I’ve also been paying attention to the Anakin-meme fascination, lately. It’s been maybe understandable, but still concerning in ways that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Thank you for doing that so well here.
Better stories are the answer, and Aragorn is the best answer to Anakin. I hope that embittered young men find hope in that. It’s freeing and heroic, fulfilling in ways resentment just can’t. It doesn’t pretend bleakness doesn’t exist but chooses to cast light into it.
The moment a young man decides to aim toward Aragorn instead of Anakin, he is already fully redeemed, I find. The orientation is so much more important than the outcomes.
Mostly on thinking about how I'm going to end this trilogy of novels I'm writing. I realised that showing how an ordinary person ends up as a literal Paladin is kind of the telos of the whole trilogy.
An example that fits with Anakin is Milton’s Satan, who says it's better to rule in hell than serve in heaven. Many have called him the true hero of Paradise Lost, forgetting that the constantly disintegrating realm he claims - a place of all pain with no gain of wisdom - is the opposite of every true and good thing that makes life LIFE.
As you say, a distorted, incomplete perception powered by hatred and desire for revenge on perceived enemies. Thank you for encouraging and challenging the lost 🙏🏻
We find ourselves at a loss for words in the face of what we see and what we expect to see next, and words are - and always have been - essential to stories. I used to write and tell stories; today I can’t - they just won’t come out. Unless the new story bursts forth from the absence of words - especially since words have been categorized and, like narratives themselves, have been reduced to a functional role that almost sterilizes them - I remain distressed. Trying, trying, and still trying, without knowing what for. Sorry. But it's always nice to read your posts.
Someone said that when Qui-Gon fights Darth Maul, the song that is playing is “ The duel of the fates” because the ultimate destiny of Anakin will be decided by it. Qui-Gon dies and is the father he never gets!
I think you're right that modern men, and American men in particular, have lost their mythology. You could say it has been stolen from them, which is partially true and doesn't matter much. Or you could say they've willingly abandoned it. Either way, the answer is to start telling us better stories about ourselves.
And the examples are everywhere and freely available. The Lion King, The Lord of the Rings, the Bible, The Count of Monte Cristo, To Kill a Mockingbird… these are the stories that made our culture and then subsequently described our culture in a feedback loop. That feedback loop has been broken.
Modern media, like the “victimized-feminine”- centric Disney slop, is not only irrelevant and bad storytelling but is actively harmful to what built our culture in the first place.
If you want a better culture, read better stories. If you want to feel like a stronger man and want to aim higher with yourself, read better stories. BE a better story than “well this kinda sucks, fuck this.”
Good Dad practice here- you will do well at this mostly by being good husband to the good mother.
I am hearing rumors of the return of Millenial Kings. As I enter fully my aspirational transition from Brown to Gray, perhaps it is because I am afraid, and the stories give me courage
Keep holding expectations for goodness, and shaming those who conflate petulance with power
Could someone help me a bit with the six fundamental characters thing? How do they map onto the biblical story, for instance? I get that the three good guys is the trinity, but what about the three bad guys?
I should think that the three bad guys in the biblical story are: Satan (the Tyrant), the Anti-Christ (the Adversary) and the Leviathan (the Bad Mother). The Leviathan is the most interesting in this group, as most do not think of it -- despite God having to personally descend to do battle with it.
Yes and No is a far more powerful frame than ‘Being’ and ‘Nothing’, so must so that I wish I’d written it first, and I may be borrowing it from you in the future.
Nice piece. I also think Frodo’s temptation of Gandalf with the ring is central to his character not turning into a good-guy stereotyped parody of itself. And Tolkien’s comment on Gandalf had he accepted it:
“Gandalf would have made good detestable and seem evil.“
There was nothing left for the younger generation to rebel against except the widest conceptions of mere decency. Accordingly, it was against these that they turned.
I’ve also been paying attention to the Anakin-meme fascination, lately. It’s been maybe understandable, but still concerning in ways that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Thank you for doing that so well here.
Better stories are the answer, and Aragorn is the best answer to Anakin. I hope that embittered young men find hope in that. It’s freeing and heroic, fulfilling in ways resentment just can’t. It doesn’t pretend bleakness doesn’t exist but chooses to cast light into it.
The moment a young man decides to aim toward Aragorn instead of Anakin, he is already fully redeemed, I find. The orientation is so much more important than the outcomes.
Been thinking about the Paladin archetype a lot too. Good stuff as always here
How has it been showing up for you?
Mostly on thinking about how I'm going to end this trilogy of novels I'm writing. I realised that showing how an ordinary person ends up as a literal Paladin is kind of the telos of the whole trilogy.
An example that fits with Anakin is Milton’s Satan, who says it's better to rule in hell than serve in heaven. Many have called him the true hero of Paradise Lost, forgetting that the constantly disintegrating realm he claims - a place of all pain with no gain of wisdom - is the opposite of every true and good thing that makes life LIFE.
As you say, a distorted, incomplete perception powered by hatred and desire for revenge on perceived enemies. Thank you for encouraging and challenging the lost 🙏🏻
Completely. Modern readers often find Milton's Satan to be quite romantic, it's no coincidence.
Oh, he's got romantic traits, all right - in the very worst, most perverted way.
We find ourselves at a loss for words in the face of what we see and what we expect to see next, and words are - and always have been - essential to stories. I used to write and tell stories; today I can’t - they just won’t come out. Unless the new story bursts forth from the absence of words - especially since words have been categorized and, like narratives themselves, have been reduced to a functional role that almost sterilizes them - I remain distressed. Trying, trying, and still trying, without knowing what for. Sorry. But it's always nice to read your posts.
Keep thinking, continue musing, please don't stop writing.
Someone said that when Qui-Gon fights Darth Maul, the song that is playing is “ The duel of the fates” because the ultimate destiny of Anakin will be decided by it. Qui-Gon dies and is the father he never gets!
And Obi-Wan treated him as a brother when what Anakin needed was a father. Beautiful tragedy.
It’s interesting from an age perspective or do you think Obi-wan Could’ve be a father figure, And it’s curious, he wasn’t
Tragic.
This could have been avoided if we got a story of Luke becoming the Good Father of righteous order
The story wanted it
I think you're right that modern men, and American men in particular, have lost their mythology. You could say it has been stolen from them, which is partially true and doesn't matter much. Or you could say they've willingly abandoned it. Either way, the answer is to start telling us better stories about ourselves.
And the examples are everywhere and freely available. The Lion King, The Lord of the Rings, the Bible, The Count of Monte Cristo, To Kill a Mockingbird… these are the stories that made our culture and then subsequently described our culture in a feedback loop. That feedback loop has been broken.
Modern media, like the “victimized-feminine”- centric Disney slop, is not only irrelevant and bad storytelling but is actively harmful to what built our culture in the first place.
If you want a better culture, read better stories. If you want to feel like a stronger man and want to aim higher with yourself, read better stories. BE a better story than “well this kinda sucks, fuck this.”
Totally agree with your takeaway, as usual. Good examples listed, too.
Like myself, it sounds like you had a father who properly oriented you toward goodness and truth, a father’s primary duty. Excellent essay.
It helps but you can always find the good father if you’re willing to go look for him.
I’ve always loved/missed Qui-gon and now I think I understand why. And whenever I read LOTR I always pictured him as Aragorn.
Good Dad practice here- you will do well at this mostly by being good husband to the good mother.
I am hearing rumors of the return of Millenial Kings. As I enter fully my aspirational transition from Brown to Gray, perhaps it is because I am afraid, and the stories give me courage
Keep holding expectations for goodness, and shaming those who conflate petulance with power
The world always needs more Gandalfs.
I think you're spon on that there are missing balancing elements to stories.
We're caught in a rut that resists correction from both sides.
Could someone help me a bit with the six fundamental characters thing? How do they map onto the biblical story, for instance? I get that the three good guys is the trinity, but what about the three bad guys?
I should think that the three bad guys in the biblical story are: Satan (the Tyrant), the Anti-Christ (the Adversary) and the Leviathan (the Bad Mother). The Leviathan is the most interesting in this group, as most do not think of it -- despite God having to personally descend to do battle with it.
Excellent.
Interesting thought!
How different a man's psyche must be with a good role model than that of one without
There are role models abounding, if you are willing to accept what they have to say.
Midterms wasn’t Anakin, that was Jar Jar
Yes and No is a far more powerful frame than ‘Being’ and ‘Nothing’, so must so that I wish I’d written it first, and I may be borrowing it from you in the future.
Granted
Nice piece. I also think Frodo’s temptation of Gandalf with the ring is central to his character not turning into a good-guy stereotyped parody of itself. And Tolkien’s comment on Gandalf had he accepted it:
“Gandalf would have made good detestable and seem evil.“
There was nothing left for the younger generation to rebel against except the widest conceptions of mere decency. Accordingly, it was against these that they turned.
(Evelyn Waugh)