Anti-alien bias?

One of the things that struck me when I was re-reading the Thrawn Trilogy recently was point-of-view in the books. The point-of-view always seemed to be of either Luke, Leia, Mara, Han, or Pellaeon. Never was the point-of-view from an alien like Chewie, Thrawn, or one of the Noghri. This struck me as sort of a bias towards humans. As a matter of fact, it got me thinking...did any aliens ever speak Basic in the three originial movies?

 

Do you want to be in Thrawn's mind? As human's we can relate to human POVs better. Except me. I'm really a Wookiee you know.

As for basic speaking aliens. Bib Fortuna spoke basic and I bet there are more.

On a lesser note all the aliens get their species name capitalized. The word human doesn't.

 

I'm really a Wookiee you know.

And I'm a Kushiban...

Yeah, we relate better with humans. But still, things are written from the POV of aliens. Chewbacca is frequently *narrating* (what other word could I use?) in The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy. In the NJO, alien POVs occur often, from the Yuuzhan Vong to Twi'Leks to Barabels.

Maybe there was an anti alien bias in the first books, but that isn't the case any more.

 

It has become more and more common. Maybe we are more used to the idea of a alian POV now. Who was the first to use one?

 

Actually, it was probably KJA, with Qui Xux....

 

Interesting thread, but there's more bias.

Notice how any book you ever read always says someone with dark skin is dark skin? For a SW eg, like Kalenda, Calrissian, Triv Pothman.

You don't see Lukie or other non-darkers described that way.

We're inherently biased as a society. The Lizards under Fleetlord Atvar should have conquered Earth . . .

 

Notice how any book you ever read always says someone with dark skin is dark skin? For a SW eg, like Kalenda, Calrissian, Triv Pothman.

You forgot Salla Zend, Mace Windu and Kar Vastor.

You don't see Lukie or other non-darkers described that way.

Why would they? Maybe it is just an assumed thing.

We're inherently biased as a society. The Lizards under Fleetlord Atvar should have conquered Earth . . .

Thrawn should have won and the humans should never have won in Independence Day. We geeks hate aliens, people with dark skin and antagonists. I never realized geeks discriminated so much.

 

Actually, it was probably KJA, with Qui Xux....

Perhaps the Sorceror of Tund from long ago, Rokur Gepta?

 

The Lizards under Fleetlord Atvar should have conquered Earth

but there was Ginger!

 

Rogue Wookie: I didn't forget them; but I can't list all the non-white-skinners, can I?

Jawajames: the damn druggies!

 

did any aliens ever speak Basic in the three originial movies?

Yoda

 

I think the issue, in relation to the thrawn trilogy, perhaps is not so much that the non-human point of view was not represented in the narrative, but rather that non-humans did not fill any of the roles of the primary protagonists. Having said that, the novels DID take Pallaeon's perspective (an antagonist) on several occassions, but I think that was a plot device to show Thrawn from the perspective of another person, so that we were not privy to the trains of thought he used to reach those amazing conclusions. That way its more mysterious, and makes him appear even more intelligent.

Other than thrawn, however, there simply weren't any aliens whose view was worth taking. THAT could be taken as a case of anti-alien bias.

However, as rogue wookie said, it is easier for us readers to empathise with and relate to those characters who most resemble ourselves. And resemblance on a superficial level is, i think, subconsciously extended to a presumption of resemblance on a psychological level.

Oh, and if you listen carefully, Chewbacca speaks basic in one scene in the empire strikes back.

...i kiiiid!

 

Oh, and two of the Ewoks in ROTJ exchanged a brief conversation in English...

or maybe it was just an astonishing coincidence.