As we all tuck into theaters for the re-release of the Star Wars saga and the many films it gave us this weekend, nerds will give thanks to George Lucas, the creator of the series making May the fourth a sort-of Star Wars thanksgiving.

“May the fourth be with you,” we’ll all say to each other.

The origin of this social holiday came from a congratulatory publication for Maragaret Thatcher, former prime minister of the United Kingdom. After securing the election, her political party placed the congratulations in the evening news on May 4, 1979. It said, “May the fourth be with you Maggie. Congratulations.”

Lucas put more than his love of science fiction into the space opera he called Star Wars. Lucas took into account the human psyche, and gave much influence to Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist who structured his “monomyth,” a concept that states all mythic narratives are a variation of a single great story. 

“Star Wars: A New Hope” was originally released on May 25, 1977. It quickly became one of the most acclaimed films, still ringing in new fans in its 47th year.

In its release year Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times said, “‘Star Wars’ is a fairy tale, a fantasy, a legend.” 

New York Times writer Vincent Canby called the film “the most elaborate, most expensive, most beautiful movie serial ever made.”

This genius came from the mind of Lucas, who pulled together much of what he loved and admired into a story he wanted to tell. 

The idea of a mythical Force binding the universe together was inspired by Lucas’ studies of Eastern philosophy and Buddhism. He believed, “The Western was possibly the last generically American fairy tale,” and nothing of the sort has been seen since.

After years of travel and study, Campbell published “The Hero With a Thousand Faces” in 1949 in which he dives into his theory of the monomyth. Campbell was intrigued by the role of the hero across narratives. He said, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”

In his novel, he outlined “The Hero’s Journey,” a 17 step cycle all hero’s follow with three separate stages or acts: Separation of the ordinary world, Initiation of the new, and Return to home. 

Campbell said there was a common pattern existing across all narratives, regardless of when or where they come from. A story starts with a hero who faces many tests and returns home a changed character, but there is so much more to that simple statement, pulling in myths, philosophies, and religious motifs into the journey. 

Lucas stated, “In reading [Campbell’s novel] I began to realize that my first draft was following classic motifs…So I modified my next draft according to what I’d been learning.” Lucas was the first to publicly give credit to Campbell and his influence on how he shaped storytelling.

Lucas admired Campbell, referring to Campbell as his “Yoda.” The two first met in 1984, a few years before Campbell’s death, at a lecture given by Campbell on the reach for outer space. It’s unclear if Lucas attended this lecture because it was about space, or because Campbell was the one delivering it. 

Together they discussed the drafts of Star Wars Lucas had ready at the time, diving into philosophical motifs, storytelling archetypes, and the unity of the human psyche, and the poetry used to express it. 

Lucas invited Campbell to his Skywalker Ranch for a private viewing of Star Wars, after which Campbell called the film, “true art.”

The Separation stage, or act 1, of any great story establishes the hero in his ordinary world. They are presented a call to adventure that, after initially refusing the call, they have no choice but to accept. 

Luke Skywalker is a simple farm boy, and after intercepting a message to aid the rebellion, he continuously refuses the offer to join Obi-Wan Kenobi on his mission to deliver R2-D2. 

But after discovering the storm troopers assault on his family home, Skywalker has no choice but to join Kenobi to Mos Eisley, the threshold into the new world of trials and tribulations.

Crossing the threshold is one of the first breaks in a story. It’s when the hero leaves behind the known world, traversing into the unknown. It brings us into the next act of a story: Initiation. 

The hero earns initiation into the new world by a test of talent, temptation, and atonement. About this unknown, Campbell said, “It has produced a world literature of miraculous tests and ordeals.”

Lucas had a saga in mind when writing Skywalker’s journey, stretching over his life. The events of the Galactic War shape Skywalker into a talented and masterful Jedi. 

Skywalker faces many tests on his ‘Road of Trials’, Campbell laid out specific tests of talents, temptations, and atonements the hero must complete to reach ‘Apotheosis’.

Skywalker’s ‘Meeting with the Goddess’ is best met by his training with Yoda, a powerful and loving force who nurtures and trains the Jedi. But Skywalker is tempted away by a vision, pulled to confront the ultimate authority in his life. 

‘Atonement with the Father’ is one of Campbell’s last steps on the ‘Road of Trials.’ Lucas wrote this beat pretty on the nose, as Skywalker faces Vader, learning of his parentage and losing his hand in the process. 

‘Apotheosis’ is an interesting step in ‘The Hero’s Journey’. It is the point of deification, or becoming divine. After a year of recovery, Skywalker is reborn as a full-fledged Jedi Knight. 

Skywalker’s ‘Ultimate Boon’ is the defeat of the Empire. The threat is eliminated, but he is still hesitant to return. Instead, he flees into the galaxy to be rescued from without. Young Rey comes in with Yoda to remind him who he is. 

The third act, Return, is the revival of old values mixed with new knowledge and wisdom. Skywalker returns with the key to the resistance’s victory, crosses the threshold into their world, becomes master of all worlds. 

Star Wars created an entire community of fans across the globe to enjoy, allowing something for everyone. Lucas put in science fiction, epic battles, mighty adventures, and comical romance for his audience inspiring creativity across society. And for the storytelling nerds, he proved the validity of structures and philosophy in writing. 

Structures like this have been retold many times as writers attempt to answer why stories work so well, and why, as humans, we exercise the imagination given to us over all other life on Earth. 

Chris Vogler simplified Cambell’s outline into 12 easier steps specifically for filmmakers in “A Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers”. Blake Snyder wrote “Save The Cat! The Last Book On Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need”.

Storytelling involves more than epic visuals and daring battles, although those motifs do assist in popularity. The purpose of these structures in media is to outline human experiences, and give readers and watchers something more to relate to. 

In the years before we were given May the fourth, Lucas gave us much to think about with his thoughts on philosophy and storytelling, proving his points in their validity with the wild success of the series, owing it all to Campbell and his breakdown of the mind and narrative.