It is through this analysis of the Star Wars saga that we find its true message, hidden in fairy tale symbolism: the need for unconscious integration. This theme is addressed in several classic fairy tales, but none enjoy the same popularity today as the Star Wars movies. This could be simply because the message is presented in a more multi-media, high-technology fashion, attractive to the children of today, but I do not believe this to be entirely true.
We live in a world of high stress, where it is becoming increasingly uncommon to find the time to invest in our own psychological interests. As a result, many adults suffer the same fate as Han Solo, having refused to deal with issues and simply pushing them to the back of their minds. Children can recognize this in their parents, and are most anxious to avoid it in their own futures; they learn how to do this through the symbolism introduced in the Star Wars Trilogy. By learning Luke's lessons, these children are establishing a healthy relationship between id, ego, and superego early on in their lives. The impulsive id can be confronted directly by any child, with or without a light-saber, in the personified form of Darth Vader. The caution and control of their own developing super-egos take shape as the wise old Yoda. And the Emperor inside them can finally be faced to gain a healthy psyche, not through force or destruction, but through negotiation and integration.
By using the models set out for them by the characters and situations of the Star Wars Trilogy, twentieth century children can externalize their internal conflicts in a new way. In a fantasy land distant from their world, with characters they can identify with, they can approach the issue of unconscious integration in a new and exciting way. And thanks to the examples set in the Star Wars movies, they can all become Jedi.