Message-ID: <3481@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 21-Jul-83 09:32:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.3481
Posted: Thu Jul 21 09:32:00 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Jul-83 22:42:42 EDT
Lines: 32

Re Wagner's Ring, I think the most significant analogy in ROTJ is the
reforging of the Father's (Wotan"s) sword by Seigfried and the similar
reconstruction of the light sabre by Luke.  Wotan broke the sword in a
struggle to impose his will on Seigmund (actually to kill him) and the
reforging by son Seigfried was the true test of his being a Volsung -- a
superman.  The Niebelungen dwarfs, even though they were the most
skilled smiths in their world, could not reforge the sword because they
did not have the Volsung spirit, the Force!  As far as the hint of
incest with Leia is concerned, this might not have been intended by
Lucas.  As far as derivation is concerned, how much of an intellectual
is Lucas?  Is he an opera-goer?

I am baffled by the question from menlo70 at sri about "who is the
economy? (in ROTJ)"  In the recently televised performance of the Ring
cycle by the Metropolitan Opera, the plot was cast in a Victorian time
frame with overtures of "the fall of Capitalism" (e.g., Marxist theory)
of which Valhalla was the metaphor.  The ruler of the economy -- the
chief capitalist, was obviously Wotan.  "All treaties are written on my
spear," he sings.  The Chief of the Empire, the Emperor, would be the
head of the economy in the ROTJ version.

Just a word on the shape of the Death Star.  As any chemical or
mechanical engineer knows, the most economical shape of a pressure
vessal is a sphere.  (You see spherical protane tanks in oil refineries
quite often.)  A space vehicle or satellite is a pressure vesel and
benefits from minimum surface to reduce danger of leakage.

I must get my 2 cents worth in on the name Anakin.  If Lucas's sister is
named Anna, and she is his kin, why not immortalize her with the name
Anakin?  (Joke.)

Cheers - Bob Bibbero (Bibbero.PMSDMKT)