Different Paths, Different Destinies
In A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi separates from his pupil Luke Skywalker while they are trying to escape the Death Star. Luke wants to go with his teacher, but Obi-Wan gently detaches himself, saying, “Your destiny lies along a different path from mine.”
Later, as the Rebels prepare to attack the Death Star, Han Solo also detaches himself from Luke, leaving with his money because he believes the Rebellion to be a lost cause. Once again, Luke is disappointed to be separated from someone he cares about, and this time Leia Organa gently helps him to let go by echoing Obi-Wan’s wisdom: “He’s got to follow his own path. No one can choose it for him.” Luke cannot determine Han’s destiny; Han’s decision to come back and help the Rebellion is meaningful precisely because Han freely chose it.
However, Luke’s father never accepted the reality that one cannot control the people one loves. In The Empire Strikes Back, when Darth Vader tries to take Obi-Wan’s place as his son’s mentor, his words are a direct contrast to Obi-Wan’s: “Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker.” Obi-Wan was willing to let go and detach himself from Luke; Vader, grasping for companionship, tries to attach himself to Luke by force.
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Characters: Darth Vader / Han Solo / Leia Organa / Luke Skywalker / Obi-Wan Kenobi
Films: Episode IV: A New Hope / Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
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Concepts: attachment / control / destiny / letting go / teachers and students
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