My character, Kian, is a messed up character. His exterior problems, actually, come from a basic problem I had when I first created Kian. In a sense, then, he is my blood and flesh and mind. When I say exterior problems, by the way, I don't mean Gnawthrul bullying him, I mean the exterior emotional struggles.
The deeper part of Kian's Kianic life, however, I have never felt. I can only imagine the pain and mental horror it would bring. I don't want to say exactly what it is, it would ruin a good plot you must understand, but I can soundly affirm that it's nothing even remotely near what you or me have ever had to go through. And we can all thank God for that.
Kian's inner problems - in large part - come because of the Jedi Order's flawed system of life. From the age of abduction into the Order until, well . . . their dying day.
See, emotions are of two basic types. Long term and short term. I don't have scientific proof to back this up, but I think we can all agree on this from experience. Short term is affected by current events and such, but they are also affected by the long term.
Long term is largely based in the early months of life. Mental stability is all about those first years.
And family is what keeps that mental stability holding together.
But in a system such as the Jedi Order, the Younglings don't have a family. They don't have a mother or a father - not ones that they can bind to like real family.
A study showed that the one thing some of the greatest and most horrific serial killers had in common was they they were raised in orphanages or in foster homes. Or if they had a family, they that didn't care about him or her.
There are some deep and permanent scars that every Youngling and Padawan and Jedi would have gone through as a Jedi, or a Sith counterpart. Their Master, even if he or she was a fatherly or motherly figure to them later on, would arrive on the scene too late. From whatever age they were taken in to the Order at, until they were chosen by a Master, they had no parents. They don't have the chance to make an emotional bond with anyone, if they even wished to by then.
The Jedi Order makes a horrific and atheistic move to destroy the family. By separating child from parent, they destroy the natural emotional bond between the two, and cause who knows what kind of mental trouble for the future.
-WoA
*nods* Good points, Warrior. Nobody should have to be separated from their parents. But I guess the Jedi's counterargument would be that force-sensitive children need to be brought up apart from society, both for their safety and for their family's safety. Without the proper guidance from an early age, what's to stop a force-sensitive child from choking his little siblings in the middle of a tantrum? Or worse yet, Sith recruiters would kidnap them and raise them up to be Troopers or Warriors or whatever. *shrug* Maybe they should have family visiting days on Tython.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI've considered this. Not to the extent that you have, Warrior, based on the level of analysis in this post, but I have considered it. And I'd agree with you.
And I'd also agree that the Jedi counterargument that Lylyss brought up is most likely the reason why the Jedi do that. I'd also add that my assumption and explanation is that they do it to separate the Younglings from the prejudice and patriotic irrationality of the rest of the galaxy. With the tenets of the Order being the core teachings that are taught to them, I'm making the assumption that the Jedi want to train the younglings from birth to be politically and emotionally distant from the rest of the galaxy in order to serve as they do.
But do the Sith do the same thing? Do they raise their initiates from birth as Sith? You said, "There are some deep and permanent scars that every Youngling and Padawan and Jedi would have gone through as a Jedi, or a Sith counterpart." I haven't heard anything about that topic, and I'm under the impression that Force-sensitives can join the Sith at any age.
Hmm. Sith Younglings. :P Sounds like a subplot in the making. Lol.
ReplyDeleteI always resented the Jedi for taking children...but then I realized that the Jedi were protecting the youngling's family from the possible and quite likely threat of the Sith
ReplyDelete