The significance and consequences of being raised in slavery

I would very much like to discuss the issue, which in my opinion is unduely neglected, of Anakin's childhood in slavery. I couldn't find a thread or even more than a few posts on this, so I thought I'd try and start a new one. English is not my native language, so please forgive me if I make some mistakes.

Since in Star Wars little happens by accident, I think this also applies to Anakin's childhood as a slave. Apart from the obvious thing that due to the implanted transmitter whoever sold him and Shmi to the Hutts would be able to trace where he is, I think there is a lot more to the issue. I am particularily interested in the symbolism of slavery and in the psychological significance of being raised as a slave.

My interest in this topic started when I noticed a few years ago that Anakin in essence throughout his life was calling somebody "master". Beginning with Watto, then joining the Jedi-Order with its strict rules, finally ending in ultimate slavery to Palpatine, he's never been free to live according to his own intentions, has always had to give in to other's rules and orders, for the most part unwillingly. Being interested in the psychology of mistreated children for personal reasons, I started to think about the consequences of being raised as a slave and then being identified as the "chosen one", meant to bring "balance to the Force". How does someone, who has been ordered around all his life, never even been accepted as an equal, let alone having the chance to be a leader, cope with the news that he has a decisive role for the future of the whole galaxy? Having never been given the chance to experience and live with democratic structures in his childhood or even as a Jedi-Padawan, is it really that surprising that he joins a dictatorship?

It occurred to me that perhaps the refusal to appoint him to be a jedi-master may have been the final, decisive mistake of the Jedi, since this meant that even as a member of the Jedi-Council he was not granted self-determination. Even then he was not the master, but kept being (in a sense) the slave. I think it's possible that this (apart from the Padme-issue) was a major reason why he fell for the "more-powerful-than-any-Jedi"-promise of Palpatine. Ironically, all he achieved by trying to get into a position where no-one would be able to order him, he ended up being a slave to Palpatine.

These are just a few random thoughts I've dwelled on concerning this issue, and I would be very much interested in your thoughts and ramblings on this.

 

Vey good points. I also feel that his childhood as a slave had a huge effect on his latter life. He always felt restricted, and having lived a hard life he felt more deserving than others. He felt that he deserved some retribution for his pain, even at the expense of others. His yearning for greater power was therefore in itself a result of his lack of power as a slave. How ironic then that his "new empire" restores slavery in the galxy.

 

I must agree. I have thought about this too. Living his life as a slave and seeing how his mother was living and being treated would have given him such a feeling of helplessness, making him feel weak and insignificant. He knew the jedi was a powerful order and to become one of them would mean power for him too. He didn't hesitate when he was told he'd become a jedi. In fact I think he was excited. I think he said that he would come back and free all the slaves. This suggests the intention to use his powers for -- I guess revenge? To show the slave owners that a slave can grow to be more powerful than they are. In a sense, I guess to turn the tables on them and in the process save the people still enslaved. He even gets offended when referred to as a slave. In ATOC, that he realizes how great his power is. In fact his power in the force exceeds even Yoda and Obi wan. Anakin knew this. He was arrogant, over confident, over ambitious and he lacked patience. These things contributed to his downfall. The first sign of these things was when dooku cut his arm off.

He has his first taste of power and his chance to demonstrate his skill in ROTS right way with Obi wan's advice. He demonstrates patience and control (which seemed to me like it was going against his nature). You see that happen in the beginning during the battle with dooku and etc...But further on in the movie he had no though of becoming master until palps suggested it. This a chance be the master and more power and respect for him. The council not granting that to him started him down the path to the darkside. He wanted more when he shouldn't. He was impatient when he should've been. All these things stem from his issues of being a slave in his childhood and the son of a slave.

 

Great post, mandragora. You're absolutely right.

Anakin always had to answer to someone else; he had little control over his own actions. Whenever he was able to make his own choices, they were not always right. He was so used to having everyone else tell him what to do that he didn't know what choices to make once he could.

 

What do you think is the inner, psychological correspondence to his outwardly slavery?
Psychologically speaking, what controlls and commands him - what is he a slave to? Is it fear?

 

Anakin is a slave to fear. Fear of the death of the people he loves.

 

Take a look at Anakin's "slavery". From what I saw, he absolutely loved being around the workshop which also gave him the opportunity to pod race. His lifestyle wasn'd ideal but did give him the opportunity to do what he loved. I'm not sure what tasks Shmi performed as I only saw her in her home - something else which would have been provided, along with food etc since I doubt slaves earn money. Come to think of it, perhaps I should write to Tony Blair about this set up so he can sort out all the people living on the dole and doing absolutely nothing!

 

Excellent post mandragora!
I'm inclined to agree with you, I've also given quite a bit of thought to this very topic.

Anakin was born a slave and only in the last moments of his life was he truly free.

He was initially a slave to Watto in a very literal sense.
Then he became the slave to the Jedi Order, the dogma, the order, the strict rules and organization and principles.
All through this time he was a prisoner to fear. The fear became one of his most powerful masters. It influenced what he did in life and what decisions he made. The fear of losing loved ones was one of the major fuels which kept him going.
Anakin was a slave to the war, the ultimate soldier who keeps on fighting.
A slave to Palpatine who began to manipulate him.
Then he became a true slave to the Sith order, the ideas and the new Master.
With that he became a slave to hatred.
Finally in a literal sense, the man is trapped within the black obsedian mask and suit. In that way he is trapped and slaved in another sense.

Only when Luke lifts the mask off, is Anakin Skywalker finally free for the first time in his life.

-Seldon

 

"Only when Luke lifts the mask off, is Anakin Skywalker finally free for the first time in his life."

That was deep brotha.

I thi......I think I'm g........I think I'm gonna

 

Thanks, I always try to give my posts the depth of a puddle

Seriously, Lucas was very clever on this Anakin is a slave issue.

-Seldon

 

Co-dependency. It is Anakin's inherent fear of the unknown, of the uncertain, that ultimately drives his erratic, self-consumed psyche. Seeing as he has never really had the choice of being his own man (person, whatever), that crucial trait that allows one their respective self-worth, he has become essentially a submissive individual.

He knows of nothing else other than pain, misery and above all, loneliness. These, along with a rather frightening inferiority complex (that mandates that he maintain dominance over all things feasible, even such inconceivable things as death) drove him to his untimely demise.

 

In a way, in his times with Watto, although literarily a slave he seems to have had the most freedom in his life (apart from those famous last few minutes). As time went on, he lost more and more freedom, ending up not only under the ultimate slavery but also as dependent on the technology in his suit.

Maybe the greatest aspect of the Saga is the multiple layers on which things can be interpreted. Something else that came to mind yesterday: I have always liked to think of Anakins way as an example of the classic myth of the "journey of the hero into the underworld" (like Orpheus, Inanna etc.). It is a recurring theme in mythology that the hero, to accomplish his task, has to descend into the underworld, get through it, face some evil beings there and return back to the light. Of course, there is the danger of getting stuck in the darkness, never being able to return to the light, and there are also a number of mythological figures who suffered that fate.
C.G. Jung interpreted this journey as the symbol of the exploration of the subconscious dark sides (the so-called "shadows") in the process of developing one's personality. According to him, as long as the dark side is not integrated into the personality, it keeps controlling one's life in an unfathomable way. One remains a "slave" of it in a way. Only when one confronts, integrates the dark side and comes back to the light one will be free. Exactly what happend to Anakin, isn't it?

When thinking of the myth in connection with the Jedi, the Sith and the prophecy of bringing balance to the Force, it also adds an additional meaning. It seems the Jedi have never confronted the dark side - in the script of AOTC Yoda was referring to the necessity of exploring the dark side in order to be able to see, and Mace seems almost frightened by this prospect. The Sith, by contrast, are those who have explored the dark side, but have gotten stuck within. Remember also Yodas repeated statement that when one choses the dark path, it will "forever" dominate one's destiny. It seems to me that no member of the Jedi Order has ever explored the dark side and come back again. Maybe in a sense, to bring balance it needed someone who walked the path to it's end - coming from the light, walking through the darkness and then coming back to light again.

 

In the prequel forum I posted a thread about the significance of the line, "I will do anything you ask," which Anakin says both to Padme (during the fireplace scene in AOTC) and to Palpatine (when pledging himself to the Sith in ROTS). Ousley was clever enough to connect this to Anakin's past as a slave. So, in a sense, Anakin thinks about even his relationship with Padme in terms of power and submission.

 

I found this post, I guess. I remember reading another one (unfortunately I cannot find it right now) which suggested that Anakin in general tends to think of people, or relationships, in terms of possessions - there is someone who "owns" and gives orders, and someone who "is owned" and obeys.

Very interesting information, thanks!

 

There is an aspect of the Chosen One's enslavment that none of you seem to have considered...

The only way for the Living Force to set the beings of the Galaxy free from bondage to the Darkness was to become a slave itself, first as a young boy, then to a corrupt order which no longer followed the Light, and finally to the Darkness itself. Yet when the Son of Suns broke free from his chains, he liberated not only himself, but allowed all others to rturn to the Light whose pathes were previously dominated Darkness.

 

Anakin being denied Mastership was something that made me wonder "why does he care?"
The fact that after everything he had done for the Republic (with no real thankyou), he is still essentially kept "a slave" is a really good way of looking at it.

You're missing the point slightly.
Yes, this was the meaning of the dream Anakin mentioned in TPM, but this has no influence on how slavery effected his life before killing Sidious.

 

Thanks for sharing this impressive question with us, Mandragora!
Yes, I think that Anakin went from a master to another during all his life (while Luke was born free, and was able to make free choices).

I don't think so. It seems to me that even the apprenticeship as a Jedi was a sort of slavery because of his master Obi Wan. In fact, even if he was now free, he felt under the pressure of a so different character who treaded on him. I ain't saying that Obi Wan really did it, but this was what Anakin felt, because of his past.
If Qui Gon hadn't died, maybe he could have learnt freedom from him, as Qui Gon was a very free character. But Anakin wasn't lucky, so he hadn't that chance.

Having freedom, as he was as a padawan, doesn't mean to be really free.

Anakin didn't want to be a slave as a child, then he didn't want to feel a slave as a padawan; but when he turned to the Dark Side, he accepted to be a slave. It sounds as he surrended to his fate.
At the end, as he turned back to the Light Side, he refused again to be Darth Sidious' slave!

 

Padme's statement in AOTC actually refers to the slave-resembling characteristics of the situation: "It must be difficult having sworn your life to the Jedi. Not being able to visit the places you like... or do the things you like..." ... it all amounts to "not being free".

I see your point. Well, on second thought it might be a question of what time we consider. I've never been one of those who took Anakin's turn as a matter of the two minutes he adopted the name of Darth Vader. With respect to "trying to get into a position where no-one would be able to order him", what I had in mind was the time before, starting from when Palpatine first began to rave on the powers of the dark side and talked about becoming more powerful than any Jedi. I think at this time, what he had in mind was getting freed from the Jedi's orders and regulations (amongst other issues such as the question how to save Padme, of course). I don't think he considered the possibility of ending up as a slave to "kind uncle Palpatine" at that time. But I'm with you when it comes to the situation when he was "christened" Darth Vader. It's quite possible that at that moment he actually gave in.

 

I'm sorry I missed this thread in the last days.

I think so. Anakin's turn isn't a matter of the two minutes. To me, it's rather a Palpatine's undue influence along the years, since when Anakin arrived in Coruscant. First, Palpatine started his influence on Anakin by offering him his friendship; then he went on by talking about becoming more powerful than any Jedi; And in the end he offered him the chance to save Padme. Palpatine's attempts to make Anakin turn to the dark side, grew along the PT.

Of course, there's a moment in which Anakin was "christened" Darth Vader. I was referring to that, when I said that he gave in.

 

Some superb thoughts.

I think one's upbringing has a VERY potent effect on the kind of person one becomes - for life.

Being an Elvis fan and being familiar with his life story, Anakin's own story reminds me in many ways of his. First and foremost, both were born into very humble - read: poor - existences and developed very close (Oedipal) attachments to their mothers. Yet both, thanks to their innate abilities, found themselves whisked off to the promise of untold physical riches. Unfortunately, as soon as they became celebrities, they attracted the attention of two tricksters and hucksters - Palpatine and Colonel Parker. Both of these men, incredibly world-wise with shady pasts, seized the opportunity to "take over" their youner, vulnerable subjects. When Anakin's mother died, it was a turning point in which he found refuge in the Dark Side. Palpatine's job was easier from that day forward. Likewise, when Elvis' mother died, he was never the same again. More emotionally insecure than ever, Elvis let Parker dictate movie roles, song publishing, and eventually, signed a contract which gave Parker a 50/50 split of his earnings. Parker made Elvis feel helpless; he fostered and continually reinforced Elvis' belief that he would be finished without him. In reality, the choice always lay with Elvis - but he couldn't see it. Exactly the same dynamics came into play between Palpatine and Anakin in Revenge of the Sith. What's ironic is that both controllers - Palpatine and Parker - were actually dependent on the people they had strangeholds over: without Elvis, Parker could never have had the financial success he did, and without Anakin, Palpatine could never have come anywhere near as close to attaining "unlimited power".

As dark as it sounds, you could almost say that Anakin was doomed from the start.

 

I wish I had something intelligent to add but well it interests me everything that you are saying

There's a lot of talk about how young people these days are lacking role models they can look up to and emulate and I suppose Anakin was missing one of those too... He had his mother but no father and I suppose in that way Star Wars is being quite conservative in suggesting that because Anakin had no father and the male role models in his life were slave-masters and so dominated him, he was always "looking" (subconsciously I mean) for someone else to fulfil that role... as that was all he knew. And he finds both Obi-wan and Palpatine who seem to fit that mould (although I get confused here over Anakin's calling of Obi-wan both father and brother... confuses the relationship somewhat). But Kenobi has to be both master and teacher in one... whilst he has to ensure Anakin fulfils what is expected of him Palpatine can sit back on the sidelines and pretend to be the kind uncle (as mentioned above) whilst all the time "grooming" Anakin into his next servant. And its kind of crepy how he does it, how he can manipulate him so well...

For me that's the tragedy for Anakin he spends his life trying to escape slavery but seems to be caught within it and in trying to escape what he sees as slavery from the Jedi he ends up in a worse kind of slavery. It also seems to me that Anakin starts to believe his own self-loathing - he sees himself as "bad" and only worth being a slave whilst all the time convinced of superiority and power... a strange combination which ultimately I think links in with the brilliant idea contained here that he is never allowed to be his own person and in his struggles to become who he thinks he should be it ultimately leads to ruin.

Ha well sorry for the ramblings i am thinking there is something here related to gender and how all slave masters are male (Watto, Jedi Masters predominantly male, Sith predominatly male)... mmmmm will have to think about that more

 

their relationship evolves quite nicely, i should say. they are more like brother with their age, yet obi-wan takes on the role of the master, although he cannot properly fulfil that yet. he fulfils it badly as a mentor (i take mentor, master and teacher to be essentially the same, at least i think obi-wan takes it as the same) but as anakin grws older and more accomplished, obi-wan can finally assume the role of his brother, albeit, i think, with the consequence that he will not take responsibility. as a father i think he should have talked to aakin about why he thinks he's stressed, and yet he talks with padme. as a father who assumes responsibility he should have refused to have anakin spy on the chancellor.
in effect, since obi-wan is ruled out as a father figure by the time, and also because anakin still has some gripes about how he has been treated by him, he fully turns to palps for help.
palps also knows that obi and ani are close, otherwise he wouldn't separate them for the crucial move.

 

There was a post on the starwars.com message board on the slavery issue recently, unfortunately I cannot seem to find the link right now. In essence the poster pointed out that people who have been slaves all their lives actually might be afraid of being freed, because they don't know anything else but slavery. She referred to the slaves in American history, some of whom, when faced with the choice to be freed, choose to stay as slaves with their masters. And she raised the question whether it might be possible that something like that, some perhaps unconscious mechanism that works towards always replacing one master with the next one, was at work with Anakin.

 

oh, i think there's definitely this psychological problem. like prisoners who've been in prison for too long time, it's something you know, something you have a concept of, whereas freedom can be a pretty scary thing to handle.
i think in a way he wanted to be free, of course, but then, like actually leaving the jedi order, it would have entailed not to know anymore what to do and not being able to rely on his master.

ha! so there it is!

 

It kind of makes me wonder what might have happened had Anakin not been trained. Whether the Jedi took him in or not, he was free, but they never really discuss what his options would have been had Qui-Gon not died and forced that oath to train Anakin out of Obi-Wan. I mean, he wouldn't just be dumped in some Coruscant orphanage until his majority, would he?

I hadn't really considered the point about his having been a slave until I saw this thread. Being a Jedi was Anakin's dream, in many ways; he makes mention of this in TPM. So I'm not sure even he saw being a Jedi as being a slave. For that matter, I'm not sure I see it that way even now; most of us have people who are in charge of us in one way or another...is that slavery? I'm not sure I agree with that point.

It also occurs to me that Anakin never does go back and free all the slaves. Sure, he declared he'd do it when he was a child and children say things like that all the time, but I think that if his slavery was a weight upon his mind, he would have made good on that promise. Maybe it's just that the Clone Wars intruded, I d'know.

But in all honesty, I'm not seeing that having grown up as a slave had much of an overt effect on Anakin. Just sayin'...