It’s Tuesday! You’ve survived another Monday, so treat yourself to our weekly look into the literary themes and devices that helps our favorite bits of entertainment chug along. This week’s trope: The Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism.
Which best solves problems? The Power of Friendship, or a bullet between the eyes?
The answer depends on where the series falls in the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism.
A story can be idealistic or cynical towards any idea. In general, if the story values or is hopeful for a particular ideal, then it is idealistic. If the story criticizes, assaults, and accentuates the negative about that expectation, then it is cynical.
For a simple, archetypal example, let’s assume that the idea to believe in is Humans Are Good/Rousseau Was Right. In idealistic series, those who believed it got lots of friends and a Happy Ending (therefore, Right Makes Might), while cynical series are Crapsack Worlds where those who believed itgot ruthlessly bullied by everyone else (therefore, Might Makes Right). Of course, the definitions of “Right” and “Crapsack” in the above can technically mean whatever one wants them to mean.
Star Wars, the Expanded Universe in particular, has been at both extremes over the last twenty or so years. In the earlier Bantam days, it could be argued that the books erred heavily towards idealism. These days, the EU has shifted to the cynical side of the spectrum.
This is perhaps best demonstrated with Luke Skywalker’s character over the years. The man who could find the good in Darth Vader and countless villains in the early Expanded Universe has been replaced of late with someone much quicker to judgement. Take a look at his treatment of Vestara Khai in the latest megaseries.
Established IPs that sprint to either end of the Sliding Scale have to be careful. Too far in one direction and it’s possible to lose track of the tonal themes and qualities of the source materials. In this case, it’s the films. The movies (original trilogy in particular) are far more hopeful feeling than the bulk of the post Return of the Jedi novels over the last seven or so years. When the books in this universe go too far into the cynical side of the scale, fans may have a tough time swallowing that these books are part of the same franchise.
“When the books in this universe go too far into the cynical side of the scale, fans may have a tough time swallowing that these books are part of the same franchise.”
Already happened.
You think the sith girl his teenage son’s got the hots for should be welcomed into the fold and showered with love and acceptance? A girl who screwed them over at every possible opportunity only to ultimately join the One Sith. Yeah, you’re right. Luke should have been way nicer to her.
Luke never entertained the possibility that a 16-year-old child could be redeemed. That would have never happened in the films.
It wouldn’t have happened in the films because they took place 40 years before what you’re talking about!! I would hope that when I’m in my 60s I don’t act like I did when I was in my early 20s. I don’t disagree with your trope, or how it applies to the star wars galaxy as a whole, but the Luke Vestara example is just a poor one.
Luke Skywalker, at the core of his being, is an idealist. Confronted with a 16-year-old girl who has only known the Dark Side her entire life, his first instinct should be to redeem her. Tell her all about the light side and all that. If she later betrayed them, so be it.
Being an idealist does not mean you’re stupid enough to let some sith girl manipulate and maybe kill your son. If it were just Luke, maybe he would have acted that way, but it wasn’t. He didn’t kill her. He did give her a shot, and she screwed them all anyways!!! What more do you people want from this guy? wish you guys had a forum! love the show keep it up : )
I totally agree with the author of this article about .The Star Wars EU novels went too far over on the cynical side of the scale over five years ago with the Legacy of the Force novels! I have a hard time accepting that these books are part of the same franchise as the Bantam novels and the classic movies. In my eyes, the best way to bring the books back to the middle of the scale would be to bring back the character of Mara Jade!!!!!