Pre-Republic borders relied upon extended hibernation to keep the crewĪlive as they traveled across unfathomable distances. Galaxy for centuries, as ancient sleeper ships that expanded the The peculiar stasis qualities of carbonite have been known in the Regardless, please provide references and context.Ĭanonically, carbonite freezing someone without preparation seems to leave them in a semi-conscious state and subject to extreme pain. If none (currently) exist, legends explanation would suffice. Looking for in-universe, canonical explanations not armchair speculation and theories. Does someone frozen in Carbonite - who is then unfrozen - have any memory of their time frozen in Carbonite at all?.Does someone frozen in Carbonite fall into a deep sleep/hibernation immediately upon freezing?.But what does being placed in “suspended animation” actually mean for the subject themselves and their own experience? Yes, references are made to suspended animation and such. There are references to hibernation sickness and its side-effects - such as temporary blindness - when someone is unfrozen from Carbonite, but is there any insight as to what someone like Han Solo actually experienced in this process? For perhaps the first time in his life, he has stopped running.Inspired by this other question about what Captain America experienced after being frozen for 67 years at the bottom of the ocean, is there any in-universe explanation for what Han Solo experienced while frozen in Carbonite for the in-universe time period between the events of The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983)? He is so committed to Leia and the Rebel Alliance that he relents to being frozen in carbonite, making it impossible to go anywhere. Solo is accepting his fate, instead of trying to run from it. In perhaps his bravest moment, Han tells Chewbacca not to fight back, or to try and change things. He is at a crossroads: fight back and (hopefully) live to fight another day, or concede he is out of options. And whether he wants to change his ways or not at this point, any sense of agency Solo might have is taken away from him, courtesy of Darth Vader. Planting roots of any kind, let alone remaining still for an extended length of time, would appear highly unlikely. Whether that is avoiding Imperial entanglements, working on the next smuggling opportunity, or escaping the clutches of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt, Han is on the move. He’s frequently on the run and headed towards the next adventure. Leia and Han’s unconventional courtship is not allowed to prosper and grow, but there is hope.Ĩ Images Up until this point in Star Wars, Han has lived an itinerant life. But now everything is put on hold, perhaps permanently, if Boba Fett and Jabba the Hutt have their way. She has witnessed a seismic shift in Solo’s emotional growth and maturity, and will hold back no further. She tells him she loves him, and unburdens herself of what she has been feeling inside. For instance, besides the threat to his mortality that being frozen entails, Princess Leia’s grief is further enhanced by this moment. It’s ironic that being closed off to this emotion, or allowing oneself to be in love, has now manifested itself into becoming a trophy for Jabba the Hutt’s wall. Allowing himself to be vulnerable to love may be the scariest thing Han Solo has ever faced. Being put into carbon freeze will allow for Han to turn off feelings he has not allowed himself to experience for a very long time. He has been closed off emotionally for a while, now, which is why his burgeoning relationship with Leia Organa is such a potential threat to his false sense of security. It’s difficult and unexplored territory for the captain of the Millennium Falcon. The conflict within can be much more daunting than any asteroids or stormtrooper blaster fire. From a literary perspective, ice may imply that Han is closed off to the feelings he is struggling with. This is a threat to Solo’s mortality, but it’s also a threat to his growth as a character. Let’s further extend the metaphor: With Han being in carbonite, he is, in essence, encased in frozen water. The carbon freeze chamber emphasizes this with dramatic precision. However, when the water freezes, the symbolism turns dire. Conversely, rough waters indicate turmoil and angst. As water flows, so to do the character’s range of emotions the more calm the water, the more relaxed the character feels. It can be a mirror that provides insight into the character’s emotional state. Water is often associated with a number of key storytelling ideas that reflect a great deal about where a character is in his or her journey.
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