fb
How the New Star Wars Trilogy Teaches Writers to Craft Compelling Symbols

May 17, 2019

A couple weeks ago, I saw the teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. One shot captured me instantly: Rey, Finn, and Poe overlooking the shattered remains of (presumably) the second Death Star. Those few seconds made me more excited for the trilogyโ€™s conclusion than Palpatineโ€™s laughter and the other action-packed glimpses.

 

Why?

 

Because of the rich symbolism.

 

Writers tend to view symbols as literary tropes to develop a storyโ€™s theme. However, symbols not only deepen theme, they enhance the audienceโ€™s enjoyment of a story.

 

Symbols arenโ€™t abstract concepts, but embodied ideas that cause readers to form an emotional attachment to a storyโ€™s themes, characters, settings, and events. The recent Star Wars films serve as an excellent case study. Although J. J. Abramsโ€™ and Rian Johnsonโ€™s application of symbolism isnโ€™t perfect, we can learn from the best and worst aspects of their techniques in each film.

 

The Force Awakens: Emotionally Resonant Symbols

J. J. Abrams, director of The Force Awakens, understands that symbols have the ability to set a sceneโ€™s tone and move audiences.

 

Darth Vaderโ€™s helmet has become iconic in pop culture since the original trilogy. When Kylo Ren speaks to its mangled shell, that conjures up memories of a broken source of evil that gives viewers chills.

 

On Jakku, the downed Star Destroyer lends more to the atmosphere than decoration, though Iโ€™m admittedly fascinated by ruins. Stranded in a desert, the Star Destroyer emanates deadness. Jakku is a dead planet, and the desolate scenery conveys this theoretically as well as emotionally.

 

When we compare these scenes to others in the film, a pattern emerges. The casino planet, the Resistance planet, and Lukeโ€™s planet overflow with life, whereas corrupt planets are devoid of it. Instead of a duel on the wintry Starkiller Base, imagine a climax where Kylo and Rey fight in a jungleโ€”perhaps similar to the battle on Takodana earlier on. The scene would feel entirely different, because symbols generate a distinct aura that invokes emotions.

ย 

I could analyze other symbols, such as Anakinโ€™s lightsaber or Finnโ€™s blood-smeared helmet, but I think Iโ€™ve proved my point. If youโ€™re using symbols merely for their thematic meanings and arenโ€™t capitalizing on emotional triggers, your approach is wrong. Though The Force Awakens has the advantage of borrowing symbols from previous episodes, we can glean two concrete lessons from its tactics.

 

1. The Symbols Need to Matter to the Characters

Prioritizing emotional impact over thematic significance may seem like an odd strategy, but symbols that are infused with emotion radiate the most power. Moreover, designing symbols is often easier if you progress from emotion to theme rather than the reverse. Standard symbols like colors, directions, and celestial bodies are difficult to correlate with characters. Although not necessarily bad, these symbols are generally weaker. Thatโ€™s why many of the key symbols in The Force Awakens are built on personal connections to the characters.

 

Examples of symbols with emotional relevance include Darth Vaderโ€™s helmet and Anakinโ€™s lightsaber from Star Wars, Spidermanโ€™s suit in Raimiโ€™s Spiderman 2, the scarlet letter in The Scarlet Letter, the green light in The Great Gatsby, the rabbit farm in Of Mice & Men, and the Ring in Lord of the Rings. All of these elements carry emotional weight because the characters care about them. When choosing symbols, begin with an object or place that characters either love or hate and work from there.

 

2. Use Symbols to Set the Mood

Intriguing symbols are pointless if theyโ€™re absent from the story. Expert storytellers understand how symbols influence a readerโ€™s perception of a scene and manipulate his senses accordingly.

 

If youโ€™ve correctly established the protagonistโ€™s emotional connection to the symbol, readers should mirror her reaction to it. This allows you to create atmosphere. Abrams achieves this with shattered spaceships and character relics. Once youโ€™ve added an emotional layer, youโ€™ll be able to incorporate symbols into the backdrop if youโ€™re intentional about it.

 

The Flaws in Abramsโ€™ Approach

Although the symbols in The Force Awakens are emotionally engaging, many are thematically shallow. Anakinโ€™s lightsaber, for instance. The frame of the shot and the awe it arouses implies that itโ€™s important. But what does the weapon symbolize? Your guess is as good as mine. (Johnson attributes meaning to the same symbol in The Last Jedi.)

 

Sometimes Abramsโ€™ symbols serve more as embellishments than threads in the storyโ€™s theme. Part of the issue is the lack of a core theme in The Force Awakens. Nonetheless, the symbols are heavy with emotions and sparse in meaning. That weakness leads right into my next point.

 

The Last Jedi: Thematically Revealing Symbolsย 

I realize that discussing The Last Jedi on the internet is liable to cause disputes, but Iโ€™m not interested in stirring anyone up. Regardless of whether you liked how the film affected the franchise, Rian Johnson displayed skill in his development of themes (I wrote about this in greater detail on my blog).

 

A central theme in The Last Jedi is the death of the past, and it tinges character dialogue and decisions in addition to the storyโ€™s main symbols.

 

Vader isnโ€™t the only character with a symbolic maskโ€”Kyloโ€™s mask represents his desire to emulate Vader. Snoke tells him early in the film, โ€œYouโ€™re not Vader; youโ€™re just a child with a mask!โ€ Kylo responds by destroying his own mask, which announces that heโ€™s abandoning Vader as his idol. Instead heโ€™ll chart his own path.

 

To evaluate a more controversial treatment of symbols, look at Anakinโ€™s lightsaber. When Luke tosses it over his shoulder, he inadvertently enraged many fans (and I agree that this was an unseemly action), but it demonstrates that heโ€™s forsaking the past. Then, when Rey and Kylo eventually break the lightsaber in Snokeโ€™s throne chamber, the past is dead whether the characters like it or not. To win in the present, they need to stop relying on ancient weapons.

 

Several other symbols reiterate this fact, such as the burning of the Jedi temple tree and the twin sunset at the end. Johnson primarily utilizes symbols to convey the filmโ€™s major themes, and we can gain two additional insights from his methods.

 

1. Integrate Symbols into the Storyโ€™s Theme

Once youโ€™ve selected a symbol for its emotional impact, you need to tie it to your storyโ€™s theme. Johnson does this expertly with each symbol in The Last Jedi by alluding to the past. While the symbols in The Force Awakens have been extracted from previous films, it falls short in this area because it has no overarching theme to reinforce.

 

The form of the thematic connection will vary, but once youโ€™ve sewn the pieces together, youโ€™ll only need to drop hints about the symbol in descriptions, character thoughts, or dialogue to ingrain its meaning into readersโ€™ minds.

 

2. Intersperse Symbols Throughout Character Arcs

Iโ€™ve recommended creating symbols from emotional connections first, but a symbolโ€™s capacity to illuminate theme is actually its most valuable quality. Donโ€™t squander your storyโ€™s thematic potential like The Force Awakens. Consider how you can accentuate your storyโ€™s theme and unfold a symbolโ€™s meaning through a characterโ€™s interaction with it.

 

Johnson obliterates most of the nostalgic symbols that appeared in The Force Awakens, though he preserves a few, like the Jedi books, to reveal that the death of the past isnโ€™t the storyโ€™s message, and a ghost beats Kylo at the end. In Spiderman 2, Peter discards his suit to signal his walk away from responsibility. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester tries to glorify her scarlet letter, then attempts to get rid of it, and finally accepts it, representing her arc over the story. And in Lord of the Rings, multiple characters are forced to choose whether to succumb to the Ringโ€™s temptation.

 

Symbolic usage will differ from story to story, but remember that symbols arenโ€™t window dressingsโ€”they should be components hardwired into your storyโ€™s theme.

 

The Flaws in Johnsonโ€™s Approach

Although Johnson supports the filmโ€™s theme with symbolism more than Abrams did, his symbols largely fail to evoke emotionsโ€”or at least the right emotions.

 

Lukeโ€™s flippant rejection of the lightsaber is intentionally jolting. But, when a weighty symbol is dismissed, it deserves a big scene preceded by buildup. Without that, it feels like a joke at the audienceโ€™s expense. Luke doesnโ€™t value the symbol, and viewers wonder if the filmmakers donโ€™t either. This symbol subversion was handled better during Kylo and Reyโ€™s fight later in the film.

 

The tree library is another example of this problem. When Luke sets it afire, the burning is clearly supposed to be symbolic. Yet, at least personally, I’m not disturbed or saddened. Why? Because the tree is a new symbol, and the scene that introduces it has a dark, mysterious vibeโ€”which doesnโ€™t reflect the hope Rey seeks in the Jedi order. That may be how Luke views the Jedi. But Rey and the audience donโ€™t share his perspective yet. The tree is laden with thematic significance and empty of emotional resonance.

 

The Rise of Skywalker, the Future of Symbols, and You

The trailer for The Rise of Skywalker gives me hope that the prominent symbols of the new Star Wars trilogy will continueโ€”and Iโ€™m crossing my fingers that theyโ€™ll use the shattered Death Star effectively.

 

Whether youโ€™re looking ahead to The Rise of Skywalker or your own book, symbolism can increase the audienceโ€™s enthusiasm for a story. Thus, I want to stress one final rule.

 

Donโ€™t Waste Opportunities

The Force Awakens neglects thematic impact and The Last Jedi neglects emotional impact. Symbols can help readers experience a story from both anglesโ€”but only when you invest time as an author. Crafting symbols that combine the emotional weight of The Force Awakens and the thematic meaning of The Last Jedi is the goal you should be aiming for.

 

What symbols are currently present in your story? And what symbols could you add? Donโ€™t overlook chances to bring your storyโ€™s theme to life and leave a profound impression on readers.

10 Comments

  1. PursueWisdom

    Thanks for this great article, Josiah! I really like your analysis of how the new SW trilogy (so far) have dealt with symbolism and their relations to theme/s. It’s quite sad how TFA missed so many opportunities – I felt like it left me hanging by introducing all these great symbols, yet not developing them. On the other hand, TLJ was better than TFA but still flawed – in the ways you have delineated. I really hope they’ll make it worth it for us in this last one coming up, and maybe redeem some of the doubts in the more skeptical original SW fans. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Josiah DeGraaf

      Yep–I feel you on all of that!

  2. Sandrina

    STAR WARS!!!!!
    I cannot wait for The Rise of Skywalker.
    Really helpful, thanks!

    Reply
    • Josiah DeGraaf

      You’re welcome, Sandrina!

  3. Jewel

    Ah! Thank you for this very interesting and helpful article. I am a major Star Wars geek myself, and I enjoyed learning from some of my favorite movies. ๐Ÿ™‚ Symbols have been one of the harder things for me to write, but this cleared some things up.

    Reply
    • Josiah DeGraaf

      You’re welcome, Jewel! Glad to hear it helped clear some things up for you. ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. NicoleG

    Great article, Josiah! This was such a great analysis. Learned a lot of new things here ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Josiah DeGraaf

      Thanks Nicole! Glad you found the analysis helpful. ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Sara Twinkle

    Thanks so much for this post, Mr. Josiah! I appreciate how you analyzed several symbols Star Wars with specific examples.

    Reply
    • Josiah DeGraaf

      You’re welcome! I’m glad you found it helpful. ๐Ÿ™‚

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Article Categories

Don't Be That Kind of Christian Writer

Want to impact the world for Christ with your writingโ€”without being preachy or cliched?

ย 

Learn how to avoid common pitfalls and craft powerful themes by downloading our free worksheet!

Congratulations! Redirecting you to the theme worksheet in one moment...

Pin It on Pinterest