A little over a week ago, my friend Hansgirl3 wrote a wonderful entry about the final duel between Luke and Vader in ROTJ. In this, she discussed how Vader was protecting Luke from the same mistakes he had made...and how he was finally able to make that decision to break the chains of the Dark Side and return to the Light as Anakin. This got me to thinking about Anakin and his life...from the little boy on Tatooine to the grown Jedi Padawan to the Galactic Hero. In essence, he truly never had complete control over his life...he was, in some way, *always an Apprentice, but never a Master*. It took the love of his son, the product of the love between him and Padme', to make him realize that he could, essentially, control his destiny...and become a Master of his life.

As a slave on Tatooine, Anakin had little control over his life...he answered to Watto, or whoever was his Master at the time. When Qui-Gon, Padme' and crew embarked on the desolate planet, hope for a better life for him was a possibility. Although he "won" his freedom in the podrace, the choice to leave was never fully his, as he thought he did what was right for both him and his mother. Once permission was granted for Obi-Wan to train him, Anakin was, once again, a "slave" of sorts...he was a Jedi Padawan, swearing an oath to serve and protect the galaxy, being apprenticed to a Jedi Knight for his training. For years Anakin trained under Obi-Wan, waiting for the day he could face the trials and become a Knight...a Jedi with a little more freedom. However, the Jedi Council had the final say in whether and when he would achieve this status, so it was another "waiting game." Finally, the day came when he was granted Knighthood.

Although he reached Knighthood, Anakin wanted nothing more than to become a Master...an honor of which he felt he deserved. It was another "waiting game" with the Council, and Anakin became impatient...especially after he learned that there was a way to save Padme'. Sadly the information was restricted to those with Master status. Then, Palpatine "pounced" on a vulnerable Anakin, offering the promise of preventing death...but only through learning the ways of the Dark Side.

This promise of *more* just lured Anakin further toward the Dark...until he finally gave in and said *I pledge myself to your teachings.* Again, Anakin became an apprentice...just when he was so close to obtaining Master status with the Jedi. Now, however, he would find it more difficult to be a Master of the Dark...not with Palps in power/control. He realized that he was completely dependent on Palps for survival and there was nothing he could do. Hope was lost...until Luke reappeared in his life.

Luke...a symbol of hope, of love, of a life thought lost long ago. The wall Vader built around the life that was Anakin began to crumble, and Anakin began to re-emerge. Although Vader said to Luke *it is too late for me, son,* he (Vader) must have realized that there may still be a glimmer of hope for him. When he saw his son going down the path he once did, Anakin could no longer stand back...he blocked Luke from striking down Palps and, therefore, from going down that dark path. When he witnessed Luke standing ground against Palps despite the "promise" of certain death, Anakin could not just stand by any longer and watch another part of him be destroyed. He resurfaced to save his son, a symbol of his love, and suffered in the process. Not all was lost, though...Anakin gained control of his life for the first time, and became his own *Master.*

Any thoughts? Hopefully I made some sense, as I have been up all night working.


Have a wonderful day...and May the Force Be With You All