Going to a Movie: Archetypes in the "Star Wars" Movie

As the fluorescent lights dim, a tense hush swallows the audience. Yet as the room itself darkens, the vast movie screen brightens in contrast, and the peal of a single trumpet heralds a familiar tune. "It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory," the screen announces. Fans' eyes dart to read this opening of Star Wars: A New Hope, now a pinnacle in the domain of science fiction. Millions applaud its classical texture: the slight taste of fairy tale archetypes that appeals to a variety of audiences. These same paradigms al…