Introduction and Setting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction and Setting - Research Paper Example The movie or film series Star Wars is not at all an exception. Created by George Lucas on May 25th, 1977, the film was released by the 20th Century Fox to become a global phenomenon. The events that take place in Star Wars do so in a fictional galaxy, with the actors being humanoids or alien creatures and the area of residence and operation being the Galactic Empire. Force is among the prominent elements in the movie and acts as an all-present energy that knits the galaxy together, and can be tapped by those with the ability to do so. Through the force, the characters in Star Wars are able to realize the effecting of clairvoyance, mind control, telekinesis and precognition, among other supernatural activities. This force is seen to be amoral, in the sensed that while it can be used for good ends, it harbors a dark side that can instill hatred, malice and aggression when pursued. As far as the main characters are concerned and how they use the force, there are Jedi and Sith who use th e force for good (to save the universe) and evil (to own and control the universe), respectively. There are several ways in which Star Wars is heavily laden with mythological, spiritual and religious symbols, as has been previously mentioned and shall be divulged upon forthwith. Analyzing Mythological, Spiritual and religious Symbolism in Star Wars’ Synopsis The manner in which symbolism plays out in Star Wars is so fundamental that it does not just merely fortuitously correlate with some remote aspects and characters of the movie, but it also forms a complex weave which threads the entire trilogy together to form a complete and colorful synopsis. Specifically, in Star Wars, Luke Skywalker is compelled to fight the temptations emanating from the Dark Side, as a way of succoring humanity from the enslaving grip of the evil emperor, Dark Vader, together with other evil actors such as Java the Hutt. At the same time, there abound Biblical and spiritual mysteries littered through out the plot in Star Wars. This brings about a heavy sense of parallelism between the trilogy and Biblical accounts. In Star Wars, Darth Vader extends an olive branch to Luke Skywalker to the effect that upon accepting this olive branch, Skywalker would get to co-rule the galaxy with Vader, his father. This is seen in the Empire Strikes Back. This clearly brings to mind, the scriptural narration that is found in the Gospel of St. Matthew where standing on an exceedingly high mountain with Jesus, showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, the glory therein and offered to hand them to Jesus, should Jesus have paid him homage. This brings about the spiritual value of the importance of having the virtue of having focus and spiritual piety that will help one discriminate short-term conveniences for long-term good. Just as Christ forsakes the offertories being extended to him to do carry out a divine purpose of saving the world and its fullness from the devil’s, sin’s and d eath’s enslaving grip, so does Skywalker who refuses the overtures of Dark Vader, in order to save the universe from falling to slavery. The same idea is repeated in Jedi resisting the use of the Force in a negative manner as does Sith. Biblical or Mythological Imagery The quotations and

Physical and cultural aspect of the city of Islamic origins which are Essay

Physical and cultural aspect of the city of Islamic origins which are still present in the contemporary Arab city - Essay Example This was towards enabling greater responsiveness and functionality, vital in meeting the cultural and socio-economic needs of the Umma. Islam’s ascent to dominance as a world religion was influenced by its penetration of different regions of the globe i.e. Europe, Asia and Africa. This resulted in an overwhelming and irreversible impact on these regions’ urban development. As Saoud (2002) alludes, Islam as an urban religion was based on the community’s commitment to religious values, beliefs and practices relating to both authority and organization, and emphasizing more on social gathering/ togetherness. This was as opposed to the encouragement of human dispersal and nomadic lifestyle, which were characteristics of early Islamic life. As a result, early Muslim centers and towns were erected with the core responsibility of preaching Islam (Saoud, 2002). The essence of Islam as an urban religion was to sprout out of this ideal, as the religion was best adhered to in communal gatherings, as opposed to personal prayer and devotion. Historically, early centers served primarily as places of worship i.e. those of the Maghreb, Rabat and Tunis. Their role was that of – a Citadel of Faith – as Fischel (1956) eludes, dedicated to receiving and providing habitat for new converts. Also critical to this role, was the concept of such cities being referred to as Dar-El-Hijra, places where Muslims came to practice the Islamic way of life. It is through this critical avenue that Islam was spread throughout North Africa, and subsequently the whole of the region in addition to southern Europe. Thus, religious role was a key aspect of the emergence of such thriving towns and cities. This prestigious role of the towns and cities, as religious centers, was replaced by political motives during the 9th Century AD. The turbulence of this era resulted in the breakaway of such regions, from the traditional link to the main Caliphate,