Power

BILL MOYERS:

I’ve had psychotherapists tell me that they use “Star Wars” sometimes to deal with the problems of their child patients. 

And they’ve said that the most popular character among the children is 

Darth Vader.

GEORGE LUCAS: 

Well, Children love Power because children are The Powerless. 

And so their fantasies all center on having Power. 

And who’s more powerful than Darth Vader, you know? 

And, some, you know, 

will be attracted 

to Luke Skywalker because 

He’s The Good Guy

GEORGE LUCAS: 

But ultimately, we all know that Darth Vader’s more powerful than he is.

And as time goes on, you discover that 

He is more powerful because he’s the — 

He’s The Ultimate Father Who is All-Powerful.

BILL MOYERS: 

This is where I disagree somewhat with our friend Joseph Campbell who said that :

" The Young Man has to slay His Father 

before he can become 

An Adult himself. "

It seems to me, 

and I think you’re right on 

here, that the — that

The Young Man 

has to identify — 

has to recognise 

and acknowledge that 

He is His Father and 

is not His Father.

"TO BE OR NOT TO BE?"

But Vader isn't evil - he's a good man who does incredibly evil things under extraordinary circumstances and extreme duress to protect the people he loves.

And then when those things are apparently gone and taken away from him, he just surrenders and stops caring - about any one or any thing.