"Men of Faith" in LOST (meta)
Oct. 3rd, 2015 12:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stefanie_beanThese musings were inspired by this video, whose maker talks about themes in LOST across all six seasons, particularly the themes of good versus evil in Seasons One (and Six), and of faith in Seasons Two through Five.
LOST draws heavily on Stephen King's The Stand, especially in the conflict between good and evil. But *how* you determine good and evil in LOST often come down to faith.
The title for the Season Two premiere is "Man of Science, Man of Faith," with Jack generally thought of as the "man of science" who reverses his role by the end, and Locke generally seen as the "man of faith."
Locke, though, isn't the only "man of faith" in LOST. Hugo is a man of faith as well, and the sharp contrast between the two of them presages their ultimate ends. Also, the contrasts between Locke and Hugo are drawn closely from The Stand, with Hugo representing Boulder (the forces of the light, led by Mother Abigail and the principal "good guy" characters), while Locke, unwittingly or no, finds himself in the camp of Las Vegas, having been "claimed" by the Randall Flagg-like antagonist, the Man in Black, from the beginning.
Locke in many ways echoes a good share of the audience: wanting answers to "mysteries;" wanting to know what's in the Hatch; wanting scientific solutions to supernatural questions. For the first time in his life, Locke on-Island has power; respect; abilities, even preternatural ones like knowing when it's going to rain. It's all based on "signs and wonders;" on splashy and remarkable miracles, like being healed from paralysis.
Note that while Jacob saves Locke's life, he doesn't heal Locke's spine. That Locke is even alive at all is a miracle, but it's a silent miracle: one which no one sees or remarks upon. This leads us to a different kind of faith: Hugo's.
For instance, in "Tricia Tanaka is Dead," (3x10) it's clear the van won't start. Hugo is sitting off to the side while Sawyer and Jin drink beer. Sawyer wants to know what Hugo's doing; Hugo says that he's praying for help. When Sawyer says, "I got your help right here," and the beer can rolls downhill, that gives Hugo the answer he's looking for.
So we see another sign, one that's not only clearly supernatural (there was no way that van was ever going to start given the shape it was in), but on the surface entirely unrelated to "secrets of the Island," or "mysteries," or "answers." In fact, the genuine answer stared the viewer right in the face in 3x10, and most didn't pick up on it at the time, even if Hugo does wear a gold-colored shirt with a crown embossed on the breast pocket, and even if Reyes does mean "king."
What do you do with a king who doesn't come into town in grand style like Aladdin in "Prince Ali," in this case bearing "answers?" There's another faith at work here; the one that asks for help from "all that is good and holy;" that sits at Libby's death-bed and blames only himself; that cares for Eko for days while he's terribly injured; that does the same with Naomi and Sayid; that comforts Richard in his terrible despair and probably ultimately saves him.
Not all all faiths are good for you. In fact, some faith is downright toxic. Locke's desperate desire for "signs and wonders" ultimately turns him towards "Flagg and Vegas" and leads to his death. Hugo's faith of Boulder, expressed by asking for help; selfless love; kindness, is one which by "The End" yields life: a particularly rich, beautiful, and abundant one.
LOST draws heavily on Stephen King's The Stand, especially in the conflict between good and evil. But *how* you determine good and evil in LOST often come down to faith.
The title for the Season Two premiere is "Man of Science, Man of Faith," with Jack generally thought of as the "man of science" who reverses his role by the end, and Locke generally seen as the "man of faith."
Locke, though, isn't the only "man of faith" in LOST. Hugo is a man of faith as well, and the sharp contrast between the two of them presages their ultimate ends. Also, the contrasts between Locke and Hugo are drawn closely from The Stand, with Hugo representing Boulder (the forces of the light, led by Mother Abigail and the principal "good guy" characters), while Locke, unwittingly or no, finds himself in the camp of Las Vegas, having been "claimed" by the Randall Flagg-like antagonist, the Man in Black, from the beginning.
Locke in many ways echoes a good share of the audience: wanting answers to "mysteries;" wanting to know what's in the Hatch; wanting scientific solutions to supernatural questions. For the first time in his life, Locke on-Island has power; respect; abilities, even preternatural ones like knowing when it's going to rain. It's all based on "signs and wonders;" on splashy and remarkable miracles, like being healed from paralysis.
Note that while Jacob saves Locke's life, he doesn't heal Locke's spine. That Locke is even alive at all is a miracle, but it's a silent miracle: one which no one sees or remarks upon. This leads us to a different kind of faith: Hugo's.
For instance, in "Tricia Tanaka is Dead," (3x10) it's clear the van won't start. Hugo is sitting off to the side while Sawyer and Jin drink beer. Sawyer wants to know what Hugo's doing; Hugo says that he's praying for help. When Sawyer says, "I got your help right here," and the beer can rolls downhill, that gives Hugo the answer he's looking for.
So we see another sign, one that's not only clearly supernatural (there was no way that van was ever going to start given the shape it was in), but on the surface entirely unrelated to "secrets of the Island," or "mysteries," or "answers." In fact, the genuine answer stared the viewer right in the face in 3x10, and most didn't pick up on it at the time, even if Hugo does wear a gold-colored shirt with a crown embossed on the breast pocket, and even if Reyes does mean "king."
What do you do with a king who doesn't come into town in grand style like Aladdin in "Prince Ali," in this case bearing "answers?" There's another faith at work here; the one that asks for help from "all that is good and holy;" that sits at Libby's death-bed and blames only himself; that cares for Eko for days while he's terribly injured; that does the same with Naomi and Sayid; that comforts Richard in his terrible despair and probably ultimately saves him.
Not all all faiths are good for you. In fact, some faith is downright toxic. Locke's desperate desire for "signs and wonders" ultimately turns him towards "Flagg and Vegas" and leads to his death. Hugo's faith of Boulder, expressed by asking for help; selfless love; kindness, is one which by "The End" yields life: a particularly rich, beautiful, and abundant one.