Bibbero.PMSDMKT@sri-unix.UUCP (07/21/83)
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)