Darth Vader Made Me Do It! Anakin Skywalker’s Avoidance of Responsibility and the Gray Areas of Hegemonic Masculinity in theStar WarsUniverse

Abstract

In this essay, we examined the interactions of Anakin Skywalker during moral dilemmas in the Star Wars narrative in order to demonstrate the avoidance of responsibility as a characteristic of hegemonic masculinity. Past research on sexual harassment has demonstrated a ''gray area'' that shields sexual harassers from responsibility. We explored how such a gray area functions as a characteristic of hegemonic masculinity by shielding one male, Anakin Skywalker, from responsibility for his immoral and often violent actions. Through our investigation, we found three themes integral for the construction of a gray area that helped Anakin avoid responsibility: phantom altruism, a clone-like will, and the guise of the Sith.

The past, the present and The Mandalorian

“…In making this response, series creator and executive producer Jon Favreau provides a sentimental reconstruction of the heterocentric narrative aesthetics and gender roles (see de Bruin-Molé 2018;Butler 2018;Condis 2014;Johnson 2014;Atkinson & Calafell 2009) of the original trilogy: Star Wars: A New Hope (Lucas 1977), Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Kershner 1980) and Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi (Marquand 1983). This process of remediation purposefully deploys a commodified style that defers the content of The Mandalorian 'to its evocation of a generalized feeling of pastness' (Grainge 2002: 59), thereby gratifying the nostalgic desire to live the 'old aesthetic artifacts through once again' (Jameson 2008: 547), and reestablish a continuity of heteronormative masculine identification with the franchise.…”

Redeeming the Monster

“…These five characteristics are reinforced within cultural contexts as a way for hegemonically masculine men to maintain dominance over women and nonhegemonically masculine men. Atkinson and Calafell (2009) expand understandings of hegemonic masculine characteristics in establishing the avoidance of responsibility as a benefit of hegemonic masculinity. Through the utilization of gray areas, or ambiguous spaces where responsibility for one's actions becomes blurred, those embodying the idealized hegemonic masculine form can reasonably deny responsibility for their actions.…”

“…The outlining of characteristics that exemplify Connell's hegemonic masculinity exceptionally demonstrates the specific cultural and temporal contexts in which these characteristics become hegemonic (Atkinson & Calafell, 2009;Kagen, 2018;Trujillo, 1991). Trujillo (1991) identifies five characteristics of hegemonic masculinity through his analysis of MLB pitcher Nolan Ryan: power through physical force and control; capitalist occupational achievement; family patriarch; frontiersmanship; and the embodiment of heterosexuality.…”

“…It's all gone." From this result, _EthanGrey argues that Baldur's story is the "saddest," stating: Freya's possessiveness and selfishness were so profound that she would Atkinson and Calafell (2009) discuss the construction of a gray area that allows for his avoidance of responsibility for his problematic actions. They identify three themes that establish a gray area where responsibility for problematic actions becomes blurred for the hegemonically masculine: an altruistic past, a clone-like will, and the guise of an Other.…”

“…In their analysis of Anakin Skywalker, the bulk of Atkinson and Calafell's (2009) themes center his past. They emphasize Anakin's altruistic past, one of their themes, to explain both others: his loss of free-will in certain settings and how the Anakin In the construction of a gray area that allows for the avoidance of responsibility, shifting the emphasis from the past to the future mutates the focus of critique from something concrete and empirical (the past) into something abstract and speculative (the future).…”