The Re-Awakening of Anakin and The Process of Forgiveness

This is not going to be a blog about the redemption of Darth Vader or Anakin…a subject that I have seen discussed and debated almost ad-nauseum.    Rather, this is a blog that is going to touch on a subject about Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side and his Re-Awakening that I have not yet seen discussed:  that of a prolonged manic episode or a psychotic break.

I have been trying to write this blog for quite some time now, without giving up too much personal information. This is a topic which my husband and I have been discussing for a while, and I am hoping that what I am going to say will be looked at and considered in a different light. However, I cannot completely keep the personal information and experiences out of the discussion and I ask that all of you keep it classy in your comments and feedback.

Ok…with that out of the way, I want to propose an alternative to the discussion on Anakin’s “anger issues” and his relationship with Padme as one of domestic violence, abuse, and control: one of mental health issues, BiPolar disorder, schizophrenia/schizoaffective, or any of a line of disorders in these categories. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), BiPolar Disorder “is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.” Signs of a manic episode include a prolonged period of feeling high or extreme irritability; talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another, or racing thoughts; being easily distracted; increasing activities, including taking on new projects; being overly restless; sleeping too little or not enough; having unrealistic beliefs in one’s abilities; and behaving impulsively while frequently engaging in pleasurable high-risk behaviors. Without going into a lengthy discussion of the other mental health disorders, I will mention that, with schizophrenia the person experiences hallucinations and with schizoaffective disorder, the person typically experiences symptoms of both BiPolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Why am I giving everyone a psychiatry lesson? Have you ever felt like you have absolutely no control over what you do? Have you ever had an experience that you truly cannot remember? Further, have you ever had a chunk of time, whether it be days, weeks, months, etc. where you have no recollection of what happened? I am providing this brief background and asking these questions because I know someone who has experienced all of these things, all in relation to a mental health diagnosis. It is very difficult to watch someone you love go through something like this…and the symptoms and disorder are real.

I see so much of my husband in Anakin, and so much of me in Padme…I guess this is why I love them so much 😉  However, I digress.  From a young age, Anakin displayed special abilities…abilities which would eventually lead to his fall to the Dark Side.  There is not a whole lot that we know about his early life, other than he was born into slavery and that he did have some anger issues.  As he grew up, Anakin started having symptoms similar to that of those who suffer from mental health disorders:  lack of sleep for long periods of time, hallucinations, delusions of grandeur, and periods of loss of control.  Many have contributed these symptoms to his extreme Force abilities and high midichlorian counts.  As the stress of the Clone Wars and being away from his wife built within, Anakin’s symptoms become worse, where he eventually cracks, giving in to his inner demons, and falls into an extremely long manic or psychotic phase.

 

If Anakin was truly in a manic/psychotic phase, he more than likely had little to no idea what he was doing or what was going on.  Now, is what he did as Darth Vader atrocious?  Yes…and I know that many would have a difficult time with the argument that he did not know what was going on.  As an example, take the scene in Episode III when he lashes out at Master Windu in what he thought was a protective act.  What were his words?  When he came to, he muttered:  “What have I done?”  Shortly after this incident, he essentially immersed himself in, surrendered himself to the Dark Side…and the dark days had begun.

 

Fast forward twenty plus years after the fall…Anakin, as Vader, begins to have *feelings* again.  His son and his daughter emerged from the beyond, and we can almost see the battle within:  does Vader remain loyal to the Emperor, forgetting all of the past and continuing on with the atrocities, or does Anakin re-emerge and fight back?  As we all know, Anakin won over Vader, and he became the Hero everyone had expected of him at his prime.

Now, as we also know, Anakin did not survive for long after re-awakening, as the injuries he sustained in that final battle were life-threatening.  However, upon awakening from what I am calling such a prolonged psychotic phase, how would the galaxy feel, had he survived survived, if Anakin could not remember all that had happened…if his brain truly tried to shield him from all of the horrible things that he did?  For the minds that do not suffer from mental health ailments, it is a very difficult concept to understand:  how could one possibly not remember?!  For those who have lived through or with it, the concept and the reality of it are real.  I do not think we will ever have all of the answers to these questions, but I do hope that us fans can look at the possibility that Anakin’s actions, downfall, and re-awakening are all part of a bigger, more severe mental illness.  If this is the case, hopefully the citizens of the galaxy could better understand what happened and eventually allow the healing and forgiveness to begin.