was silent - I was not a socialist. When they came for the trade union activists, I was silent - I was not a union member. When they came for the Jews, I was silent - I was not a Jew. When they came for me, there was no one to intercede for me.”

Political leaders are often surprised and even shocked when they are in revolt. Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Emperor Palpatine could not have imagined that Luke would resist his persuasion, that Darth Vader would go against him, that the rebels would refuse to surrender. In 1770, the British did not foresee the vigor and fervor with which the Americans would start their revolution. In 1990, very few people could believe that in January 1992 the Soviet Union. In 2009, the world did not know that the "Arab Spring" would happen in just a year.

The last example is especially revealing because it is the most recent and a complete surprise to almost everyone. Despite the superpowers of the intelligence services of many modern states, no one guessed what was coming. For example, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office admitted that it failed to "predict that mass protests would flare up from the spark that broke out in Tunisia in December 2010." And he added: “No other player on the international stage, neither academic analysts nor opposition groups from the region itself foresaw this either.” The United States and Canada confirmed that their intelligence services also missed the start of the conflict and that "the vast majority of experts on the Arab world were as surprised by the riots as everyone else."

How did it happen? Jeff Goodwin of New York University believes that the situation was essentially inevitable. Here's what he says:

“We know that since December a revolutionary wave has risen in Tunisia, the reason for which was a seemingly insignificant event, namely the self-immolation of a provincial fruit seller after a conflict with the local authorities. The example of the Tunisian uprising, culminating in the flight of the dictator Ben Ali from the country, served as a catalyst for mass unrest in Egypt, from where they spread to Libya and other countries where there was widespread opposition to the regime and the threshold for outrage is relatively low - although the latter factor could not be known in advance. The fact that the revolution did not spread to Algeria Saudi Arabia, Jordan or many other Arab countries, indicates that the revolutionary activity there is simply low and does not lead to mass uprisings - although, again, no one could predict exactly where and how far the "Arab Spring" will spread.

All this is not so simple. Let's try to figure it out.

BLINDNESS

V real world Palpatine emperors are so blind to what is happening largely due to the fact that they are often cut off from life and surrounded by assistants who are afraid to tell the truth and therefore assure the ruler that everything is fine, that everyone adore him (fear) and everything is going according to plan. Another reason is that, like most people, emperors are prone to overconfidence and unjustified optimism, and their beliefs are shaped by their motivations.

People are generally more willing to believe what they want to believe and disbelieve what they don't like. (“I don’t like it, and I don’t believe it.”) Emperors want to believe that the people are pleased rather than angry, that discontent is for the few, or that rebellion caused by discontent can be stopped by the threat of force. If citizens are unhappy, this is an inconvenient truth that rulers can easily turn a blind eye to. You don't have to be a Sith to believe that any rebellion is doomed to failure.

Stranger is the fact that not only political leaders poorly predict successful uprisings; most of the time almost everyone makes the same mistake. Why is it so?

We have already touched on one possible explanation: social dynamics are responsible for the perception of phenomena, and its nature is difficult or impossible to predict. A call or an idea is no different from a song, a book, or a movie. People can support them and even give their lives for them because of what they think others think. The uprising that has begun may repeat the fate of Sixto Rodriguez in the United States or Sugar Man in South Africa. It all depends on what each of us thinks the rest of us think.

Consider the dialogue from A New Hope:

OBI-WAN KENOBI:(to Luke) You must learn the laws of the Force if you're coming with me to Alderaan.

LUKE SKYWALKER: Alderaan? I can't go to Alderaan. They are waiting for me at home, it's already late. And so it will fly.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: I need your help Luke. She needs help. I'm too old for such things.

LUKE SKYWALKER: How can I leave everything here? Full of work. I don't love the Empire, I hate it, but there's nothing I can do yet. And it's all so far away.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: I hear Owen speaking.

Like most potential rebels, Luke is stopped by three things: 1) he has a job; 2) he cannot influence the Empire in any way; 3) events unfold somewhere far away. Also note that Luke's resistance is rather weak. He does not really like his work, but he would like to go somewhere far away. The book version of A New Hope has a nice addition: “Biggs is right. I will never get out of here. He's planning a rebellion against the Empire, and I'm stuck here on a poor farm."

The real question is whether Luke has the power to influence the Empire in any way. The feeling of hopelessness can bury any undertaking. But if the Lucas of the whole world were sure that the rest of the people supported the rebellion, their resistance would melt away. A lot depends on whether potential rebels see a lot of people who have already joined the rebellion.

The world of Star Wars» Cass Sunstein

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Title: Star Wars World
Author: Cass Sunstein
Year: 2016
Genre: Foreign applied and popular science literature, Cinematography, theater

About The World According to Star Wars by Cass Sunstein

There's Shakespeare, Mickey Mouse, the Bible... and there's Star Wars. Cass Sunstein, specialist in the field constitutional law and behavioral economics, I am sure that the popularity of the movie saga has gained not only because of the special effects, fantastic creatures and scenes of space battles, but also because it is addressed to each of us and reflects our reality. The author of the book analyzes Star Wars from the point of view of religion, psychology, politics, sociology and law. Every parent wants to be wise and calm like Yoda, but what if you succumb to the Dark Side? Is there really a critique lurking in Return of the Jedi? Russian politics? Is it necessary to have the Force to manipulate people's minds? What is the use of rebellion? And can the freedom of choice lead you to the Light Side? This book presents in a new light the most adored story of our time.

On our site about books lifeinbooks.net you can download for free without registration or read online book Star Wars World by Cass Sunstein in epub, fb2, txt, rtf, pdf formats for iPad, iPhone, Android and Kindle. The book will give you a lot of pleasant moments and a real pleasure to read. Buy full version you can have our partner. Also, here you will find last news from the literary world, learn the biography of your favorite authors. For beginner writers there is a separate section with useful tips and recommendations interesting articles, thanks to which you yourself can try your hand at literary skills.

Translator E. Koposova

Editor V. Potapov

Project Manager L. Razzhivaikina

Correctors E. Aksenova, E. Chudinova

Computer layout K. Svishchev

Cover illustration Christina Alexanderson

Dedicated to Declan - my son

It's hard to see. The future is always on the move.

There is no more exciting adventure than building your own life, and this is true for everyone. After all, the possibilities are endless.

Lawrence Kasdan

Foreword

In his dream-like poem, "Divination of Innocence," William Blake wrote of the possibility of seeing "a vast world in a grain of sand." Star Wars is a grain of sand in which the whole world fits.

Introduction

Learning from Star Wars

The gods, the heavens, the circles of hell - it's all in you.

Joseph Campbell

Meanwhile, the franchise's profits are steadily rising, especially after the breakout success of The Force Awakens.

There has never been anything like Star Wars in the history of civilization. Thanks to social networks, fans of the saga have created a whole cult, with the only amendment that this cult is so big that it has gone beyond the term. It embraced all of humanity—well, almost all of it. Recently, the search engine Google returned 728 million results for the query "Star Wars". Compare: The Beatles - 107 million, Shakespeare - 119 million, Abraham Lincoln - 69 million, Steve Jobs - 323 million, Taylor Swift - 232 million. As proof of how deeply this saga has become part of our lives, here is the first result that a Twitter search turned up: “Crush the hunger with Star Wars Death Star Chocolate Peanut Candy.”

Star Wars brings people together. Whether you live in Berlin or New York, London or San Francisco, Seattle or Paris, you probably have an idea of what Darth Vader looks like and what the Millennium Falcon is. (That's right, isn't it?) In 2015, the United States and Russia weren't very friendly, and tensions reigned between Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama. But when The Force Awakens was released, a high-ranking Russian official told me with a wide boyish smile, as if recognizing our commonality, that the saga was very popular in his country and that almost all Russians had watched it.