How did Anakin's past as a slave affect him?

How do you think Anakin's past as a slave affect him? Is it part of the reason why he was so ambitious, and why he felt like he was being restrained and controlled when people told him what to do?

 

Probably.

 

Well said.

 

Most probably.

Okay, definately.

Being at others' control meant he would probably resent authority and seek control on his terms. And he did.

 

I agree with everything you said, anakin_girl. Anakin's anxiety about his mother isn't that crazy. If Anakin didn't feel bad about leaving his mother in slavery, that would be somewhat disturbing.

I also agree that Anakin's past as a slave made him dislike being told what to do. It's partially why he snapped at Padme when she told him to get Palpatine to bring a peaceful solution to the war. He felt like she was ordering him to do it, when she was simply making a request.

 

His desire to control every aspect of his life because he didn't have that control when he was younger. It made him a bit obsessive and when he had something, he didn't want to let it go because he remembers his life as a slave when he had nothing.

 

Didn't Anakin impale the first slaver he faced as a Padawan?

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EDIT:
I checked the Wook, and sure enough....
[image=http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n107/SithStarSlayer/First_Stab.jpg]
So, I'd say that his time as a slave DEFINITELY had a negative impact upon his life.

 

Yes...and according to a book called The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader, he also competed in an illegal Podrace to win the freedom of a slave when he was fifteen. It's ironic if you think about how Anakin wished to free the slaves in TPM.

 

You know, I think Anakin's ego problem has *a lot* to do with his past a slave. You see, he wears a mask of arrogance to hide how insecure he really is. Why is he insecure? Because he was an abused child. Watto, being his slave master, must of been verbally abusive. He's probably told Anakin how worthless he is, how he is a dirty slave who will never amount to anything. Because of this, Anakin clinged to his mother. She told him that he wasn't a worthless, dirty little slave. She told him that he was strong, and that he would shoot for the stars. So when she died, he had lost the only person who ever believed in him. At that point of time, he didn't think Padme believed in him because she had rejected him. Obi Wan didn't, either. He in fact didn't trust Anakin because of his arrogance.

But then Padme came along when she declared her love for him and he clinged to her as well. Over time, Obi Wan began to believe in him as well. So, Anakin clinged to him as well. If you think about it, Anakin is always trying to heal the scars that child abuse has left on him, when what he really needs is therapy. It's not surprising, really. People who are abused as children typically have personality problems later in life. Anakin's not a bad person; he's just a former victim of abuse who is trying to heal the scars of it. This is why I don't *completely* blame Anakin for his fall. In my opinion, it's just cruel to blame a abused person for subconciously seeking out compassionate, complimentary figures who make him feel better about himself. Even his lust for power, or more accurately control, is because he secretly feels like a failure, a weak person who will never amount to anything. Power makes him feel strong.

That's why when Anakin said "Love won't save you Padme, only my new powers can do that." he was saying "Love isn't enough anymore, Padme. Love can make you feel better, but it won't really help you in the long run. Love hurts. It breaks your heart; you said so yourself. Power is better, because it makes you feel strong and invincable. Come with me, and choose power. You feel helpless and weak, but you won't feel that way anymore if you choose power. Love doesn't help people, Padme. It makes them temporarily happy, but there will always be a heart break in the end. It's not like mere "love" will help us save and bring peace to the galaxy anyways. But power can do that. With power, we can do anything. We can be heroes, and demolish all those traitorous, evil Jedi. With power, we can be the good guys who are strong enough beat the bad guys(Jedi)."

This is why Darth Vader is so cool and detached. He's afraid if he feels anything besides anger and hatred, he will get his heart broken again. And he doesn't want his heart broken, because that would make him feel weak.

P.S: It's funny, because at the same time I think part of the reason why Anakin loved Padme so much is because he could be weak around her. He could cry, whine, complain, and get angry around her without being criticized for it.

Also, I think Anakin's dream to free the slaves is because he doesn't want *them* to feel weak. He's torn, really. There's this part of him that wants to be strong, but at the same time he wants others. That's why he offered power to Padme and Luke---he thought he would be helping them by offering them power. Power made him feel good, so wouldn't it make Padme and Luke feel good as well? He wanted to give them power to show he loved him, when all they wanted was his love.

What I've noticed is that Anakin doesn't like harming innocent people. Notice how Anakin fell to his knees and began to sob after confessing to not just killing the Tusken men who'd tortured his mother, but innocent people too. In the ROTS junior novel, he thought how he *dreamed* about nightmares that included the Tusken children... In fact, he might of even regretted kiling the Younglings. I think I might of seen a tear in his eyes as he brought out his Saber...but maybe I'm just seeing things. And part of the reason why he flipped when his mother was kille

 

As with the Indy "Temple of Doom" movie, I had some major issues not just with Anakin being a slave, but Qui Gon not slicing Watto in half and freeing Shmi along with Anakin before boarding Padme's Naboo star cruiser.

They were in the Outer Rim! There was no law except the 'code' which the Hutts had laid down. Slavery was wrong, flat out, undeniably and comprehensively wrong! Jinn could have demanded Watto release Anakin. If Watto refuse, Jinn was honor bound to free the boy AND his mother.

Dang it, if Anakin's slavery bothers me that much, I imagine it significantly affected Anakin, especially with how things turned out with the Tusken kidnapping of Shmi in ATOC.

Slavery made Anakin susceptible to tyrannical control -- not so much the guiding and demanding control of the Jedi order, but the subservient compliance demanded by a Sith master over his or her apprentice. Anakin was pre-programmed to accept this life.

Anakin rejected the 'order' that abandoned his mother to the horrors of slavery. He rejected a Republic which turned a blind eye to the unsavory goings on in the Outer Rim, and he abandoned his former Jedi master who seeded Padme's mind with suspicion.

Unable to adjust to 'normalcy,' unable to trust, unable to forgive, he ultimately returned to the only thing he knew which had brought calm and security to his life -- oppressive servitude -- a major WIN for Palpatine.

 

Other than a few minor niggles, I give a "major win" to the above two posts. The minor niggles aren't worth mentioning as it would only appear to be "Anakin-bashing" and I have no wish to get into or start any arguments about whether I am or not.

 

As with the Indy "Temple of Doom" movie, I had some major issues not just with Anakin being a slave, but Qui Gon not slicing Watto in half and freeing Shmi along with Anakin before boarding Padme's Naboo star cruiser.


I can imagine the galactic turmoil caused by that act. Why do people believe that an act of violence can solve everything?

 

Yeah, right -- turmoil -- on Tatooine -- in the lawless Outer Rim!

And if violence doesn't solve anything, then why do the Jedi carry light sabers (when a simple 'force push' could do the trick)?

[trying to imagine a 'no violence' SW saga . . . ]

 

It didn't do the Jedi any good in the end, did it?

 

^^^
Surely not . . . but SW violence definitely made Lucas a boat load of cash!

The Jedi and Shaolin monks both preached peace and harmony, but backed up their talk with forceful and, if necessary, lethal self-defense.

The venerable old Strategic Air Command had a great motto: Peace through strength! For SAC, no plane or missile from that command ever dropped a nuke on an opponent -- but they sure kept nukes from falling on Europe and the U.S. during the Cold War.

When the Jedi abandoned their historical principles and embraced active aggression as generals leading troops into battle, they collectively paid the price for their blind arrogance.

 

I agree with pretty much everything said here. But I'd like to add that despite the negative circumstances he could still have chosen to live a different life. In the end Anakin Skywakers choices were what made him a villain. I believe that victimising him greatly takes away from his charakter and I greatly dislike views like this:
[image=http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/14300000/darth-vader-thinking-of-Padme-anakin-and-padme-14352068-200-252.jpg]
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader is the most interesting to me when there is a certain ambiguity about him. When it isn't clear if he should be faulted or pitied. In my perception he walks the thin line between monstrousness and humanity. He's gone past human boundaries but not totally yet. He both challenges the emotions and intellect of the audience if he is written well (that is, not too soft but not too hard). Darth Vader alias Anakin Skywalker is both victim and monster, emotion and intellect, weakness and strength and he isn't easily pressed into a role.

 

He wasn't enslaved to Palpatine, he stayed with him entirely of his own free will.

 

And what do you think Palpatine might have done if he'd left him? There can only be two Sith. Regardless, Palpatine saved Vader's life. That he might feel compelled to stay with him out of this alone would not be surprising.

 

What difference does it make what Palpatine would have done?

Vader chose to stay with him every step of the way.

I know some just can't seem to grasp this, but Vader could have made a different choice at any time.

So many people try to make it seem like he didn't have a choice, or that the alternative wasn't even worth considering when in my opinion the alternative was definitely the better choice. I would think any person with morals would agree.

 

Yes. But for good reason. The way you worded it before made it seem like leaving him would be some kind of picnic without any potential punishment.

You disputed that Vader was "enslaved" to Palpatine. Given the fact that Vader suspected he would likely suffer were he try to part ways with Palpatine, the description is apt. A slave can choose of their own free will to run away from their keeper (unless they're physically bound). But its the thought of what repercussions they will face that often keep them there (case in point - Anakin and Shmi in TPM; "any attempt to escape and they blow you up"). Remember too, before the Obi-Wan fight, Anakin declares that he is more than willing to destroy Palpatine. After the fight, he loses that ability. Its not so much that Vader wants to stay with Palpatine... far from it. When Luke comes along, he moves quickly to try and form a new alliance, capable of destroying his Master.

Well eventually he does make that choice. But he dies as a consequence.

 

Oh no, not punishment! Best to go along with absolute evil, so I can avoid anything bad happening to me. This is the mindset of a child, a coward, or oh wait, an evil being.

You're comparing what Anakin went through as a child to his stint with Palpatine? How are these even comparable?

Vader wasn't weak or defenseless, defying Palpatine wasn't a guaranteed death sentence, and even so death is preferable to carrying out horribly evil acts. Cowardice is a poor excuse for such evil. Just another reason I find Anakin utterly unlikable.

Yeah and it only took him 20 years and personal incentive to finally do the right thing.


Just a quote this topic made me remember, from Yoda in Dark Rendezvous:

"Each instant the universe annihilates itself, and starts again. Choose, and start again!"

 

I agree. Vader stayed because of the power and the prospect of becoming emperor himself. Defying the emperor was definitely an option (the emperor is powerful, but not allknowing or omnipotent) - Vader could've joined the Rebellion for instance.
Another reason for staying was probably that Vader sort of liked the emperor. And I even think Sidious had some sort of twisted affection for his protegé. There's a strong father-son angle going on here. While the son desires freedom, he still loves his father and doesn't really want to see him dead. They formed a team for 20+ years, and an efficient one to boot. They probably know one another in and out. You can see Palps manipulating Vader, but also Vader manipulating Palps. Very interesting their relationship.

It makes it seem like Vader is still lovesick after 20+ years. In my opinion that makes him look a little too ... pathetic. I prefer the theory that he got over Padmé (maybe he even had a couple affairs, he isn't a monk anymore after all). But to each his own.

 

Remember CT films not fans. No need to make it personal.