Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Popular Culture in America

Abstract

The Clone Wars animated series is part of the Star Wars storyline taking place before the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. The central premise of The Clone Wars is that of war, one being waged by a biologically manufactured clone army. George Lucas’ intent for the original Star Wars was to create a social dialogue reflecting the ideological reasons for, and effects of, the Vietnam War. The Clone Wars continues Lucas’s examination of American wartime policies and their effects on society. The themes in The Clone Wars are diverse; however, this analysis will cover the use of WWII “good war” ideology as a continual source of American values; gender representations stemming from women’s historical roles in wartime; and a cross-examination of the clone army that represents the marginalized groups of people used to wage war. These themes, followed by an analysis of The Clone Wars as mirroring post-9/11 imperialist policies aimed at containment of terror, will be used to evaluate the use of technology and its effects on populations and soldiers’ experiences. This analysis will show that The Clone Wars represents a cultural production of war. By examining the various influences involved in the series’ development, this study will explore inherent themes to extrapolate what The Clone Wars says about American culture and its effects on war as an agent for conflict resolution.