Was Luke and the Lars poor?
Moderator: Vympel
Was Luke and the Lars poor?
I always thought that Luke was poor on Tatooine but I thought about it today and they had:
2 speeders
2 droids (at least)
1 T-16
A large farm
So were they poor? Or just poor by the standards of the Core worlds?
2 speeders
2 droids (at least)
1 T-16
A large farm
So were they poor? Or just poor by the standards of the Core worlds?
M1891/30: A bad day on the range is better then a good day at work.
![Image](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/AJKendall/Avatars/MCA100.jpg)
They had way more than two droids.
But anyway, I don't think they were poor per se, but they weren't really wealthy. Think of Owen as a small business owner. One of those landspeeders is owned by the business. The farm is the business's support structure. The droids are designed to help the business. What the Lars family itself actually owned as "fun stuff" that didn't come as an incidental result of the business was relatively quaint. Luke's landspeeder is clearly old and beat-up, so it's not exactly "omgwtf, they have lik 2 cars, d00d." Sure, they have "two cars," but one's a company Taurus and the other is a beat-up, barely functioning, held-together hand-me-down, kinda like the Millennium Falcon.![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
But anyway, I don't think they were poor per se, but they weren't really wealthy. Think of Owen as a small business owner. One of those landspeeders is owned by the business. The farm is the business's support structure. The droids are designed to help the business. What the Lars family itself actually owned as "fun stuff" that didn't come as an incidental result of the business was relatively quaint. Luke's landspeeder is clearly old and beat-up, so it's not exactly "omgwtf, they have lik 2 cars, d00d." Sure, they have "two cars," but one's a company Taurus and the other is a beat-up, barely functioning, held-together hand-me-down, kinda like the Millennium Falcon.
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
-Ryan McClure-
Scaper - Browncoat - Warsie (semi-movie purist) - Colonial - TNG/DS9-era Trekker - Hero || BOTM - Maniac || Antireligious naturalist
Scaper - Browncoat - Warsie (semi-movie purist) - Colonial - TNG/DS9-era Trekker - Hero || BOTM - Maniac || Antireligious naturalist
- Spanky The Dolphin
- Mammy Two-Shoes
- Posts: 30776
- Joined: 2002-07-05 05:45pm
- Location: Reykjavík, Iceland (not really)
- Deathstalker
- Jedi Council Member
- Posts: 1523
- Joined: 2004-01-20 02:22am
I don't think the Lars family was poor, but they weren't rich. My grandfather had a tractors and equipment for his farm, as did most of the farms around. Before he retired he made enough money to raise four children and provide for his retirement. The like my grandfather, Owen took over the farm from his father, so much of the farm was already established. The Lars family seemed comfortable, able to by new equipment, possibly being able to send Luke to school (assuming he couldn't get into the Academy which I imagine pays for everything), and hire seasonal workers. Being a farm would mean they would have food to eat and would know how to keep things running long after the warranty has run out.
![Image](http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a213/firej757/DeathStalkersigbanner.jpg)
- Old Plympto
- Jedi Master
- Posts: 1488
- Joined: 2003-06-30 11:21pm
- Location: Interface 2037 Ready For Inquiry
- Contact:
- Illuminatus Primus
- All Seeing Eye
- Posts: 15774
- Joined: 2002-10-12 02:52pm
- Location: Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Contact:
The T-16 is what really gets me. That must've been pricey.
"You know what the problem with Hollywood is. They make shit. Unbelievable. Unremarkable. Shit." - Gabriel Shear, Swordfish
"This statement, in its utterly clueless hubristic stupidity, cannot be improved upon. I merely quote it in admiration of its perfection." - Garibaldi in reply to an incredibly stupid post.
The Fifth Illuminatus Primus | Warsie | Skeptical Empiricist | Florida Gator | Sustainability Advocate | Libertarian Socialist |
![Image](http://mywebpages.comcast.net/rcrierie/SigPictures/IlluminatusPrimus.gif)
"This statement, in its utterly clueless hubristic stupidity, cannot be improved upon. I merely quote it in admiration of its perfection." - Garibaldi in reply to an incredibly stupid post.
The Fifth Illuminatus Primus | Warsie | Skeptical Empiricist | Florida Gator | Sustainability Advocate | Libertarian Socialist |
![Image](http://mywebpages.comcast.net/rcrierie/SigPictures/IlluminatusPrimus.gif)
- Utsanomiko
- The Legend Rado Tharadus
- Posts: 5079
- Joined: 2002-09-20 10:03pm
- Location: My personal sanctuary from the outside world
Pernilla August is not 'bargain bin' material.Old Plympto wrote:Maybe he found her in the bargain bin, I dunno.Stravo wrote:Cleeg Lars was rich enough to buy himself a slave. (Shmee)
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Anywho, the gist I got from Watto was her freedom was a bit of both being bought and married by Lars, the former being a necesscity for the latter.
By His Word...
- Elheru Aran
- Emperor's Hand
- Posts: 13073
- Joined: 2004-03-04 01:15am
- Location: Georgia
Not necessarily. I remember seeing ads in old National Geographics and stuff-- apparently a rather popular thing back in the '70s and '80s was to purchase a kit, consisting of all your airplane parts-- engine, frame, wings, and so forth-- and then put it together in your garage, trailer it to the local airport, and after flying lessons-- hey presto, your own plane...Illuminatus Primus wrote:The T-16 is what really gets me. That must've been pricey.
Not saying that's what happened, but I think it's an idea. Cost would be down significantly since it wouldn't be complete when sold; the customer builds it himself from the provided parts. Kind of the 'cheap' solution, I guess....
It's a strange world. Let's keep it that way.
- Isolder74
- Official SD.Net Ace of Cakes
- Posts: 6762
- Joined: 2002-07-10 01:16am
- Location: Weber State of Construction University
- Contact:
I never got the impression that the Lars were poor. They seemed to be the best well off mousture farmers in the area. Like has been mentioned, the family had two landspeeders, a T-16 Skyhopper and dozens of droids. Luke's speeder was pretty much an old version of a sport speeder. Then there is the fact that Luke had wrecked the T-16 and Owen had sectretly fixed it up as a surprise for Luke. That couldn't have been cheap.
Hapan Battle Dragons Rule!
When you want peace prepare for war! --Confusious
That was disapointing ..Should we show this Federation how to build a ship so we may have worthy foes? Typhonis 1
The Prince of The Writer's Guild|HAB Spacewolf Tank General| God Bless America!
When you want peace prepare for war! --Confusious
That was disapointing ..Should we show this Federation how to build a ship so we may have worthy foes? Typhonis 1
The Prince of The Writer's Guild|HAB Spacewolf Tank General| God Bless America!
I just thought about this for a moment. Maybe the Lars are 'ghetto rich' and by that I mean they save money by cutting some legal corners. For instance its pretty obvious the Lars acquire their droids off the truck. The Jawas are like the local crackheads swinging by with a TV on their shoulders and Owen buys the TV for five dollars and suddenly the family has a new TV. Just a thought.
Wherever you go, there you are.
Ripped Shirt Monkey - BOTMWriter's Guild Cybertron's Finest Justice League
This updated sig brought to you by JME2
![Image](http://www.thesoundandthefury.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/SC_Revamp_V2.jpg)
Ripped Shirt Monkey - BOTMWriter's Guild Cybertron's Finest Justice League
This updated sig brought to you by JME2
![Image](http://www.thesoundandthefury.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/SC_Revamp_V2.jpg)
- Ghost Rider
- Spirit of Vengeance
- Posts: 27779
- Joined: 2002-09-24 01:48pm
- Location: DC...looking up from the gutters to the stars
For the most part the Lars were off well enough. the Darklighter's were the only notable rich people and that's because they owned a near water monopoly for the moisture farmer. One thing of note, the Lars never had to rely on the Darklighter's for water, which was in general a sign of both Owen's stubborness and level of wealth.
As for purist viewpoint, the Lars were well to do enough, but nothing compared to what Biggs had, which even in the novel was noted to be from a rich family.
As for purist viewpoint, the Lars were well to do enough, but nothing compared to what Biggs had, which even in the novel was noted to be from a rich family.
MM /CF/WG/BOTM/JL/Original Warsie/ACPATHNTDWATGODW FOREVER!!
Sometimes we can choose the path we follow. Sometimes our choices are made for us. And sometimes we have no choice at all
Saying and doing are chocolate and concrete
Sometimes we can choose the path we follow. Sometimes our choices are made for us. And sometimes we have no choice at all
Saying and doing are chocolate and concrete
- Illuminatus Primus
- All Seeing Eye
- Posts: 15774
- Joined: 2002-10-12 02:52pm
- Location: Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Contact:
The Jawas don't typically steal, though; they really are more like gypsies. Migrant barterers and bazaar owners. Think of a flea/thrift store on wheels where the employees scavange and barter for goods.Stravo wrote:I just thought about this for a moment. Maybe the Lars are 'ghetto rich' and by that I mean they save money by cutting some legal corners. For instance its pretty obvious the Lars acquire their droids off the truck. The Jawas are like the local crackheads swinging by with a TV on their shoulders and Owen buys the TV for five dollars and suddenly the family has a new TV. Just a thought.
"You know what the problem with Hollywood is. They make shit. Unbelievable. Unremarkable. Shit." - Gabriel Shear, Swordfish
"This statement, in its utterly clueless hubristic stupidity, cannot be improved upon. I merely quote it in admiration of its perfection." - Garibaldi in reply to an incredibly stupid post.
The Fifth Illuminatus Primus | Warsie | Skeptical Empiricist | Florida Gator | Sustainability Advocate | Libertarian Socialist |
![Image](http://mywebpages.comcast.net/rcrierie/SigPictures/IlluminatusPrimus.gif)
"This statement, in its utterly clueless hubristic stupidity, cannot be improved upon. I merely quote it in admiration of its perfection." - Garibaldi in reply to an incredibly stupid post.
The Fifth Illuminatus Primus | Warsie | Skeptical Empiricist | Florida Gator | Sustainability Advocate | Libertarian Socialist |
![Image](http://mywebpages.comcast.net/rcrierie/SigPictures/IlluminatusPrimus.gif)
My brother-in-law is building his own plane from scratch using plans he bought from a company. The Lars may have done the same with the T-16. They could have bought the parts they needed from someone like Watto and put it together in the garage.Elheru Aran wrote: Not necessarily. I remember seeing ads in old National Geographics and stuff-- apparently a rather popular thing back in the '70s and '80s was to purchase a kit, consisting of all your airplane parts-- engine, frame, wings, and so forth-- and then put it together in your garage, trailer it to the local airport, and after flying lessons-- hey presto, your own plane...
Not saying that's what happened, but I think it's an idea. Cost would be down significantly since it wouldn't be complete when sold; the customer builds it himself from the provided parts. Kind of the 'cheap' solution, I guess....
M1891/30: A bad day on the range is better then a good day at work.
![Image](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/AJKendall/Avatars/MCA100.jpg)