amazing how some people don't get that. I'm reminded of Diane Wynne Jones' "tough guide to Fantasyland" by your comments about Naboo's role in the economy.
What bugged the heck out of me in AOTC is that there's no logical reason for them not to have sent back to buy Shmi after reaching civilization. The Temple has no budget escrow at all? They don't think that keeping their star pupil comfortable and grateful is important, even leaving aside the humanitarian aspects? They'd rather have him worried and resentful on top of all his other issues? If they're that clueless, how come Palpatine didn't win long ago?
So my alternate scenario is that they go to redeem her - but in the meantime she's already met Mr. Lars, he's been captivated, she's enchanted, they've gone off to set up housekeeping together and she sends him bubbly letters about how happy she is, he's got a good career now and she has people who need her and like her, one door closes another opens - and he gets the major jealousy that she's got a life of her own now and doesn't need to be rescued by him, and this resentment never goes away - and the feeling of [irrational] abandonment and blame for her, too.
You could get a seriously twisted, but plausible, and pitiable, family dynamic going on that way - without making the Jedi look heartless and dumb. (Anakin getting more and more bitter when his Temple-mates ask him how his mom is doing, isn't it nice that she found someone, the Force was working there, and he's thinking "she doesn't love me any more!" and getting more and more needy/dependent/jealous of everyone else he still has around him.) And the guilt for resenting her, after she gets killed, making him choose to go on a rampage rather than self-confront. Because he can't blame *her* either, at that point, any more.
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ninetydegrees
yeah, worldbuilding is important!
on 2005-12-11 05:34 pm (UTC)What bugged the heck out of me in AOTC is that there's no logical reason for them not to have sent back to buy Shmi after reaching civilization. The Temple has no budget escrow at all? They don't think that keeping their star pupil comfortable and grateful is important, even leaving aside the humanitarian aspects? They'd rather have him worried and resentful on top of all his other issues? If they're that clueless, how come Palpatine didn't win long ago?
So my alternate scenario is that they go to redeem her - but in the meantime she's already met Mr. Lars, he's been captivated, she's enchanted, they've gone off to set up housekeeping together and she sends him bubbly letters about how happy she is, he's got a good career now and she has people who need her and like her, one door closes another opens - and he gets the major jealousy that she's got a life of her own now and doesn't need to be rescued by him, and this resentment never goes away - and the feeling of [irrational] abandonment and blame for her, too.
You could get a seriously twisted, but plausible, and pitiable, family dynamic going on that way - without making the Jedi look heartless and dumb. (Anakin getting more and more bitter when his Temple-mates ask him how his mom is doing, isn't it nice that she found someone, the Force was working there, and he's thinking "she doesn't love me any more!" and getting more and more needy/dependent/jealous of everyone else he still has around him.) And the guilt for resenting her, after she gets killed, making him choose to go on a rampage rather than self-confront. Because he can't blame *her* either, at that point, any more.