[cue several (more) pages of complaints about Rey still being a Mary Sue]
Don’t you think that final scene where she lifts all the rocks undermines the one in TESB, where Luke struggles so much to do the same thing?
Edit: and I loved how she’s a nobody. Her parents being special would’ve been no excuse for her unrealistic abilities.
Rey’s character arc isn’t exactly the same as Luke’s though, right?
Luke’s problem and arc in the originals was dealing with his impatience and rashness, whereas Rey has been fine waiting her entire life. Her innate personality lended itself to the force, her idealism and patience allowing her to discover her abilities much easier than Luke. Which, granted, is kind of Mary-Sue-ish - but I don’t think Rey represents the hero’s journey in this trilogy. She’s not the analog to Luke like I think a lot of people assume. If anything, Finn takes that role.
If anything, Rey is on more of an emotional journey, like you said, about her being a nobody, and coming to terms with that. I know it’s kind of sexist to lump in the females from both trilogies, but she’s more like Leia’s character in the OT - the character who already kind of had their shit together. Leia doesn’t really grow or change as much as Luke or Han. She’s already a hero in her own right when we meet her, and her growth and change comes from things more abstract and emotional than whether or not she can overcome her own flaws.