Notes on Return to Xanadu, Chapter 5

[stefanie_bean]

"Vigil at the Beach" underwent a serious rewrite before posting. By pure coincidence I happened to be listening to the song "Friend Like Me" from Disney's Aladdin, and it gave me a far better "story frame" than what I started out with.

As soon as Jacob became Protector, he faced at least one massive test: the death of his foster-mother. How Jacob reacted to that test determined the course of his protectorship from that moment on. His reaction was to throw his errant brother into the Heart, and thus Jacob created the Smoke Monster, which he was forced to endure literally until he died.

Hugo is facing a similar series of tests in the rewritten "Vigil" chapter, tests which tie in pretty closely with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, as well as the temptations experienced by Jesus after his forty days of prayer and fasting in the wilderness (described in Matthew 4:1-11.)

First temptation: Food. Hugo won't eat the crabs when they offer themselves up to him.
(Maslow tier #1, Physiological needs: food, water, shelter, warmth.)

Second temptation: Making someone fall in love with you. Hugo recognizes that making Claire fall in love with him wouldn't be love at all.
(Maslow tier #3, Love: Friendship, community, sexuality, lover, partner)

Third temptation: Becoming a "god" and raising Jack from the dead. This has got to be the most serious temptation of all, because it's literally a "top tier" one. And the rationalization is even slipperier, since Hugo wants to raise Jack not so that Hugo can become a god, but so that Jack can "take it back," and relieve Hugo of his great responsibility. Of course, were he to do so, it would involve a major over-step.
(Maslow tier #5: Self-actualization: Creativity, fulfillment, inner talents, in this case "godhood.")

These somewhat correspond to the "three rules of the lamp" in Aladdin: "You can't wish for more wishes," which in a stretch ties in with greed, i.e. with using powers to satisfy one's Tier #1 and Tier #2 desires without limit. Another is, "You can't make somebody fall in love with you" (Tier #3.) Finally, "You can't bring someone back from the dead." (Tier #5.)

* * * * * * * *

In "The Substitute" (6x04), the Man in Black takes Sawyer to Jacob's cave, where he shows Sawyer a scale with two stones on it, the scale in perfect balance. Then MIB removes the white stones and throws it into the water, which causes the scale to tip in favor of the black stone, associated with MIB.

I thought it would be nice for Hugo to get a white stone of his own.

Also, in the Book of Revelations (2:17), with regard to the saints who prevail against temptation in the end times, the promise is made that "... I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it."

Comments

[inlaterdays.livejournal.com]

These chapter notes are fascinating reads. I didn't even think of Maslow's hierarchy of needs but Hugo's experiences/temptations tie in perfectly.

The white stone was tugging at something in my memory (something besides the white and black stones in the show) and I'm so glad you've explained it.

[stefanie-bean.livejournal.com]

Yes, and what's funnier, is that in Aladdin, what the genie offers Aladdin in the song Friend Like Me (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Op1TaXmCw) starts at the bottom of the Maslow tiers (restaurant, food, dancing girls) and ascends a bit higher in Prince Ali (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3R5Lqkwg3g) (fame and fortune.)

Of course, Aladdin doesn't actually rescue the girl from the dark lord and win her until he manages to self-actualize through the fifth tier: by admitting that the fame-fortune thing was a sham (and which Jasmine wasn't impressed with anyway.)

ETA: I'm glad you're enjoying these; I'll certainly keep going with it.