This paper is a comprehensive Oedipal readings of two contemporary texts, George Lucas' Star Wars trilogy and Peter Hedges' novel, What's Eating Gilbert Grape. It considers the way in which each work uses elements of the ancient Greek myth to explore issues and develop themes. Both works use familiar elements from the myth in the plot. At the beginning of Star Wars, Luke Skywalker does not know who his father is; by the end of the trilogy, he has vanquished the man who gave him life and come to his own kind of peace with his destiny. Gilbert Grape's father committed suicide when the boy was young, and his life now consists of his attempts to free himself and his mother of the effects of the family tragedy. Both works also draw from the themes raised in the myth, themes which account for its endurance as a rich source for fiction and drama. This paper considers how those plot elements and themes are able to be continuously reworked in modern literature.
Michael Hauge observes, "All successful contemporary films draw on situations that have been explored before" (27), and, in fact, even the most original fiction draws strength from some familiarity, either of character, storyline, or theme, in order to involve the audience. Myths and legends provide some of the most potent sources of inspiration, and the Oedipus myth has proved particularly enduring.
At his birth, Oedipus' parents are told that it was his destiny to one day murder his father and marry his mother. The baby is therefore left on a hillside in the wilderness to die of exposure. However, he is found there by a shepherd and brought before the king of Corinth, who raises him as his own. When Oedipus has grown to be a man, he is again told of his destiny. Not wishing to destroy the people he thinks to be his parents, he leaves Corinth. On a lonely stretch of road, he meets a stranger, quarrels with him, and eventually kills him in a fight. He then arrives in a...