The Known World in A New Hope
George Lucas’ Star Wars: A New Hope is perhaps one of the most well known movies in American culture today, despite the fact that it was released 45 years ago. The film’s timeless nature is due in part to its adherence to the Hero’s Journey template, which is followed perfectly in the first steps of the cycle. The protagonist, Luke Skywalker, is first introduced on his home planet of Tatooine, where he is forced to spend his days as a farm boy, helping his aunt and uncle. His everyday life is dull and monotonous, which is a perfect setup for him to receive a Call to Adventure. Joseph Campbell’s first step in the process of the Hero’s Journey specifically states that the hero should start in a “mundane situation of normality,” and Lucas executes this requirement flawlessly by including scenes of Luke complaining about never doing anything interesting like his friends, and showing resentment towards the droids when he first meets them. However, soon after meeting R2D2, Luke sees Leia’s m...