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Star Words: Episode III, Part 9
Jun. 21st, 2018 02:25 pmIt's really to Anakin's credit that the first thing he does the morning after his nightmare is ask Master Yoda for advice. He wants to be a good Jedi; he wants to turn to them for help.
Unfortunately, he and Yoda aren't really on the same wavelength. I'm not sure if Yoda ever suspected anything between Anakin and Padmé -- on the one hand, he's likely the most perceptive of the Jedi, but on the other hand, he's not nearly as close to either of them as Obi-Wan is. But he certainly doesn't seem aware of the full extent of Anakin's attachment to the "someone" whose death he has foreseen. His counsel is wise, but it doesn't reach Anakin. He doesn't want advice on coping with loss; he wants to prevent it. No pithy words from a Jedi master, however wise, could be enough to dissuade Anakin from that desire. And I'm not sure that Yoda himself follows his own advice in every regard.
"Rejoice for those around us who transform into the Force. Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not. Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is."
Yes, yes, unhealthy attachment is selfish and destructive. We'll certainly see that happen to Anakin as he embraces the Dark Side and becomes viciously possessive of Padmé, lashing out in jealousy against an imagined betrayal. There is no doubt of the shadows currently tormenting Anakin as he sits in Yoda's meditation chamber, face half concealed in darkness.
However. Let's look at Yoda when he senses the death of his fellow Jedi during the Order 66 montage. Does that look like someone who doesn't mourn, who doesn't miss his friends? Of course he misses them. Of course he feels the pain of their passing. It's unreasonable to expect anyone not to feel grief. Grief is healthy. Wallowing it in it is not. Allowing it to control you or consume is not. But a denial of grief, of the natural process of mourning, is a denial of one's very humanity (or whatever-you-want-to-call Yoda's-race-ity). In time we might be able to rejoice in a loved one's well-lived life, in the idea that they are now at peace, but there is nothing wrong with mourning or missing them. After the Jedi purge, I don't think even Yoda should claim otherwise.
Next, some interesting words from Obi-Wan...
Unfortunately, he and Yoda aren't really on the same wavelength. I'm not sure if Yoda ever suspected anything between Anakin and Padmé -- on the one hand, he's likely the most perceptive of the Jedi, but on the other hand, he's not nearly as close to either of them as Obi-Wan is. But he certainly doesn't seem aware of the full extent of Anakin's attachment to the "someone" whose death he has foreseen. His counsel is wise, but it doesn't reach Anakin. He doesn't want advice on coping with loss; he wants to prevent it. No pithy words from a Jedi master, however wise, could be enough to dissuade Anakin from that desire. And I'm not sure that Yoda himself follows his own advice in every regard.
"Rejoice for those around us who transform into the Force. Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not. Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is."
Yes, yes, unhealthy attachment is selfish and destructive. We'll certainly see that happen to Anakin as he embraces the Dark Side and becomes viciously possessive of Padmé, lashing out in jealousy against an imagined betrayal. There is no doubt of the shadows currently tormenting Anakin as he sits in Yoda's meditation chamber, face half concealed in darkness.
However. Let's look at Yoda when he senses the death of his fellow Jedi during the Order 66 montage. Does that look like someone who doesn't mourn, who doesn't miss his friends? Of course he misses them. Of course he feels the pain of their passing. It's unreasonable to expect anyone not to feel grief. Grief is healthy. Wallowing it in it is not. Allowing it to control you or consume is not. But a denial of grief, of the natural process of mourning, is a denial of one's very humanity (or whatever-you-want-to-call Yoda's-race-ity). In time we might be able to rejoice in a loved one's well-lived life, in the idea that they are now at peace, but there is nothing wrong with mourning or missing them. After the Jedi purge, I don't think even Yoda should claim otherwise.
Next, some interesting words from Obi-Wan...
