For my Star Wars Book Month celebration, I am going to host a read-a-long of Darth Plagueis. I’d love for you to join me! The comments might have spoilers for the ending. My discussions in this post are relatively spoiler free.
I’m really sorry I didn’t get to post last weeks discussion! Time got away from me :) I am really behind on my reading. I just started part 3 a few days ago. I haven’t been feeling well, and I can’t stay awake for longer than 10 minutes when I read. It’s been so frustrating! I’m combining the discussion for Part 2 and 3 today. I hope that’s okay.
Today’s discussion questions are:
What did you think of Sith training versus Jedi training?
A few things I noticed on how Plagueis trained Sidious:
*Plagueis points out all of Sidious’ flaws, like Palpatine does later on with Anakin. This is an interesting Dark Side trait. Does focusing too much on our weaknesses make us our worst self?
* The Sith are more interested in making the Force do what they want instead of doing the will of the Force. Jedi have faith that things will work out for the greater good, and Sith want to control things so they work out the way they want them to. This is what turned Anakin to the Dark Side. If Anakin had had faith that Padme would be okay (and made peace with the fact that life would go on even if she wasn’t okay), the ironic thing is she would have survived. Sometimes, life turns out better when we give up our need to control it.
*On page 236, Plagueis says, “Remember why the Sith are more powerful than the Jedi, Sidious: because we are not afraid to feel. We embrace the spectrum of emotions, from the heights of transcendent joy to the depths of hatred and despair. Fearless, we welcome whatever paths the dark side sets us on, and whatever destiny it lays out for us.” I thought that was so interesting. Is it really true? Do they, or even can they, embrace the emotions of compassion and love? I think it’s a huge lie that Jedi never feel hate – they just choose to not act on it. The Sith are in reality a slave to their emotions and therefore have less control and choices than they think. And what about fear? Yoda says fear is the path to the dark side, so why does Plagueis insist that Sith are fearless? It seems kind of backwards to me. It seems to me that what Sidious calls an absence of fear is really just over-confidence, like Luke points out.
*There is no trust whatsoever between master and learner in the Sith training.
Any final thoughts about part 3 and the book as a whole?
Since I haven’t finished yet, I’ll put my final thoughts in the comments. But I’d love to hear what you think about the whole book!
Leave your answers in the comments!
Reading Schedule
February 5th-11 ~ Part 1: Chapters 1-12
February 12th-18th ~ Part 2: Chapters 13-21
February 19th-28th ~ Part 3: Chapters 22-30
I’m really excited to read this along with all of you! Also, you can get bonus entries in the giveaway if you answer today’s read-a-long question in the comments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOoOT4LNpzU
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My name is Jessica. I love to read Young Adult and classic literature. I’ve been a book blogger for six years and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. I’m a very curious reader. Writing about all the questions and thoughts I had while reading a book is the best hobby ever.
The biggest thing that stuck out to me was about the role of emotions. I am an emotional person. Not to say that emotions rule my life, because they don’t, but they definitely are a big part of who I am, especially when it comes to those I love. I could never be a Jedi. I love to love, I love to be in love, and to be loved. Jedi, while I’m sure they do love (those they serve, the force, etc.) they don’t form relationships (think Anakin and Padme) and yeah, for a good reason (I would do anything to protect my kids!! Well maybe not become a killer but you know what I mean). I just could never live a life like that myself. Anyway, that was a little off point. When I first read that passage (the same one you mentioned on page 236) I was actually “drawn to the dark side” a little. I like the idea of “embracing the spectrum of emotions”. And for a while I thought…why can’t the Jedi do that too?! Why to the good guys have to be robotic bigots?! Of course I promptly readjusted my thinking (props to Luceno btw). The difference between the Sith and the Jedi is not the emotions they feel. It’s in their actions. The Jedi don’t let their emotions determine or rule their actions. They always act for the betterment of others even if it is contrary to how they feel (at least, I assume). The Sith let their emotions affect their actions. One example I can think of was in chapter 23 when Plagueis instructed Sidious to send Maul to “witness the Yinchorri attack on the Jedi Temple”…and to make sure he is held back in order to “let his anger and hatred fester”. I think that by doing this, those emotions will be fuel for Maul’s future actions/missions as a Sith assassin. Or another example that isn’t in this book is when Shmi died in Anakin’s arms…Anakin’s sadness, anger, guilt, and love for his mother drove him to kill all the Tuskin Raiders (not that they didn’t deserve it but still) without a second thought. So, I agree with you…that Sith are slaves to their emotions, and that they are over confident. In the end, it’s their downfall.
Another difference I noticed was the lack of interaction the Sith master has with his apprentice. In the movies, we don’t often see Jedi master apart from his apprentice, yet in this book, Sidious doesn’t have much contact at all with Plagueis in part 2, and doesn’t really share much with him either. Where I see Jedi as being in a positive mentorship…helping each other, mindfully teaching and actively learning through example and teachings, the Sith’s relationship between master and apprentice is more calculating, distrustful, and hierarchical. They don’t share information/their teachings readily with each other.
Anyway, sorry if my thoughts are a little scattered. Things have been crazy for me the last few days, and my thoughts are else where. I’ll definitely add some more thoughts after I finish the last couple chapters of part three!!
Luceno did an amazing job, didn’t he?
“The difference between the Sith and the Jedi is not the emotions they feel. It’s in their actions.” – I thought the same thing! And I like your point that they are unselfish even if it goes against their feelings. Very true.
“They don’t share information/their teachings readily with each other.” – I always thought it was weird that Plagueis didn’t teach Sidious everything about midi-chlorians. So when Anakin comes along the best Sidious has to offer is “if you kill a lot of people maybe we can figure it out??”
I’m sorry it took me so long to get back to you. You left such a great comment and I wanted to make sure I had the time to give you a proper response.
Ok I just finished the book!! I really liked it! I found it was more of a history than a story in some parts, but it worked I think. I thought it was SO interesting the role that the Sith played in having Padme elected as queen! Also…it is interesting to know now how Anakin was conceived! I think Plagueis realized it at the end, that he and Sidious, in trying to create life via the force, created Anakin unknowingly. At the end of chapter 29, after realizing that Qui-Gon believed Anakin to be the chosen one, “Plagueis ran a hand over his forehead. Are we undone? he thought. Have you undone us?” Interesting that the dark side brought to pass the existence of the chosen one who was eventually (albeit decades later after being a force for evil for much of the time) going to bring about the end of the Sith and restore balance to the force.
A quote that I thought also highlighted a difference between the Jedi and the Sith came from Dooku (in the Epilogue)…in regards to the Sith: “For many, they are the embodiment of pure evil, but the Council knows differently. What separates a Sith from a Jedi is the way each appraoches the Force. The Jedi Order has placed limits on itself, but the Sith have never shied from incorporating the power of the dark side to accomplish their goals.” Since Dooku is a Jedi turned Sith, I like to think that he is most accurate in his comparisons. I am reminded of a wise old man who once counselled an ambitious youth, that with “great power comes great responsibility.” ;)
So, those are some of the interpretations and opinions and thoughts I had with this book. I have had a lot of fun discussing this with you. I wish more had been able to get involved. I am also glad I have been able to put my tendency to over-analyze everything to good use!!! I look forward to doing this again next year!!! May the force be with you :)
Sidious getting Padme elected for Queen blew me away! LOL glad it didn’t turn out the way he wanted.
I wonder if the dark side really did conceive Anakin. I kind of thought that when Plagueis and Sidious worked really hard to tip the balance of the Force that the Force responded by creating Anakin. I kind of think he was created by the light side since he was one of the only people that could have killed the Emperor.
It’s been a joy reading this with you!! I really needed to read it with someone that over-analyzes like I do and cares about what I have to say!!
May the Force be with you as well :D