Sawyer's book: Watership Down!

[Memoh]

Has anyone read it?

The story is about a colony of rabbits who search for a safe new home. Along the way they wind up redefining their society.

Pretty ironic that Sawyer's sitting on the beach reading it.

[jprez98]

I can't really see Sawyer reading that book. Was it really what he was reading? Man! I'll have to look again. Well, I guess you read what you can find.

-Jen

[Memoh]

It was actually Watership Down.

I agree it seems a little high brow for Sawyer. But I guess anything looks good when you don't have tv anymore :D

Even so, I think it is symbolically significant.

[JacksGirlfriend]

What makes you think Sawyer wouldn't be the type to read it? He may not be ready to show his real self yet. Perhaps this is the first indication he's more than he appears.

JacksGirl

[dsera]

What? A guy can't read or be intelligent just because he's an @#%$? >D

[toonaspie]

MAYBE IT'S FORESHADOWING!!!!!

[Steve580]

MAYBE IT'S FORESHADOWING!!!!!
Yeah; maybe in a future episode, they'll discover a redefined rabbit society.
-Steve

[agentalana]

well just like the rest of the characters, we don't know his whole backstory yet, we are judging him (and what it would seem like he would or would not read) based on his actions to date; however, I'm sure there is more than meets the eye... heck Locke couldn't WALK before the crash, so who knows about Sawyer! I agree that his reading choice is symbolic to the show as a whole especially ties into Jack's closing "leader" speech, but it probably foreshadows some unknown depth and background into Sawyer as an individual... good eye by the way in catching that, I didn't even think to look!

[jprez98]

Sorry, I think I posted before I thought. It's been ages since I read that book. All I remember are bunny rabbits and a dog. And I think the dog dies. (In one of the books we read that year the dog died and my teacher started crying so bad she had to leave the room. Now that I think about it, I think the dog was a differnt book.)

-Jen

[Memoh]

There are dogs in the book, and they do die, but that's ok because they were nastybadass dogs who deserved to die.

...sorry if i spoiled it for anyone. ;)

...eh actually i take that back. The fate of the dog is questionable

[agentalana]

maybe "Old Yeller?"

[yung23]

I loved that movie.
Maybe he was dumped by his wife and had to find another piece of cotton-tail...

[TweetyDaBiatch]

If anyone is interested and does not have time to read the book Watership Down, it is also a movie, however it is in cartoon form.

[Jazziered]

It was Watership Down.. I have the book and that was the exact same cover that I have.. The bunny rabbit..

I haven't read it yet.. It is on my list.. But right now I am doing my anual fall reading of LOTR.. GOOO FRODO...

Hey that is funny too.. The episode was The White Rabbit.. And a book was being read with a rabbit on it..

[Woodnymph12]

Hahaha! That's awesome!

I haven't read the book for ages but it's one of my all-time favorites! (Definitely on the short-list of books to have if I'm ever stranded on an island).

OK, I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for Sawyer now...

[JacksGirlfriend]

Jen - There was a book called "The Plague Dogs" by the same guy. Was that the book you were reading? It's told from the dog's perspective.

JacksGirl

[MsHllywdJenn]

Redefining society eh? Hmm... very interesting indeed. I haven't read or seen "Watership Down" since I was a kid. It really freaked me out back then. But one of the movies I loved was "The Secret of Nymn" Anyone remember that? That film was kinda dark too, with mice though.

Interesting fact... if you're planning on renting the animated version of "Watership Down" try your Action section first, if you go to Blockbuster. I used to work at one and believe it or not, that's where the film was classified.

[TweetyDaBiatch]

I love The Secret of Nimh....I can still remember seeing it for the first time in grade school and reading the book. I made sure to go get that one for my daughter to watch :D

[myerinmama]

The episode was titled "White Rabbit" and maybe we're underesitmating Sawyer's intelligence. I read the book about a thousand years ago ! in high school when we read a list of banned books.

[Mithril379]

Watership Down is one of my all time favorite books! At first I thought someone in the props department had a good sense of humor and similar taste in books - but being that this is "Lost" I'm sure it was very intentional. The last bit of reading material we saw was the comic book, which happened to have a polar bear. Now we've got a story about a group that is abruptly losing it's home and being cast adrift in the world, forced to form a society etc. How do you say "General Woundwart" in French - I'm concerned :eek

There must be plenty of reading material around. Even people that don't read much are likely to take a book on a long flight. The fact that Sawyer chose this book makes me even more convinced that Sawyer is going to turn out to be a good guy despite what I'm sure will be a shady backstory.

[JY Yang]

I remember being completely obsessed with Watership Down when I was 14, so much so that I actually borrowed it out of the school library most of the year; I must have read it 30-40 times. I even learnt how to swear in rabbit-ese! Siflay hraka...

I'm not so sure about how relevant the book might be to the story, though. It might not be necessary to learn how to say "General Woundwort" in French yet, since remember the French lady mentioned something about being all alone, so there's only one of her and not a whole warren. ;)

Still, I'd watch out for Vincent though. You never know what devious plans his little doggy mind is up to...

[Memoh]

I'm beginning to see Lost as part of the Post-Apocalyptic genre--that is, what would life be like after a profoundly cataclysmic event?

Basically these survivors have been given a chance to start over again. They have essentially been totally severed from society, and so they must now build a new society. Waiting around to be rescued will soon become unrealistic. Already they need to figure out how to deal with things such as sharing food and water, work, and resources. Soon they'll have to figure out how to set up their own system of law and order.

Watership Down is not just a story about a bunch of bunnies. It is Richard Adam's attempt to discuss the issues around society and what makes up society. If you read the story you might recall that Hazel's band encounters several very different warrens (rabbit groups) and that they were each structured in a different way.


Someone mentioned that this season will be the equivalent of 40 days for the survivors, and that they picked the number intentionally. 40 days and 40 nights = how many days Noah was in the ark (one of the first Post Apacalyptic stories.) After which they landed and built a new society. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years, I believe before settling down.


I suspect that this season will mostly be about finding out a little about each character in the Lost as well as discovering the problems that occur when a bunch of people need to co-exist. What kind of society will they build? A democratic one? A commune? A dictatorship? Or something completely new?

[railwaymadness]

Alright, you guys have convinced me. I started reading Watership Down last night. (It's been sitting on the bedside table for ages, other authors just kept getting in the way.)

If you're interested in joining the "unofficial Lost Watership Down book club", pm me.

[JacksGirlfriend]

railway: When do you have time to read? Every time I start to do anything, I get side-tracked and end up back here again. I haven't read a book in over a month and other than Desperate Housewives and Survivor, I haven't been near the TV except for Lost. My house is a mess, my kids are wandering around looking for food and my husband has stopped asking when I'm coming to bed. My hobbies are stagnating.

Can you say addiction? I think I need an intervention.

JacksGirl

[toonaspie]

railway: When do you have time to read? Every time I start to do anything, I get side-tracked and end up back here again. I haven't read a book in over a month and other than Desperate Housewives and Survivor, I haven't been near the TV except for Lost. My house is a mess, my kids are wandering around looking for food and my husband has stopped asking when I'm coming to bed. My hobbies are stagnating.

Can you say addiction? I think I need an intervention.

JacksGirl

I got it worse, my Lost obsession combined with large amounts of college work is not a good thing

[EagleIFilms]

Hear hear. Lost plus college is enough already. I really want to start WD, but I'm not sure I have the time.

[JacksGirlfriend]

Toon: At least I've been going to work and my job is confined 8-6. I cannot imagine having to bring it home. Good luck with the school work. I would have failed by now.

JacksGirl

[dsera]

JacksGirl is there anyone else with more posts than you? You're right, you DO need an intervention. I feel like I spend all my time reading this forum or making new graphics for Lost or talking to my friends about Lost....... I'm just happy I work from home!
:p

[JacksGirlfriend]

dsera: For some reason I do seem to have the most... although I have to admit I'm tapering off. I don't feel the need to comment on absolutely everything any more. I don't know exactly what that means.

I suspect in the beginning I intended to make people feel welcome. There weren't that many of us around tossing out theories and we generally supported one another. When a new person arrived I didn't want to ignore them. I know it's often a little intimidating walking into an established group and not knowing how you'll be received. It's also a little scary to put your ideas on the line. I didn't want people to be ignored if they had the guts to post.

Now there are others that do that from time to time, so unless I feel a need to respond, want to comment on something or generally have a brilliant idea of my own, I sit back and read, instigate and encourage. I imagine someone will catch up soon. Well, maybe not soon... but eventually.

JacksGirl

[Baron X]

I like chasing JacksGirl around from post to post. Except for a misplaced fascination with Sawyer, and being distracted by shiny things, I am sure I would enjoy being stranded with her. :D

[dsera]

Well she's not allowed to have Sawyer. It's JacksGirlfriend not SawyersGirlfriend. Don't make me change my nick!!! :rollin

[JacksGirlfriend]

Baron: You can chase me any time.

And, dsera, no worries. I am still JacksGirl. Sawyer's just one of those bright, shiny things that needs to be touched from time to time.

JacksGirl

[railwaymadness]

Heh -- I'm not saying I have a lot of time to read. The book is big but the chapters have been short, so it's easy to fit one in just before sleep. There's no computer in the bedroom so I'm safe. ;)

And November's nanowrimo when I'm planning to write a 50,000 word novel. I may have to give up on sleep entirely.

[JY Yang]

I got it worse, my Lost obsession combined with large amounts of college work is not a good thing


Hear, hear!

Any more of us like that here? We could start the Official Lost-Obsessed College Students Club!

[Grimme]

Railwaymadness'sHeh -- I'm not saying I have a lot of time to read. The book is big but the chapters have been short, so it's easy to fit one in just before sleep.

"Watership Down" was a big book and when Shannon strolled up in front of him, Sawyer was reading in it at the halfway mark.

I'm assuming that, even if it was his book, that's a lot of reading for just 6 days' time what with everything else Sawyer has been involved in doing.

[JacksGirlfriend]

I noticed that too - it added more depth to his character.

And yes, to those of you who will point this out, he could have been skimming. But what would be the point of that? They've little else to do for recreation - if you're going to read in a situation like that, you might as well read the whole darn thing. Half-way through - definitely a man used to reading.

JacksGirl

[seraphism]

got to agree with jacksgirl about sawyer simply being a big reader rather than him skimming or a error by the show's producers. Watership down is a big book but being the nerd that i am i could finish it a day if i had nothing else to do, so being halfway through after 6 days while stuck on a deserted island is quite believable.

[Chance Gardener]

Siflay hraka

I believe it is Silflay hraka.

U embleer frith.... ;)

I actually still say hraka myself. Tanj is another good one.

[drabauer]

Watership Down was also important to the plot of the movie Donnie Darko, which fans will recall dealt with being an outsider, time travel, the importance of family, Donnie's gradual realization that he was in a "tangent universe" (i.e., he was no longer "home"), and the idea of personal sacrifice for the good of all. In that movie teaching the book got Drew Barrymore's character fired.

Since I never read the book, can someone here tell me why it was originally banned???

[railwaymadness]

Watership Down follows a group of displaced rabbits as they try to find a new home. It includes descriptions of and commentary on different societal structures. One of the societies they encounter is ruled by a cruel dictator who has stripped away all of their freedoms (the citizens have little or no control over such basics as when to eat, what to eat, and who to mate with) in the name of security. Another has struck an uneasy bargain with an enemy which means they have many creature comforts and no other predators, but which requires a periodic sacrifice of their members. Some governments were not comfortable with the inherent political statements and banned the book.

In terms of why people might try to get in banned in US schools, the description of rabbit society includes a rabbit religion, to which some more extreme fundamentalists might have objections on the basis that it is not the One True Religion. Also, there is some discussion of mating which implies the actual having of sex and some people don't think that's appropriate for discussion in school. Of course some people will just have been traumatized because it's not a happy fluffy bunny story so they will never want anyone to read it because they think it's bad for literature to make you cry. And some folks who fight to get books banned don't even bother to read them first (like Kitty Farmer in Donnie Darko) but just go around talking trash to get people all riled up about something that isn't even true.

I think it's a great book for anyone about 11 years old and up.

I don't have any facts at hand, this is only my opinion. I just finished reading it for the first time so it hasn't quite had enough time to thoroughly percolate and compost yet.

[Dmcquickly]

You need to rename yourself SawyersGirl, JG! lol

Good symbolism. I am coming to think that maybe the comic Walt was reading was intended more as an emphasis symbol than any indication of "what's going on" on the island. Watership Down as well. Now if someone pulls out "Lord Of The Flies" and starts paging through that, I'll gag. lol

[myerinmama]

Back in high school we read this as part of a banned book list and I went to Catholic school!! The teachers said it was banned because the animals were given human traits and thoughts and the whole rebellious society angle. we didnt feel like any of the books deserved that label and I really enjoy that the show is bringing up the whole idea !

[railwaymadness]

Good point, myerinmama!
The book does encourage thinking for yourself rather than blindly following certain leaders because they are older, because they are in positions of authority, or because everyone else is doing it. It certainly doesn't encourage you to remain docile!

Sawyer certainly seems rebellious enough but will his unwillingness to fit in serve him well or poorly? After all, the group of rabbits who rebelled against the Threarah had to stick together or they never would have survived the journey that followed.

[hobbitenvy]

Those who haven't read it, do read WD -- it's really a great book. Plague Dogs is great too.

On another matter -- can anyone tell me exactly how to upload my avatar to the tinypic site? I'm having trouble, and the tinypic folks are not responding to my request for help. Please PM me if you can help.

[Hodgepodge]

I read some info awhile back that there's nothing put into the show by chance. Everything has a meaning and purpose. That says a lot!

[Master Xander]

Bump.

[Wynter Zera]

Watership Down character/analysis


Jack = Hazel (The young leader of the rabbits, and Fiver's brother. As the rabbits flee their home warren, Hazel guides them through all of their difficulties. He thinks quickly and imaginatively, frequently putting himself at risk in order to protect the other rabbits. Hazel wins the unfailing loyalty of the other rabbits and uses the best of each of them to help the group.)

Locke = Fiver (Hazel's brother. Fiver is small and awkward, but he sees things that no other rabbits see. His sixth sense saves the rabbits many times, and they learn to always seek his opinion. Fiver offers advice to Hazel throughout the entire journey, although he always does so in a way that does not undermine his brother's leadership.)

Sawyer = Bigwig (Bigwig is a large, powerfully built rabbit, originally a member of his home warren's "Owsla," or police force. His name, Thlayli, literally means "furhead," a reference to the distinctive thick growth of fur on the top of his head. At first, the other rabbits are wary of him; when Hazel brings up his plan to leave the home warren, he is taken aback when Bigwig volunteers to come along. Adams writes, "The last thing Hazel had expected was the immediate support of a member of the Owsla. It crossed his mind that although Bigwig would certainly be a useful rabbit in a tight corner, he would also be a difficult one to get along with. He certainly would not want to do what he was told—or even asked—by an outskirter. Cunning and intelligent, Bigwig savors battle, but knows when to avoid it. ")

Claire = Clover (The first doe to bear a litter in the new warren. Clover is one of the hutch rabbits that Hazel decides to set free from the barn. She adjusts to the wild life better than any of the others, and she mates with Speedwell.)

Charlie = Speedwell??? (Along with Buckthorn and Acorn, the third rabbit Blackberry brings with him. Speedwell, like Acorn, gains faith in the group as events unfold. He mates with Clover to give the warren its first litter.)

Michael = Strawberry (The only rabbit to leave the warren of the snares. Strawberry is larger than the other rabbits but he knows little of the wild. Eager to learn and help the others, he designs the Honeycomb and shares his knowledge of building with them.)

Hurly = Blackberry (The smartest of the rabbits. Blackberry figures out things that most of the other rabbits cannot even understand. Hazel comes to Blackberry whenever he needs a plan or an idea.) or Bluebell (Holly's faithful friend who uses humor to lighten up situations. Bluebell traveled with Holly to find Hazel's rabbits. Bluebell tells stories almost as well as Dandelion.)

Alex = General Woundwort ??? (The head of the Efrafa warren and the only rabbit bigger and stronger than Bigwig. Militant and vengeful, Woundwort tries to destroy Hazel's warren and in doing so almost destroys his own.)

(the only thing that doesn’t hold up is that few if any characters die in the book)

[kunoichi]

Good analysis, Wynter Zera.

I think Vincent could be the dog that chases away the Efrafan forces after Bigwig defeats Woundwort.

And remember how Locke said that Ethan had previous experience killing rabbits? ooh...

Ethan=Efrafa? naah, I'm just thinking weird on that one...

[joepa15425]

This post should go in this thread. Nice Catch, everbody cause I think Watership Down is the basis for the entire series.

Hello all, thought it was time to throw my two cents in. Hopefully you will find what I'm about to say at least interesting. This is my first post, but I’ve been lurking for quite some time. I've looked for a theory like mine, but haven't found one. If this is somebody else’s, then I'm sorry, and well done because I think this is the path to understanding LOST.

OK. Like many of you, I have been approaching the mysteries of lost much the same way a detective analyzes a crime or an archeologist studies the pyramids. For example, I wanted to weigh in when I actually had something to say, so I decided to sit down, re watch all the episodes, study them with great care, making notes, asking myself questions, searching for clues. I did that today. What I found was kinda obscure yet so obvious that I felt the writer was smiling from ear to ear knowing he 'got us'.

See the reason my approach was flawed is because this crime hasn't happened yet, and the pyramid wasn't built yet. Meaning, who the hell knows what's gonna happen in the end. Yes we all know that it's fiction, but we delve into the what ifs, whys and hows. I bet if you asked the writer, he would say he doesn't know either, not yet. But I believe I found the common thread. Although I haven't found the answers we all want (I still believe they don’t' all exist yet), I have found the Rosetta Stone that I believe can and will reveal the secrets. They may not be the ones we want, but here goes anyhow.

Alrighty, like I said, I rewatched all the episodes and took notes, blah blah blah. Whilst perusing my copious notes one episode stood out like a sore thumb. Not for the obvious reasons but for the not so obvious one. For example, each episode had some kind of island drama in it, monsters, treetop pilots, polar bears, transmissions, dead people walking, attacks from behind, french women. All but one that is— episode 8, Confidence Man.

It was a good episode, but nothing really happens that makes you wonder. It seemed all the questions were answered. It got me thinking. This would be a great time to give the big clue. The one if I’m the writer, I can point out later and say, why didn’t you see it, it was so obvious. Maybe the reason we didn’t see it (and again if somebody did mention this I’ll defer credit) is because the most it seems we could discuss about that episode was whether or not Locke was the real Sawyer (yawn). I had no notes on episode 8, as I wasn’t looking for character threads, just island mysteries. No notes cept one–WATERSHIP DOWN, the book Sawyer was reading, that belonged to Boone.

Out of curiosity and because I work near the local library I checked the book out today. I’m not gonna pretend I read it, I didn’t (it’s over 400 pages). I rented the movie instead, and watched it. There were so many obvious references to LOST I didn’t even have to pay attention to catch them. I’m sure I missed the most important, or perhaps they lie in the book where I think our favorite writer would be a bigger fan. I’m not gonna get into detail about the story. But basically it’s about a bunch of rabbits who because of a psychic vision by one of the rabbits leave there home for a new place to live. Basically most of the rabbits aren’t high up on the pecking order, aren’t highly regarded, (sound familiar?) So they leave because of impending doom as foretold by the vision. Along the way they come in contact with other rabbits and other natural dangers that threaten them, basically they long for peace and tranquility. Along the way, they realize they have no female rabbits so the must go steal some from the local farmer. In addition they do battle with an evil General (what was Locke called by his Risk playing buddy?)
Did you all notice the scratches on Kate and Jacks faces through most of the early episodes, hell the might still be there for all I know they are so obvious. Well in the book some rabbits are given a mark to identify who belongs to who by being scratched. The marks look striking similar to our two heroes.

In the beginning of their quest, just as it’s beginning, one of the rabbits is suddenly and unexpectedly killed. Not much to it, it just happens, and nothing is said again about it. Sound like the woman drowning early on?

Let’s see what else? (I’m saving the big one for the end) The song in the movie sung by Art Garfunkel is called Bright Eyes. What’s a pet name Sawyer calls Kate?

There’s more but I’ll leave it to you guys to investigate further, if you are so inclined, but here’s something from the book I noticed while I was checking it out. In the back of the book is a section called Lapine Glossary. The very first entry is (this comes word for word from the book) Bob-Stones: A Traditional game among rabbits. (See footnote on page 246.)

Turning to page 246, the following is the footnote, verbatim. * Bob-stones is a traditional game of rabbits. It is played with small stones, fragments of stick or the like. Fundamentally it is a very simple kind of gambling, on the lines of “Odds or Evens” A “cast” of stones on the ground is covered by the player’s front paw. The Opponent must then hazard some sort of surmise about its nature–e.g. one or two, light or dark, rough or smooth.

I’ll leave you with that, I think it’s obvious. The series, I believe is based perhaps loosely perhaps not, on Watership Down.&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Sorry about the earlier botched post, my pc sometimes has a mind of it’s own.

[ChewbaccasInnerWookie]

::sticks out bottom lip hopelessly::

See, I WANNA read it, but I'm a HUGE doggie lover and I don't think I can read a book where they DIE!

danke
dw-- is actaully thinking about becoming a puppy napper--- =D NO LIE! LOL

[Wynter Zera]

bump

[railwaymadness]

InnerWookie, WD's about rabbits, not dogs. You should be fine.

[teaspoons]

Just rented this movie from Netflix and will be watching this evening, I love this theory the best and can not wait to watch this movie.

By the way netflix is an awesome company.

[HollyAletha5256]

isn't the movie animated? if so, i don't think you could get as much detail/clues as you could from the book, but maybe i'm wrong..i haven't seen the movie yet

[the_real_ptb]

I googled it and found that these are the underlying themes of the book.

1. Community is born in our shared experiences.
2. It is the stories we tell which hold our sense of community.
3. Our very survival depends on our trust in the rich diversity of gifts each brings to the group.
4. What we want most from life is the sense of participating in an adventure.

[Chance Gardener]

I read the book and I found these are the underlying themes:

1. What we want most from life is the sense of participating in an adventure.
2. Our very survival depends on our trust in the rich diversity of gifts each brings to the group.
3. It is the stories we tell which hold our sense of community.
4. Community is born in our shared experiences.

[KissMESawyer]

Well now I will have to go get the book dammit!

And yeah Netflix rocks!

[dhb88]

Wasn't the book actually Boones? Doesn't he see Sawyer reading it and think that Sawyer got it by going thru his bags? Thats why he thinks Sawyer has the inhalers. Doesn't really change anything I guess.

[99Percent]

I finally finished reading the book. Like Sawyer says "its a hell of a book, its about bunnies!".

The main underlying theme of the book is about survival and surviving together as a team. The rabbits society in this regard is not very different from a human one, but what makes the rabbits society more illustrative is the fact that the dangers are much more acute. The rabbits face all types of dangers:

- natural: lack of food, bad weather, lack of shelter, etc;
- natural enemies: foxes, dogs, cats, big birds, etc;
- other unfriendly rabbits.
- and the most perplexing but not necessarily a mortal one: men.

This is obviously so very similar to the dangers that our dear characters in Lost face. I am theorizing that the "monster" is a creature not unlike the men for the rabbits in Watership Down.

Some additional loose similarities are:
- the addition of several backstories narrating the mythological origin of the rabbits, and tales of an heroic rabbit called the El-ahrairah.
- the amount of characters in Watership Down is about the same as the ones in Lost (a couple of dozen).
- I imagine they will face similar outside groups ("the others"). In Watership Down they find first a warren of rabbits that have been dociled by flayrah (excessively good food) fed by humans called Cowslip's warren, which have made them oblivious of the traps laid by the man who is snaring them. In fact this could be the original group. Then they face a highly organized but vicious warren of military style rabbits called the Efrafra. This could be some kind of military installation that we might later see in Lost.
- The stealing of female rabbits, ie does, from other warrens, like how Ethan is kidnapping Claire.
- Except for one doe that dies in their escape from Efrafra, there are no redshirts in Watership Down. The rabbits are continually injured and sometimes seemingly very critically so, but they always live, much like in Lost so far.
- The leader of the rabbits, Hazel, takes his role reluctantly very similarly to Jack. He isn't particularly strong either, he just seems to be able to make decisions, even though sometimes they are the wrong ones. Thats the only similarlity I find between the characters of Lost and the rabbits of Watership Down though.

Lets see how Lost continues to develop in relation to Watership Down.

[teaspoons]

As I watched this movie, I was trying really hard to make it fit with Lost. I watching this movie and kept thinking yea that bunny could be Locke and that one could be Jack, but nothing conclusive.

Then I had an epifany, I think that these bunnies do not represent the plane crash survivors at all, I think that these bunnies could more accurately represent "the others" and how they came to be on the island. The main reason I think this is how they seem to have a fixation with taking women from the plane crash survivors so they can reproduce and keep their "hutch" populated. I think that when we get more of the backstory for the "others" we will see that they are the bunnies from Watership Down, and not plane survivors at all.

What do you guys think?

[BAMJoe1081]

Which episode was this in again? or even better is there a picture of the scene on this site?

[valyn]

I, too, am drawn by the connections it is possible to make between the book and the show. BUt then again, I always liked analyzing literature.

What intrigues me, though, is this. I keep coming back to the idea/feeling/gnaw in my gut that 'something' is studying reactions of groups and individuals to each other and to situations.

Put that with the sense I get that each of these particular people were somhow manipulated to be on that plane. Examine the individuals. It is such a diverse group, encompassing various chronicological ages from Walt to Locke, career backgrounds, experiences, ethnic groups...its almost as if they were chosen to be on that flight so that it would be such a diverse group. (of course, it is an international flight, which could account...) Anyway, thinking about what we know about why Jack (transport his father), Locke (couldn't go on the walkabout, had to get a flight home) Sun (couldn't bring herself to leave Jin, so went with him) Claire (the psychic pointed her to this flight), Charlie (brother refused to sing with him again, so he left), Kate (captured and being transported). We don't know the back story yet on the others, but it could flow in much the same vein. SO far, no one has just been on a vacation.

Maybe 'someone' wants to see how a small group of diverse people would go about recreating a society, given all its flaws and foibles.

Perhaps the first group (Danielle's) on the island created a society, only to destroy itself in the end. Is it possible to have another outcome? COuld it be a study, much as rabbits are studied in a lab?

Or maybe I just have too much time on my hands.

[KissMESawyer]

Yes!!! I have been thinking this one myself. I am not sure if I agree with the part about something making those specific people on the plane, but I could see it being brought down on purpose and the survivors being studied. Like ants in an ant farm.

[carol]

Interesting. I assumed Sayid would be the character that most closely resembled Bigwig. He was formerly a soldier in the republican guard and he was the one caught in the snare. I had no idea which character corresponded with Sawyer.

[jcrew1179]

Watership Down = Ship Down below the Island, the Island is a sea vessel and the hatch is the door.