It seems that whatever I show interest in becomes a fascination and then an obsession. Recently, I became interested in Star Wars once again. I started collecting books, puzzles, games, figures, and other Star Wars based paraphernalia. While looking over the original Star Wars trilogy and my Social Studies text book, it occurred to me how much the American Revolution and the Star Wars trilogy are much alike.
Just think about it for a second, the rebels fighting against the Imperials is much like the Patriots fighting against the Tories. It seemed that defeating the Imperials would be impossible. The Imperials had the blaster rifles, stormtroopers, ships, and centers set up for themselves. However, the rebels had hope for a new universe and fought for their right of freedom. The British, at the time, had all of the rifles, soldiers, and forts. Yet, Patriots had the passion to fight against the Tories, and the Tory soldiers simply fought because it was their job. Most of the Tory soldiers were there because they were not good at farming, the press, or any other form of working during the colonial time. I believe that the Patriots' passion in the matter pushed them ahead in times of pain and hopelessness.
The tyranny of Emperor Palpatine and King George III are much alike. Emperor Palpatine will not listen to the ideas of the rebels and simply push them aside without another thought. King George III did the same thing and he paid dearly for it. Too bad King George III did not have the capability to use the Dark Side of the Force, though! Otherwise we would have lightning bolts shooting out from his hands at the rebels whenever they said anything out of turn! On the other hand, most at the time believed King George III to be insane. So, I suppose an insane man with lightning bolts and a crown is not a good idea. Even though in the beginning of the first Star Wars book, originally titled A New Hope, the story seems to say that the rebels will lose, several other sectors come to their aide to fight against Palpatine. The other sectors allied with them because Palpatine was a cruel ruler and often destroyed many other planets and sectors in the universe. The other sectors wanted to rid the world of such a man. This is similar to the actions that the United States took to get other countries to fight with them. France was one of their many allies. At the time, France was still upset about the victory of the British against them. Thus, Benjamin Franklin convinced King Louis XVI of France to help the Americans by using that anger and also using the Battle of Saratoga. This American victory ended the threat of the British to New England and lifted American spirits.
The Stormtroopers and Red Coats were both pushed into their line of work due to not being able to work anywhere else. They are mostly controlled by the persuading Dark Jedi skills of Palpatine. Therefore, they have weak minds, since they easily succumb to such powers. The Red Coats were considered usefless due to the fact that they were the people who could not get a job anywhere but the British army. This was because they had failed to make life as a farmer, blacksmith, or any other line of work. They lacked the quick wits and intelligent ideas that the Patriots thought up regularly. For example, General Washington had some of his men stay on one side of Princeton to keep the fires going as they snuck around behind the British. Now, the British believed that in the morning the Americans would attack from the side of the fire's light. Instead, Washington charged at them the next day and defeated them. Also, the Tories also lacked passion in their fighting. The Patriots were fighting for what they truly believed in and wanted; freedom. The Tories simply did as they were told since they were being payed to do so.. Many Red Coat soldiers fought against those they considered good friends. This was because the lands were ripped apart and most colonials sided with the Patriots.
This American spirit still lives within many of us today. We see it in the newspapers and voting. Everyone has their own opinion and may voice it freely. We are also willing to jump ahead in the matter of cloning. Even though President Bill Clinton has spoken against cloning, many Americans will voice their own opinion in the matter. Is this not what we must do in life, to explore the scientific and social possibilities ahead of us? I am personally for cloning due to the fact that it could bring about many new inventions, just as the Television did. Although, I believe that we should begin by cloning animals for food and try to lessen the amounts of endangered species by making them numerous. However, this could lead to inner breeding. The possibilities are endless, and we should take the chance.
The next time one of my classmates starts complaining about not understanding the chapters on the American Revolution, I will just tell him/her to read the Star Wars trilogy!
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