The hero myth: An interpretation of ‘star wars’ and a patient's dream

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This interpretation of the symbolism in the movie “Star Wars” is based on associations to a dream by a patient in therapy. In that dream, the mythic movie was personalized into an individual myth and offers us an insight into the film’s unconscious meanings. Some writers believe that the main function of myths is the recording and validating of social institutions, while others delve into the complex speculative functions of the myths of a society. Among the speculative theorists are psychoanalytic thinkers who, among themselves, have widely divergent philosophies. Freudians, for example, examine the myth as an expression of the infantile consciousness (Freud, 1900) while Jung and his followers believe that myths are the most mature expressions of the society that has created them (Jung, 1961). The nature, origins and functions of different myths are undoubtedly varied. Some myths are important in explaining the origins and history of a people and/or providing authority to its traditions and religious beliefs. Others may teach lessons, preserve important cultural information, or be involved with rituals (Kirk, 1970). The aspect of the myth which we will explore in our study of a current hero myth, “Star Wars,” is its “inner” or psychological function. By definition, the myth is a tale of action and in the hero myth, particularly, the action of the hero is of great significance. There is a seriousness about this action which differentiates myths from folktales and gives them a sacred character. The hero is involved in the resolving of opposing forces-life against death, and good versus evil. This dichotomy is in almost all hero myths, and the success or failure of the hero in his mission is felt to be of the greatest importance to its audience (Kirk, 1970). Some primitive people believe that the myths of their culture come to the myth maker in the form of a dream, and many of them may indeed have their origins in dreams. This important connection between myth and dreams has also been noted by Freud and his followers, such as Otto Rank (1914). All myths are fantasy and their strange use of symbols and dislocated time strongly suggests a waking dream. This has been the thrust of the interpretation of myths since Freud established the connection of his incest theory with the myth of King Oedipus and dreams commonly dreamed by patients in his revolutionary work, The Interpretation of Dreams (Freud, 1900). Otto Rank (1914) said that in the structure of the myth we find thinking like that found in