Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
C-3PO: Hey! You're not permitted in there. It's restricted. You'll be deactivated for sure.
C-3PO: Don't you call me a mindless philosopher you overweight glob of grease. Now come out before somebody sees you.
C-3PO: Secret mission? What plans? What are you talking about? I'm not getting in there.
C-3PO: I'm going to regret this.R2-D2's hopes are what get this whole story started. He wants to complete his mission and find Obi-Wan Kenobi, and it is the little astrodroid's drive that sees the Rebel's victory at the movie's end. C-3PO just doesn't want to be shot at, and you got to respect that. We don't imagine laser burns are pleasant.
LUKE: Yes, sir. I think those new droids are gonna work out fine. In fact, I, uh, was also thinking about our agreement, about me staying on another season? And if these new droids do work out, I want to transmit my application to the academy this year.
OWEN: You mean the next semester before the harvest?
LUKE: Sure. There's more than enough droids.Luke's dream is to escape from his home planet and see the universe; his uncle's hope is that Luke will take up moisture farming and not seek adventure like his father—we all know what happened to that guy. Like much of the film, the collisions of character desires are what create conflicts.
HAN: Yes, Greedo. As a matter of fact, I was just going to see your boss. Tell Jabba that I've got his money.
GREEDO: It's too late. You should have paid him when you had the chance. Jabba's put a price on your head so large every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for you. I'm lucky I found you first.
HAN: Yeah, but this time I've got the money.Han doesn't want to be killed for the money he owes Jabba. It's not the loftiest of goals, but it makes sense. You can only pull the gun-under-the-table trick so many times before the Greedos of the universe catch on.
BEN: I suggest you try it again, Luke. This time, let go your conscious self and act on instinct.
LUKE: With the blast shield down, I can't even see. How am I supposed to fight?
BEN: Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them. Stretch out with your feelings.Star Wars loves to play the destiny card, but it just doesn't give its characters their dreams. That would make for a boring movie. Instead, they have to work for them as evident by Luke having to train to be a Jedi.
LUKE: Uh. 3PO, hand me those binders there, will you? Okay. Now… I'm gonna put these on you.
CHEWBACCA: Grawh!
LUKE: Okay. Han, you—you put those on.
HAN: Don't worry, Chewie. I think I know what he has in mind.Chewbacca isn't a chatty Cathy, but we get a sense of his hopes through the growls and roars. He is fiercely loyal to Han, and he wants both of them to maintain their freedom. This scene tells both the viewer—and Luke—that fact loud and clear.
VADER: Obi-Wan is here. The Force is with him.
TARKIN: If you're right, he must not be allowed to escape.
VADER: Escape is not his plan. I must face him alone.Vader is a basic sci-fi Black Knight, but we do get a sense that he dreams of being the most powerful bloke on the block. His desire to kill Obi-Wan and prove he is the master shows us this.
LEIA: At least the information in R2 is still intact.
HAN: What's so important? What's he carrying?
LEIA: The technical readouts of that battle station. I only hope that when the data's analyzed a weakness can be found. It's not over yet.We can't forget about Leia. Her hope is straightforward enough: See that the Rebellion succeeds over the Empire. Arguably, though, she suffers the most for her dream. She is tortured, sees her home and family destroyed, and is almost killed. It's a rough couple of days for the princess, but she ultimately manages to succeed in her goal.
LUKE: Come on. Why don't you take a look around? You know what's about to happen, what they're up against. They could use a good pilot like you. You're turning your back on them.
Courage is another theme in Star Wars, and the characters who succeed in bringing their hopes to fruition are those who find the courage to do so. Luke wants to find his place in the universe, and by summoning the courage to join the Death Star assault, he locates it among the Rebels.
LEIA: Luke.
HAN: Hey! Hey!
LUKE: I knew you'd come back. I just knew it.
HAN: Well, I wasn't going to let you get all the credit and take all the reward.
LEIA: Hey, I knew there was more to you than money.Han's original dream was self-centered, but through his adventures, his character arc brings him to a place where he cares about others. We don't understand why he couldn't just go and pay back Jabba once the Death Star offensive was over, but as evident by Empire Strikes Back, it must have slipped his mind.
