To turn or not to turn, that is the question
From the Star Wars LJ board:
If you were in Anakin's position, would you turn to the dark side?
My answer:
The Jedi's tagline: "It's natural for people to die. Don’t be sad." *pat, pat, pat*
Palpatine's tagline: "We can stop the people you love from dying." Anakin couldn't save his mother - he has the chance to save Padme (and possibly his unborn child).
Jedi: "We don't trust you enough to make you a Master and give you the power and perks that the chosen one should rightfully have. Plus, quite frankly, you scare us."
Palpatine: "The Force is strong with you! I like it! Here! Have your own planetary system!"
Anakin gave up his mother and his home to become the most powerful Jedi ever, and the response of the Order is "learn to let go." From Anakin's point of view, the Jedi cannot (or is not willing to) offer him anything, and Palpatine is. Whereas, had he been raised as a Jedi from infancy his family would have been the Order, he was not and so his support structure was his mother (dead) and Padme. He can't lose her, and with little to no time to ponder the consequences, he bends the knee to Palpatine. I would. No question. Give me the power to protect the ones I care about. Particularly if, as someone said earlier, I think that my Jedi friends have betrayed me, are coming to kill me and I need to make a decision - now.
If you were in Anakin's position, would you turn to the dark side?
My answer:
The Jedi's tagline: "It's natural for people to die. Don’t be sad." *pat, pat, pat*
Palpatine's tagline: "We can stop the people you love from dying." Anakin couldn't save his mother - he has the chance to save Padme (and possibly his unborn child).
Jedi: "We don't trust you enough to make you a Master and give you the power and perks that the chosen one should rightfully have. Plus, quite frankly, you scare us."
Palpatine: "The Force is strong with you! I like it! Here! Have your own planetary system!"
Anakin gave up his mother and his home to become the most powerful Jedi ever, and the response of the Order is "learn to let go." From Anakin's point of view, the Jedi cannot (or is not willing to) offer him anything, and Palpatine is. Whereas, had he been raised as a Jedi from infancy his family would have been the Order, he was not and so his support structure was his mother (dead) and Padme. He can't lose her, and with little to no time to ponder the consequences, he bends the knee to Palpatine. I would. No question. Give me the power to protect the ones I care about. Particularly if, as someone said earlier, I think that my Jedi friends have betrayed me, are coming to kill me and I need to make a decision - now.