Black, White, and Backgammon

[valenos]

I'm surprised no one else seems to have caught this (if I missed a post, please correct me)....

I've been watching Lost since day 1 and Locke's little backgammon speech struck me as a clue in the pilot. Last night, we see Jack pull a white stone and a black stone from a pouch laid to rest with "Adam & Eve". Also, thanks to our multilingual (sp?) friends, we know that the French woman was trying to get to the "Black Rock".

Personally, I don't have any solid theory on what the black and white stones mean. I tend to shy away from the purgatory theory and how it may relate to backgammon (great game by the way...love wasting time with it on my PalmPilot when I'm supposed to be working). I like the idea of Locke's (the philosopher) thoughts on the shaping of morality and how it may relate to everyone having a good/light (white) side and a evil/dark (black) side and how the tow sides conflict. Also, with different camps and possibly societies emerging on the island, we have potential light vs. dark conflict.

This may be stretching, but I wonder if the clothing the characters wear is supposed to be any kind of clue for us. Its tough differentiating the clues from the coincidences, but I think there may be a little something to this one. Sawyer and Charlie have been in black for a good bit of screen time, Sayid, Jack, Kate, and Locke are seen in white often. I don't know if its worth worrying about, but it seems like something to look into.

Thoughts anybody?

[WallyG3]

I definitely think the Black and White thing has legs

Other things to consider:
Jack's Dad dressed in a black suit with white sneakers.
White polar bear
Sun's flower was white, car waiting for her was black
The white shoes in the very first scene

[Xander Power]

I caught this idea too, but I couldn't put anthing together with it. I think it may ead to something later, but for now, it just seems like we are doing "character development."

Just keep an eye out for it. I bet soemthing will happend with black vs. white.

[Badger]

In my opinion it almost certainly has significance. In fact I'd be willing to bet that everything (every plot device and prop) we're being shown has some significance. I believe Locke's Backgammon board, what he told Matt and the black and white stones we saw last night are clues.

Black vs white, good vs evil and dark vs light have been discussed. The fact they seem to have split into two groups may be a part of this as well.

[drabauer]

One thought: white=beach-campers, black=cave-dwellers :\

[JacksGirlfriend]

If you dig deep enough into the pages you'll find some similar topics discussed - lots of backgammon, color theories and white/dark splits. It might help you consolidate your theories because I think this theme will play a major role. Someone also noticed there are shades of gray and striped grayish shirts (perhaps people caught in a moral dilemna not knowing which side they're on?).

JacksGirl

[Mcrobrewer]

"One thought: white=beach-campers, black=cave-dwellers "

I think it is a simple good vs evil. I also feel it was significant the splitting up of the group...

The answer lies in the folks that chose which group.

[bigmouth]

I respectfully disagree, microbrewer. I think the whole point of the backgammon speech is to establish early on that black vs. white isn't as simple as good vs. evil.

Beyond that, I think all of the speculations here are actually correct. That is, black vs. white doesn't mean one thing, but is rather meant to evoke all of the inter- and intra-personal conflicts on the show. Those conflicts include everything from the external conflict over where to camp, to the characters' internal conflict with their past lives/identities.

[DHARMA]

Claire also is in black.

[WallyG3]

Both Jack and Sayid are wearing white shirts and black pants. Jack was wearinga black suit jacket when the plane crashed, and immediately after.

[drabauer]

This is all very fascinating. And it definitely is not meant to indicate good/bad--that would be too simplistic. I think it's about choice and struggle.

Perhaps the survivors will be like chess, or go, pieces. They are on a journey across a *board,* and may die, get *captured* (hurt or unable to continue) or demonstrate leadership or power over the others.

Too early to tell, but not too early to start keeping tabs.

[seraphism]

i agree that light/dark doesn't equal good/teh evil. Perhaps it could mean right/wrong as in those who choose one path are "correct" and the others are "doing the wrong thing" this could apply to everything. The choice to live in the cave, the choice of whether or not too stand up to your fears etc. etc.
On a semi-related note. Remember that there are two players to the game, we know the "island/monster" seems to be playing in some way. At least that's what i infer judging from everything that is going on (ie jacks's dad leading him to water, the stuff locke talks about; the way the plane crashed; the monster etc. etc.) and perhaps on this island there isn't just one force affecting the survivors but in fact two. They're playing a game and the survivors are the pawns.
That could explain why bad things happen to the survivors sometimes, and other times good things happen. Because there are two players and because they can both influence events. Remember how this whole split started? the cave, that jack's dad led him to. Perhaps the split is the start of the game proper. All the pawns are now on the board in their respective starting positions and it's now up to the players to try and finish the game by moving the pawns through the board.

[Mcrobrewer]

Perhaps...

But when you 'get down to it' The classic struggle is 'good vs evil'.

And thats what struck me first when I saw the black and white. Doesnt Locke also refer to backgammon as a simple game?

Who knows but it does make for fun watching.

[BJLK]

Wow there are several threads dealing with this very topic.

Good vs Evil is a powerful plot theme, so it only stands to reason that this will become a very powerful vehicle in shows to come.

Interesting discussion.

[annala413]

Just something to throw in that kind of mixes with the theories of time, and stuff being predetermined, Locke also says about the game that it has been being played for over 5000 years, older than Jesus Christ, that they found pieces and games from forever ago. Make of it what you want, but it has to have some signifigance.

[BJLK]

I never got into Alias, but according to Abrams fans, EVERYTHING in his shows has significance. I've taken to recording the shows so I can go back and have another look-see after reading discussions here. It's kinda cool to do that. If you look at the survivors as a microcosm of society, there will naturally be conflict, whether you view it as good vs. evil, or light vs. dark, or just pure human conflict, it's gonna be there, no matter what you call it. This is one of the things I liked about Star Trek, Next Generation. The alien groups seemed to mirror global conflict. And of course you see a lot of that in other shows too. And depending on your point of view, the viewer will see it as good vs. evil, light vs. dark. I like the post that talked about maybe this will be about the inner conflicts within the characters themselves. But it gets really complex when they deal with that and then also the conflicts that can arise between the characters too. It makes for good psychological drama.

[cccourt]

back to top
ccc

[Wynter Zera]

ditto

[TreeSham]

i think the black vs. white issue will end up being very literal in the case of Lost, and i think it will be in the children that this all begins.

We have one african-american (read: black) child in Walt. This is a child who we don't know much about, other than the fact is mother is dead, is father was largely absentee and is somewhat distant.

We have on soon-to-be-born caucausin (read: white) child in Claire's as of yet-unnamed baby. We know this child has done enough while inutero to frighten the bejesus out of a psychic (enough so, i believe, he had her fly on a plane he knew would crash), and seems to be playing a significant role in the show, and he/she hasn't even been born yet.