LOST: Catholic / Christian imagery
Nov. 10th, 2021 01:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stefanie_beanChristianity plays into LOST from early on in Season 1. Locke talks about miracles, and the scene where Locke sees "the eye of the Island" (actually Smokey) is reminiscent of the Biblical passage where Lucifer disguises himself as an angel of light to fool people.
In White Rabbit, the empty coffin will get neatly book-ended with the one we see in the series finale in the flash sideways.
In Season 1, Rose tells Jack about her faith that Bernard is alive. Later she prays openly with Charlie when he's despondent over Claire's kidnapping. One of Charlie's early flashbacks involves him going to confession, and Christian imagery makes up a big part of his strange experiences in Season 2.
The heroin is stored in Virgin Mary statues ("opium of the people?") and Mr. Eko's story arc is filled with religious conflict and questioning as he becomes the priest he at first pretends to be.
Hugo's experiences are saturated in Catholicism. In Season 1's flashback, he's shown struggling with a problem not particular to Christianity, but definitely part of it: Why do bad things happen to people, particularly good ones? He tries out the "curse" notion on his mother, who smacks him and tells him to forget that nonsense, as "they're Catholics."
Later Hugo prays his way into a solution to the Dharma van problem: his answer comes in the form of Sawyer's beer can, which rolls down the hill & gives him the idea to pop the clutch. Later, Hugo's Catholic life becomes darker, deeper, and more emotionally intense after he collapses under the conflict of "The Lie." But the seeds of his Season 4-5 breakdown over lies, truth, loyalty and right action started long before that.
When he finally does "confess" to his mother, it's in front of a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the table, with a painting of the Sacred Heart of Mary over his shoulder.
Season 4 also shows us the church where Jack has his father's memorial service - and how when he lies to Carole about Claire, it's framed by an image of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary.
Season 5 also introduces us to Eloise Hawking, the custodian of the church where the Lamp Post is housed, as well as that critical conversation between Ben & Jack about "Doubting Thomas," the apostle who wouldn't believe in the resurrection until he could see Jesus's wounds with his own eyes.
Thus there's a long, five-season run-up to Christian imagery in LOST - as well as the wide homage paid to other traditions as well. This culminates in the stained glass window in the series finale, where the major world's religions are represented both there & in the room where the empty coffin lies.
In White Rabbit, the empty coffin will get neatly book-ended with the one we see in the series finale in the flash sideways.
In Season 1, Rose tells Jack about her faith that Bernard is alive. Later she prays openly with Charlie when he's despondent over Claire's kidnapping. One of Charlie's early flashbacks involves him going to confession, and Christian imagery makes up a big part of his strange experiences in Season 2.
The heroin is stored in Virgin Mary statues ("opium of the people?") and Mr. Eko's story arc is filled with religious conflict and questioning as he becomes the priest he at first pretends to be.
Hugo's experiences are saturated in Catholicism. In Season 1's flashback, he's shown struggling with a problem not particular to Christianity, but definitely part of it: Why do bad things happen to people, particularly good ones? He tries out the "curse" notion on his mother, who smacks him and tells him to forget that nonsense, as "they're Catholics."
Later Hugo prays his way into a solution to the Dharma van problem: his answer comes in the form of Sawyer's beer can, which rolls down the hill & gives him the idea to pop the clutch. Later, Hugo's Catholic life becomes darker, deeper, and more emotionally intense after he collapses under the conflict of "The Lie." But the seeds of his Season 4-5 breakdown over lies, truth, loyalty and right action started long before that.
When he finally does "confess" to his mother, it's in front of a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the table, with a painting of the Sacred Heart of Mary over his shoulder.
Season 4 also shows us the church where Jack has his father's memorial service - and how when he lies to Carole about Claire, it's framed by an image of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary.
Season 5 also introduces us to Eloise Hawking, the custodian of the church where the Lamp Post is housed, as well as that critical conversation between Ben & Jack about "Doubting Thomas," the apostle who wouldn't believe in the resurrection until he could see Jesus's wounds with his own eyes.
Thus there's a long, five-season run-up to Christian imagery in LOST - as well as the wide homage paid to other traditions as well. This culminates in the stained glass window in the series finale, where the major world's religions are represented both there & in the room where the empty coffin lies.