The Hero's Journey is always about coming of age: a young person enters the world and is tested in order to find out who he or she is. Star Wars has always embraced that idea, first with Luke, and then with Anakin during Episodes I-III.
In The Force Awakens, we have two characters coming of age: Rey and Finn, both of whom are running from different things and taking the bit in their teeth when adulthood rears its ugly head. Their comings of age won't stop with this movie, but we'd say they have a pretty good running start at it.
Questions about Coming of Age
- At what point do Rey, Finn, and Kylo Ren each come of age here?
- Can BB-8 be said to come of age? Why or why not?
- What are the similarities between these young characters coming of age and Luke and Leia doing so in the original Star Wars? What are the differences?
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
Coming of age for these characters is closely tied with the destiny of the galaxy.
Coming of age is a side effect of their adventures, not the actual purpose.