...Like a Thief in the Night

The Masque of Red Death, by the legendary Edgar Allen Poe, is a frightening and chilling short story about the duke of an unnamed province, Prince Prospero. A terrible and extremely deadly plague known as the Red Death has ravaged his dominion, though he pays it no heed, being protected from the disease from within his abbey, which was as fortified as a castle. The prince summoned a thousand of the upper-class citizens who were not dead, dying, or infected into the abbey, as both company and to ensure he didn't lose his entire dominion. From then on, the abbey was in a perpetual masquerade, or a costume party in essence. For about six months the prince and his thousand guests were completely safe from the Red Death, believing that they had cheated certain death.

One night, during the festivities, a man, one that had gone completely unnoticed until now, captured all the guests' attention at this point. This man was not masked as the thousand guests were, which crossed into the areas of the wanton and the bizarre. This man was masked as one plagued with the Red Death, covered in blood and made to look like a corpse. When the prince sees this man and his grotesque and horrible disguise, he orders him arrested and unmasked, so that "we may know whom we have to hang at sunrise." To the prince's anger, no one so much as approaches him, as all were struck with an uncontrollable and unexplainable fear. The prince, in his fury, grabbed a dagger and charged him. When the prince came within four feet of the man, the figure suddenly turned and confronted him, and the prince "fell prostrate in death" to the floor. Immediately, one by one the guests died, each falling with the affliction of the Red Death. "And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night."

Like a thief in the night. I Thessalonians 5:2-3. That one little phrase, composed of six words, just gave the entire story its meaning. The verse warns all of the coming of the day of God, when God shall judge each and every soul, and how it will come, you guessed it, like a thief in the night, when we least expect it. The day of God, or Judgement Day, can also mean death. Our Judgement Day. No one can escape death. Of course, one could have worked that theme without the biblical reference, though the reference to Thessalonians gives the theme, the message of the story so much more weight, more legitimacy. Its no wonder so many writers use the tactic.

Originality Is a Lie

The concept of intertextuality, or the connection between different works of literature, is probably one of the most used techniques in literature, used to such an extent that Thomas Foster claims that "there is no such thing as a wholly original work of literature." A bold claim, with a lot of validity. According to Foster, every work borrows something--be it a plot, a character, or a theme--from other works to some extent. A very well-read person will notice that this is true, that the vast majority of literature has recurring themes, settings, and characters among works that are otherwise nothing alike. I, being a not-so-well-read person, have not noticed this as often, but even I get lucky and spot one every now and then.

One of the most striking examples I've seen is how many books follow the theme and spirit of Ayn Rand's novel Anthem. This novel was one of the first books to utilize the anti-totalitarian, anti-communist theme that so many books have used since. 1984. Fahrenheit 451. The Giver. Logan's Run. All have taken something, usually an overbearing and all-controlling government, from Anthem. In 1984, the government controls all aspects of an individual's life, even down to their thoughts, in the same fashion as Ayn Rand's government. In Fahrenheit 451, the ruling body forbids any knowledge of bygone generations, a sentiment shared by the government that exiles Prometheus in Anthem. The council that runs the world in the novel The Giver lays out each citizen's destiny, a destiny that is gladly accepted by the mindless sheep that the people have become. You know where I'm taking this.

Another example I've found of this so-called intertextuality is the parallel between the Eragon novels and, you guessed it, Star Wars (I'm possibly the biggest Star Wars nerd I know, Ms. Weygandt, so be prepared for a lot of these references). The storyline of the Eragon novels is nearly identical to those of the original Star Wars films, and Eragon is almost a cookie-cutter model of Luke Skywalker. Both are young farmers who live with their uncles under the rule of an evil Empire. Both are destined to reestablish an ancient order of peacekeepers that was destroyed in a great war in which their respective empires were born (the Jedi Order for Luke and the Dragon Riders for Eragon). Both are watched over by a man who happens to be one of the last remnants of said order (Ben Kenobi and Brom). Both lose everything after the empire destroys their homes and kills their families. Both complete their training at the hands of a much wiser mentor after their original mentor dies (Yoda teaches Luke after Ben dies; the ancinet Rider Oromis teaches Eragon after Brom dies). Both learn the shocking truths behind their fathers' identities. And, of course, both are destined to bring down the evil Empire.

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...

The quest found in Star Wars is without a doubt one of the greatest and most recognizable of quests in both literary and cinematic history. The story--following the initially annoying, but eventually beloved Luke Skywalker--has become a timeless epic, and in every way meets Thomas C. Foster's criteria of what makes a quest. While the whole saga encompasses six films, for the sake of coherency I will only discuss Episode IV, A New Hope, which was the first of the series to be released.

The Quester

Luke Skywalker is the main quester of the story, a young farmer who lives with his aunt and uncle on the desert planet of Tatooine. Luke feels trapped with his family, in his home, as many teens often do at some point. He believes that moisture farming on Tatooine has no future for him, that he belongs elsewhere in the galaxy. Upon purchasing R2-D2, a small droid with a secret message locked within its databanks, and meeting Ben Kenobi, the last known remnant of the ancient Jedi Order, Luke is swept away from Tatooine on a quest that will determine the fate of the galaxy itself.

The Destination

Luke's initial destination is the planet of Alderaan, home of Princess Leia, a key figure in the Rebel Alliance against the evil Galactic Empire. Luke, along with Ben and the others in his group, is to deliver R2 to the princess, so that she can use the stolen blueprints for the Empire's superweapon, the Death Star, to exploit its weakness and help the Rebels destroy it. However, before Luke can reach Alderaan, the planet is destroyed by the Death Star, with Leia locked away within its prison block. After the destruction of Alderaan, Luke's new quest is to rescue Leia from the Empire, and to aid the Rebellion in their attack on the Death Star itself, using the plans locked within R2-D2.

The Stated Reason for the Quest

The immediate reason for Luke's quest is to deliver the plans for the Death Star to Princess Leia so that she can give them to the Rebels to destroy it. Destroying the Death Star would deal a massive blow to the Empire, and while it might not cripple them militarily or economically, it would rally the Rebel cause, and prove that the Empire was not as invincible as the Emperor and Darth Vader would have the galaxy believe.

Challenges and Trials

Throughout his journey, Luke must overcome a myriad of increasingly difficult challenges, the first of which being the death of his aunt and uncle and the loss of the only life he's ever known. He soon accepts the tragic loss and joins Ben Kenobi on his mission to Alderaan, leaving Tatooine behind forever. At every turn in the journey, Luke and his companions are attacked by the Imperial forces, often barely escaping with their lives. Luke's greatest challenge, however, would be the realization of who he is and where his destiny will lead him.

Real Reason for the Quest

Upon embarking on this journey with Ben, Luke learns of how his father was a Jedi Knight in the waning days of the Republic and fought in the Clone Wars, the war from which the Empire emerged. He was also informed of how his father was betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader, a student of Ben's who was seduced by the dark side of the Force (you can identify the Star Wars nerds by the large grins on their faces at this point). Luke decides to follow in his father's footsteps by learning the ways of the Force and becoming a Jedi Knight, a decision that sets in motion the events that will affect Luke's destiny, and shape the fate of the galaxy. By accepting this quest and learning the ways of the Jedi, Luke begins the journey of learning who he is and where he fits in the galaxy.