From: jordan@castor.cs.uga.edu (Chuck Jordan)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.starwars
Subject: The Force ( was Re: Dark Empire: NOT CANON!!?? )
Date: 5 Sep 92 07:03:18 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

In article <1992Sep1.212252.21798@u.washington.edu> mcclaine@milton.u.washington.edu (Robert Casey) writes:
>	What is wrong with animals that repel the Force.  The Force is an
>	natural energy field.  It exists in all living things.  Perhaps the
>	ysalamiri innately project a Force nullifying field.  It seems that
>	if you name some form of poison or form of harm, there is some
>	animal that is resistant to it.  Why not an animal that is resistant
>	to another feature of nature, the Force?

From what you brought up -- the force is an energy field generated by all
living things, "flowing through us, around us," or something like that. 
So it exists in every living thing, and is generated by every living thing.
(So, I would say that being a Jedi doesn't have to be hereditary, you just
have to be aware of the power of the force and willing to train in it.)
But coming up with some bonehead idea like animals that generate a Force
bubble isn't like an animal that can repel or create some poison, but is
more like an animal that is immune to reincarnation, or that can repel
the animism that some Native American religions believe in.  For another
thing, what possible purpose could it have?  The ysalamiri's most dangerous
natural predators are Jedi Knights?  The ysalamiri in Zahn's books are
not a "concept," they're just a plot device.  Many of his scenes just can't
work unless you have some way for non-Jedis to repel the powers of the
Force, and Zahn took the easy (and lame, imho) way out.

In Return of the Jedi, we saw that Jabba was "immune" to "Jedi mind tricks."
This doesn't suggest any biological ability; in Star Wars, Ben claimed
that the force can have a strong effect on the weak-minded.  Now, I would
assume that Jabba wouldn't have become a big-time smuggler if he were weak-
minded.

Also, I've seen posts suggesting things like: Vader traced a Rebel Blockade
runner through the Force, Luke or the Emperor could've levitated themselves
instead of falling with the Force, Vader or the Emperor could've found Ben
on Tatooine with the Force, etc.  I think you've got the wrong idea about
just what the Force can do.  Vader could sense Ben's presence in Star Wars,
but ONLY when he was just a few feet away from Ben, right at the foot of
the MF's ramp.  Ben could sense the pain of the people of ALderaan getting
blown up, but that was because it was a whole planet's population; that would
generate quite a disturbance in a living energy force.

Also, I think Luke or the Emperor or any other Jedi for that matter, could've
levitated himself up out of their respective holes.  But, every use of the
Force for motion required considerable concentration.  And, as Yoda said,
whether it's a small rock or ahuge spaceship (or yourself, I'd imagine) makes
no difference to the Force.  But, the Emperor and Luke had no time to get
their concentration.

AND (will it ever end?) somebody recently suggested Wedge could've been a
spy controlled by the Emperor's will to do his bidding.  No.  I don't believe
the Force can make you do something that's completely against your nature;
in all the examples I've seen, it just gave the person a little nudge, it
couldn't completely twist your mind.

USENET's Chuck

-- 
                  Chuck Jordan | jordan@castor.cs.uga.edu
SPY Magazine's 1,000 Reasons Not to Vote for George Bush:
NO 354: By the end of the 1992 election, he wil have received more than
$200 million in federal matching funds.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.starwars