Delve Into the World of Star Wars: The Force Awakens Through the Gender Lens “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” Star Wars fans worldwide recognize the opening crawl as it appears on the big screen for the first time in ten years. The film gives a warm welcome to familiar faces and greets a new group of up-and-coming actors and actresses, as well as a new conflict. The Dark Side is back in the form of The First Order, and Kylo Ren, son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, has plans of being greater and more evil than his grandfather, Darth Vader. Against him are The Resistance, lead by his mother, General Leia, and newcomers Rey, an independent young woman with nothing to lose; Finn, a former stormtrooper who rebelled against The First Order;
…show more content…
At all ages and stages of development, girls are more sensitive to their emotional states and to those of others than boys … From a young age, boys resort to physical strategies where girls turn to verbal ones … From the age of two, boys are more aggressive and take more risks than girls.” (Benoist) This citation can also be applied to Kylo Ren, the newest of villain of the series. Kylo, formerly known as Ben Solo, is the child of Han and Leia. He was under Luke Skywalker’s apprenticeship, but revolted against him and turned to the Dark Side for solace. Undertaking a new identity and following in the footsteps of his grandfather, the Darth Vader, Kylo Ren leads the First Order, alongside Captain Phasma, who is the first female stormtrooper, as well as the commander of the rest of the stormtroopers. This character is important when analyzed through the Gender Lens, because not only is she a woman in power, she is also very masculine in stature, standing tall at six feet and seven inches in height. When Finn, a former stormtrooper, rebelled against Kylo and his establishment, Kylo threw one of his famous temper tantrums. This is one of his many feminine qualities, physically and emotionally, …show more content…
This scene is very emotionally charged, and puts both men in a very vulnerable situation, which helps to display their raw and unmasked feelings toward each other. When they approach each other, Kylo takes off his mask, revealing his pain stricken eyes, and utters… “Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish like his father, so I destroyed him.” (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) The fact that Kylo reveals himself by removing his helmet shows weakness again, and would be perceived as him succumbing to his father and destroying all of the progress he had worked toward in becoming the leader of the First Order. He ends up emotionally manipulating his father, begging, “I'm being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?” (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). Han agrees wholeheartedly, hoping that his son will return to the Light Side. Kylo then pierces through his father’s abdomen with his lightsaber, killing him. He falls to his knees, and then off the catwalk they were conversing on, descending to his death. “Kylo Ren is somehow WEAKENED by this wicked...” crime that he committed, and his “SHOCK is broken only when” Chewie howls (Hooton). This act of violence, which tends to be a more masculine action, has more dynamic, therefore rendering Kylo frozen in fear as he realizes the extent of the damage he had
At all ages and stages of development, girls are more sensitive to their emotional states and to those of others than boys … From a young age, boys resort to physical strategies where girls turn to verbal ones … From the age of two, boys are more aggressive and take more risks than girls.” (Benoist) This citation can also be applied to Kylo Ren, the newest of villain of the series. Kylo, formerly known as Ben Solo, is the child of Han and Leia. He was under Luke Skywalker’s apprenticeship, but revolted against him and turned to the Dark Side for solace. Undertaking a new identity and following in the footsteps of his grandfather, the Darth Vader, Kylo Ren leads the First Order, alongside Captain Phasma, who is the first female stormtrooper, as well as the commander of the rest of the stormtroopers. This character is important when analyzed through the Gender Lens, because not only is she a woman in power, she is also very masculine in stature, standing tall at six feet and seven inches in height. When Finn, a former stormtrooper, rebelled against Kylo and his establishment, Kylo threw one of his famous temper tantrums. This is one of his many feminine qualities, physically and emotionally, …show more content…
This scene is very emotionally charged, and puts both men in a very vulnerable situation, which helps to display their raw and unmasked feelings toward each other. When they approach each other, Kylo takes off his mask, revealing his pain stricken eyes, and utters… “Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish like his father, so I destroyed him.” (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) The fact that Kylo reveals himself by removing his helmet shows weakness again, and would be perceived as him succumbing to his father and destroying all of the progress he had worked toward in becoming the leader of the First Order. He ends up emotionally manipulating his father, begging, “I'm being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?” (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). Han agrees wholeheartedly, hoping that his son will return to the Light Side. Kylo then pierces through his father’s abdomen with his lightsaber, killing him. He falls to his knees, and then off the catwalk they were conversing on, descending to his death. “Kylo Ren is somehow WEAKENED by this wicked...” crime that he committed, and his “SHOCK is broken only when” Chewie howls (Hooton). This act of violence, which tends to be a more masculine action, has more dynamic, therefore rendering Kylo frozen in fear as he realizes the extent of the damage he had