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ilovenumbers
10-22-04, 03:01 AM
Ok I have too much time on my hands. Laugh, fall asleep or make fun of me if you want:

Here is a theory which may not be what the writers intended but is symbolic in a literary sense. All this is out there already, but Lost is an island that represents purgatory, isolation and limbo. The characters are souls waiting to die and searching for peace of mind and soul, hence the flashbacks. They are trying to reconcile their torment and fears as experienced prior to the crash.

So far we've noticed each character has lost something during/before the island, Kate- her criminal identity, Locke- his handicap, Jack- his father, and during their experience on the island they have learned to settle and cope with their lost past cathartically and with acknowledgment beyond human emotion, spiritually. We foresee the next episode the Korean beating up Michael due to assumedly racial tension and communication differences. Will the Korean let go of that and open himself up to what exists, reality and what cannot be controlled? To lose himself to better understanding and empathy for others?

The monster or the island itself is a challenge, the fears we have of death and how we must step above our human physical abilities to seek peace with one's life and self before the end of our earthly lives. Rewind first episode, the *monster* killed the pilot, the pilot was on his way to death... The connection there was the pilot was near-death, the *monster*, what a few of the characters witnessed was death in itself, the pilot's last breath.

Spolier> We foresee Charlie letting go of his drug habit. Who helps him? Locke. Locke has caught a glimpse of death through the eyes of the monster, the island, and describes it as beautiful. He has the knowledge to assist others in their journey of reconciling their past with what is there in the future (or shall we say at present). He teaches them to face what is imminent death, and that death is beautiful, a paradise if you accept it.

Locke's suitcase full of knives (400 was it)? We all know how symbolic knives are, for each one to kill their fears.

Why has Jack seen his father, ...he is that close to following him to death...

The transmitter? Those are real people, i.e. the human world too far for those in limbo to contact and far left behind...(ok a stretch, and have yet to tackle the *16 years* significance)

The black lady sitting on the beach says her husband didn't die. Perhaps she is near-death too and knows her husband's death is not the death as we know it, he is actually alive... alive in the next world "living is easy with your eyes closed"...

Charlie's tattoo? The writers made sure this was made visible... "Living is easy with your eyes closed". Living is easy when you accept death. When you kill your fears, your past, your weaknesses, your handicap, your ignorance towards others...*life* is easy.

Tabula Rasa (blank state/rebirth through death), White Rabbit (follow the white rabbit and you'll find God/journey of faith), Walkabout (a physical, emotional and spiritual journey, aboriginal walkabouts achieve a sense of timelessness where a sense of time is lost), The Moth (anyone read the Death of the Moth, or however Moth is symbolic). Of course all of these episode titles pertain to the character focus per each episode but these clues altogether lead up to the end. We are all on a deserted island, ok cliche, but in order to survive or *get off the island*, we must accept our being and our differences.

Numbers are significant in the writing too. I read somewhere that the 1st season the writers depicted the characters 40 days on the island. This, of course, is a biblical reference interpreted through different studies. Biblical authors conveyed that God often used 40 days to "change someone's perspective and prepare them for his purpose", i.e. Noah's rain, lent... Also, there are 14 characters on the island. Maybe I am reading in too much, but there are 7 deadly sins and 7 counter virtues. Anyone hear of the Gilligans Island/7 deadly sins myth? These are all numerical significances.

Anyone want to pick apart this theory or have I read too much theological literature in my time, call me crazy. Well, I'm working on my other theories.... I do hope the plot isn't purgatory based, if so, I hope it ends well. Future episodes may quash my theory, but for now I'm sticking with the "Lost Souls/Limbo/The Immediate Moment Between Life and Death" theory.

Food for thought, help me out here...

yung23
10-22-04, 03:39 AM
Good writing, If you read around, I too, have had this same idea for sometime now. A lot of people here have said since the beginning they must be in limbo.. BUT the producers have stated in interviews...someone post the quote please... that they are not dead, they played with the idea but killed it off.

But everything seems to point in that direction !

How did Jack travel far enough to find the tail, was that the tail ? I thought I saw a rudder...

All these theories and details and monsters and curiosity will NOT be redemmed if the Limbo idea is what is going on.
I'm sorry but no matter how good they write, if they are dead, it is meaningless. Its been fun this far though. But each episode seems to get further and further into fear manifestations/ sphere/... demons of the soul...

I STILL WANT A REAL BEAST, not a representation of inner monsters.... how lame is that, come on ?

I agree with you though, It does appear to be happening...
Sadly...

roar822
10-22-04, 02:01 PM
It's funny you should mention a theological aspect to this. I saw White Rabbit on tape last night and was struck by something Jack said. Remember when he told the airline clerk, "I need to bury my father."? In the Bible, in Matthew, a potential disciple tells Jesus that he will follow Him, but says "first let me go and bury my father." Jesus tells him to either come with Him now or not at all saying, "Let the dead bury the dead." At first this seems harsh, but in Jesus' time, and even today in more isolated parts of Israel, the phrase, "Let me bury my father." was/is a colloquial expression meaning "Let me take care of some unfinished business." and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with a death in the family. Maybe I'm reading too much into that phrase appearing in the show, but it's struck me before that practically all of the characters on this show are dealing with unfinished business and their being on the island, whether by accident or design, is giving them, or sometimes even forcing them, to finish that business.

Best wishes,

Leo

drabauer
10-22-04, 05:26 PM
Great observation Leo! I think you're right on. In a show such as Lost, every bit of dialogue matters, and thus I think the biblical/historical import of "Let me bury my father" is going to stand for more than just Jack's situation. An anvil to be sure.