After some discussions with others, I wanted to bring up a few interesting elements regarding the possible influences impacting Defy the Storm, all of which involve France through its history and culture. There are also some smaller elements of this book which link the Nihil to the Nazis, and a final detail which ironically, ties everything together: hotels. SPOILERS AHEAD FOR: Star Wars: The High Republic: Defy the Storm
The Belle Epoque
The High Republic takes from the American Gilded Age, among many other sources, for its inspiration. The examples of this are many, and range from small details such as terminology like business tycoons on Corellia being called Fathers of their various industries, to larger ones involving ideology and events like the Republic Fair being based in part on the Columbian Exposition. At the same time as the American Gilded Age though, was the Belle Epoque, an era of France centered on Paris considered the nation’s golden age which took place roughly following France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, and ended as a result of the First World War. This era, while it saw great progress in areas of science, engineering, and architecture alongside a thriving high culture seen in fashion and the arts, was also filled with uglier elements, colonialism, racism, economic issues in wider France, and extreme anti-Semitism as the Dreyfus Affair showed.
Xylan Graf
These two real-world time periods overlap with one another, with much in common, and I think that Defy the Storm has multiple examples of French culture and history brought to bear as they relate to the Belle Epoque. This is perhaps most obvious in the additions made to the character of Xylan Graf, adjusting him from his previous appearance in Out of the Shadows. There, he was depicted as wholly duplicitous, though somewhat of a pawn himself to the plots of his grandmother, Lourna Dee and Chancey Yarrow. He was ultimately fairly two-dimensional. In Defy the Storm however, we get multiple chapters from his point of view, and we can see that Tessa Gratton (credited with writing the character in the interview on starwars.com she and Justina Ireland shared) gave him a clearly French aspect.
He uses French terms, grandmere and grandpere, to refer to his grandmother and the “bearded” face of a Nameless, he has a giant white fluffy dog as a Frenchman might a poodle or some other breed, and he’s intensely focused on high fashion and his appearance. He applies creams and beauty products to himself, constantly makes sure he looks his best, producing a dashing figure, in line with ideas regarding certain elements of upper class French society. Finally, he is also a character of open sexuality, flirting with women despite being married to a man, fulfilling the stereotype of the French lover. Such an idea, however, is not far off from the truth, as the Belle Epoque and later years following WWI saw a growing acceptance of homosexuality and lesbianism, at least in the upper class society of Paris. A number of notable female hostesses and culture curators was purported to have had female lovers, and extramarital affairs with the opposite or same sex were not uncommon (though while he is a massive flirt, Xylan remains loyal to his secret husband, Cair San Tekka).
Ghirra and the Salon
With the mention of upper class society women, we should now turn to the idea of the salon, and how its appearance in Defy the Storm further links that novel to French culture. The salon was a French invention, and refers to a social gathering of often upper class people who engaged in different aspects of artistic culture. One could approximate it to a modern day book club, though far from just literature, artwork of all sorts, plays and opera, as well as music, could be discussed or engaged with behind closed doors. Food and drink were also served, allowing for cuisine to be a topic of discussion, and such events were often sumptuous affairs with exclusive invitations, and many members of high society rubbing elbows. Many upper class society women were the force behind these gatherings, though men could host their own, to say nothing of married couples working together. As for the salon in Defy the Storm, it plays the important role of providing context for the current politics of the Republic, and giving Xylan Graf a chance to both scheme but also be abducted by Jordanna and Sylvestri. But, the salon we see on Hosnian Prime is also notable for how it features culinary creations, drinks, and artwork, all from sources behind the Stormwall, as a show of power through a prestigious, well attended event catering to Hosnian Prime’s elite. Ghirra is using her unique role, her proximity to the Nihil, to grant people access to what is rare and sought after at this time, seemingly to great success.
The Nihil and the Nazis
This last element then leads me into exploring the Nihil and the Nazis. Whereas before the connections were minimal to pure coincidence, it seems that the Phase 3 Nihil have firmer traits drawn from the Nazis. With regard to Ghirra’s salon, her actions are similar to those of women like Florence Gould, a millionaire’s wife who, during World War II, made the acquaintance of multiple Germans who arrived in Paris as part of the Nazi war machine, all for the purpose of carrying on her high-society lifestyle uninterrupted. These connections allowed her access to the black market for things like chocolate, diverse meats, and even the basic necessity of coal for use at her salons, alongside ease of travel around France at a time when the nation was broken up between Vichy and Occupied France, and when travel was internally restricted. She also benefited by having access to “ownerless” art that the Nazis auctioned off, collecting many works for herself and her properties, where they would be displayed at her salons as well. This sort of practice could also be linked back to the Belle Epoque, when artwork and culture from French colonial regions flooded back to the nation, where they were collected and put on display, dispossessing native people of their heritage. Ghirra’s salon fits all of these ideas to a tee, as do her actions, looking to preserve herself and continuing living her life apart from the occupiers who have changed the politics of the galaxy, just as Florence Gould did when the Nazis came to power.
As for direct links between the Nazis and the Nihil, there are two other notable instances of such a connection. When Defy the Storm’s group of travelers thrown together by the will of the Force breach the Stormwall, they go to Seswenna, a world located in extreme proximity to Eriadu, possibly in the same star-system. While there, Avon and Vernestra quickly encounter local collaborators, recruited by General Veiss, to help police and oppress the citizens of Seswenna City. They all bear a wrap of cloth around one of their arms, with a painted swirling eye to represent the Nihil. As I am sure many people are aware, such an image explicitly links to the Nazi SS, whose armbands featured the swastika, and their role here, as enforcement for the Nihil, also matches the role the SS often played. This is also notable due to the location these events play out on, as Seswenna is the homeworld of Conan Motti (the Imperial Vader chokes in A New Hope), and due to its extreme proximity to Eriadu, is in the same geographic region as the Tarkin family, who eventually spawns the infamous Grand Moff. Both men were key Imperial officers, and these worlds can be assumed to be highly Imperial-loyal in the Skywalker Saga.
The next link comes when one looks at the storyline set on Aricho. A world with plenty of water, and coniferous trees, Aricho could perhaps be best linked to someplace in the Mediterranean in our world. However, the name of the settlement which is a focus for the story, Ytrecht, seems to link the world and the ongoing situation on Aricho with something much closer to real-world Dutch city, Utrecht. Apart from being similarly named, both regions served as a place of safety for the persecuted to flee to in order to escape hostile situations. For Star Wars, this was Imri Cantaros, a Jedi behind the Stormwall who sought safety with the aid of Avon Starros to flee his death at the hands of the Nihil. In the real world, such a situation can be seen in the experience of Jewish migrants, fleeing extreme persecution in Germany, to a neighboring, neutral nation, the Netherlands. Amsterdam, a city in extreme proximity to Utrecht, was even called the “Jerusalem of the West” by some. In both cases too, this place of safety was overrun, as the Nihil took over Aricho and ruled it with cruelty, while for the Netherlands, the Nazis did the same. While we have yet to see the Republic coming in to assist Aricho and its people in full force, the local population appears to have successfully rebelled against their oppressors, and one can only hope that they remain free of Nihil scrutiny over the coming months.
Hotels
It may be odd to say, but the institution of the hotel, especially the luxury hotel, came to the greatest fore during the American Gilded Age, and overseas, in the Belle Epoque of France. Often built from the ground up, demolishing the old to bring the new, these structures were ornamental, vast, and sumptuous spaces for the rich so that they could host grand balls, galas or major social events. A number of these structures were also built by men who Americans would call the Robber Barons, such as the Waldorf-Astoria found in New York, built by the two branches of the Astor family working together. In France, similar mercantile titans built elaborate structures themselves, and all of these hotels competed with one another on just what they could offer their wealthy guests. This mindset also extended to their less-wealthy guests, who were able to experience luxuries, services and sights as part of their hotel stay they hadn’t at any time previous. However, hotels were also spaces that were useful for the housing of people in times of conflict, whether it was desired or not. The many hotels of Paris, France found themselves requisitioned, alongside countless other buildings, to house all manner of Nazis, collaborators, or those friendly to the regime. Florence Gould, who I mentioned earlier, spent a lot of time in Paris hotels, be it in residence at one, or visiting others kept or living there.
The function of the hotel in Defy the Storm blends all of these elements together. Riparian Gardens is a rich, lavish structure, well guarded and secure despite the chaos all around it. While Xylan doesn’t own it, or at least he doesn’t mention if the Grafs have an investment with it, he seems to be a seasoned traveler, seeming quite at home in its surroundings. Contrast such a structure, with its wealth and affluence, against the views of the rest of Seswenna City, sprawling, messy and damaged by the Nihil, and one can see the same sorts of stark contrasts viewed in cities like New York during the Gilded Age. The extreme poor lived within a mere block or two of the incredibly wealthy, and such proximity generated tension. However, at Riparian Gardens, there doesn’t appear to be such tension, at least not yet, but one can only imagine what might happen the more time passes on Seswenna following the expansion of the Stormwall. The hotel as the location of an illicit rendezvous, an event definitely not unfamiliar to countless elite people of society in our world, especially in the history of the past, is also alive and well. In the novel, Xylan meets with Cair after their harrowing experiences to share a tender moment, in spite of their marriage not likely being sanctioned by the leaders of their two families. It is a fine conclusion to the overall tale, which at the same time, also underlines the elegance of the institution with the countless amenities offered for a luxuriating soak in the hotel room’s attached sauna and bathing area.
I hope that some people find these observations intriguing! I really loved Defy the Storm, and I am interested to see if the new sources of influence I’ve noticed continue to play a role in other story materials Tessa Gratton or Justina Ireland will be writing! I’d love to hear any other interesting notes on history or culture that fellow readers have picked out, and I’d also love to discuss any of these points a bit further for those who are interested!
