Star Wars is a modern myth. It's a conglomeration of all manner of ancient stories and myths that have survived for so long because they are somehow ingrained in what makes us human. There are very few common themes that run through all cultures, but one of them are the basics of these ancient myths. Sure, myths vary from culture to culture, but the essentials are usually all there. Greek myths and tragedies, Arthurian legends, even Shakespeare fit the mold.
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Yep, Star Wars is definatly a myth-like story, and a good one at that.
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Today, alas, we have lost touch with a lot of that. These stories survive most prominently in fairy tales, and we somehow have the naive notion that we should "grow out" of them. They're studied in schools, but they're not supposed to be studied, they're supposed to be experienced and felt and taken to heart. I don't think all society's ills would be cured if we paid more attention to mythic storytelling, but I think it's something we as a race need to have. Because you're right -- however corny it may sound, they do teach. They don't teach anything we don't already know intellectually, but -- since they do appeal to some intrinsic aspect of the human psyche -- teach us to take these lessons to heart.
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We do need the stories. One problem is that nobody has respect for authors and poets and song-writers and singers and actors. There are so many dime-a-dozen people out there that can't really write, or sing(aka: Backstreet Boys, Nsync, Ricky Martin, etc!), or just don't have talent at anything that requires creativity.
A great deal of people that do have talent are not very well-respected, mainly because there are so MANY people in the creativity departments that a song, or a movie, or a book are no longer all that special anymore. I do hope you understand what I'm ATTEMPTING to say, because I'm having trouble saying it. 8-)
I have a great deal of repesct for George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and any other person with great talent, that excels in being creative, and sucessfully unleashing their creativity.
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