White Rabbit: The Cultural and Symbolic Significance of Christian Shephard in LOST by Pearson Moore
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He is the most enigmatic character in the six years of LOST.
Jack confirmed his death in a Sydney morgue. We saw his dead body for seventeen seconds. But he made appearances in each of the six seasons, apparently a living, breathing person, all over the Island: on jungle paths, in Jacob’s cabin, in and around the Dharma barracks, at the wheel under the Orchid Station. Locke, Frank, Sun, and Claire conversed with him in the shadow of the statue.
He is the source of Jack’s greatest anguish, but the highest goal of Jack’s yearning. He is many things to Jack, and many things to all of us. He challenges, he consoles, he frustrates. He fails in life example, leads through powers not his own, unites science and faith, triumphs over chaos and death. He is healer, guide, father, shepherd. He is neither good nor evil, neither light nor dark. He does not choose sides, does not play the game. In fact, he writes the rules, he is the game.
Christian Shepherd is the Island.
A Story of a Girl, a Rabbit, and Growth Through Experience
“Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!”
With the white rabbit’s words, Lewis Carroll introduced the strange world of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. Alice followed the immaculately dressed white rabbit down the rabbit hole and there discovered a bizarre menagerie of caterpillars and pigs and frogs and a disappearing and reappearing cat, all ruled by the Queen of Hearts, whose only administrative acts seemed to be limited to the proclamation of writs of execution. “Off with his head! Execute him!” was her reply to anyone whose actions were not in accord with her caprice.
This world made no sense at all to Alice. She often said, “How confusing this is,” or “This is curious,” or even “Curious and curiouser!” She ate cake or drank a beverage or chomped on a bit of mushroom and grew to nine feet tall or shrunk to three inches high. After nearly drowning in Alice’s tears, the animals dried off by racing around in a circle until there was no winner. None of it made any sense to Alice, but she learned quickly. “Let me see,” she said, “four times five is twelve, and four times six is thirteen, and four times seven is-oh dear! I shall never get to twenty at that rate!”
But this is not a nonsense world at all. “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” is not a children’s book of absurdities. It is satire, allegory about life in modern (1860s) Great Britain, biting commentary on the British Monarchy, the British Parliament, and current social norms. It is a book about the confusing, complicated world of adults and the simpler, more just, and entirely more proper world of children.
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” works at several levels. It is the story of a girl’s triumph over confusion, it is a primer on growth from childhood through puberty and to adulthood, and it is Carroll’s bill of particulars regarding a society he sees as depraved.
PhD Mathematics in a Children’s Book
Most of the book makes sense, though only after deliberate thought, and advanced degrees in mathematics, British history, and social anthropology may be required to fully appreciate Carroll’s work. Let us consider as an example Alice’s apparently nonsense multiplications:
4 x 5 = 12
4 x 6 = 13
4 x 7 = (14?)
We don’t know what the third product was going to be, since Alice didn’t finish the thought, but it seems likely that the next number in the series 12, 13 would be 14. Recall that Lewis Carroll (given name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) was a mathematician. All three of the multiplications above are correct, but the bases are different than the base ten system we are most familiar with. Four times five gives this many items:
IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII
In base eighteen, we must lump the first, second, and third piles of five and the first three sticks of the last pile into a single pile of ten with two left over:
IIIII IIIII IIIII III + II = 12
10 (base 18) + 2 (base 18) = 12 (base 18)
In the same manner, four times six in base twenty-one is equal to thirteen:
IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII I + III = 13
10 (base 21) + 3 (base 21) = 13 (base 21)
As for the final calculation, it seems likely that the next base in the series 18, 21 would be 24, and in base twenty-four, four times seven is indeed fourteen.
Politics and Progress
What about the other apparently nonsensical elements of the story? We will consider one more example before moving on. Anyone who has participated in a political caucus can appreciate Chapter Three of Alice’s Adventures. The Dodo proposed that the animals dry off by participating in a caucus race, and off they went, chasing each other around and around. Discussions at political caucuses are the worst kind of endlessly circular arguments. No one is ever shy about supporting her particular faction. Everyone has a favourite position or candidate, and they’re ready to tell you why, with excitement and conviction, even at two o’clock in the morning. Participants think themselves the party elite, the movers and shakers whose diligence and zeal will mold the platform into a document representing eternal truths equal in stature with the Magna Charta, more relevant than the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That’s what you think going in, anyway. What do you think after the ordeal is over? The political caucus is pretty much as Carroll described it: a bunch of zoo animals running around in endless circles.
Symbolism
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” chronicles Alice’s intellectual growth from childhood into adulthood. Most of what she experienced in Wonderland was not nonsense, but events that required a very adult, sometimes illogical but usually coherent, interpretation. Some of her experiences were indeed nonsense, and by the end of the novella she was able to separate meaning from true chaos. She did not embark on the journey alone. She followed the lead of the white rabbit, who represented adult authority. The Queen of Hearts represented adult leadership gone awry, and the King represented forces of culture and propriety opposed to the Queen’s selfishness.
For the purposes of LOST, it is important to remember that the White Rabbit of Alice in Wonderland was an experienced guide, an adult, and an authoritative leader. In LOST, Jack Shephard could be thought of as representing Alice, Christian Shephard as the White Rabbit, and the Smoke Monster as the Queen of Hearts.
In the Season One episode “White Rabbit”, Jack has what he later interprets as hallucinations of his father. He sees his father in the waves just off the shore, standing without movement, dressed in a perfectly-tailored black suit. A few minutes later he sees his father again, motionless at the edge of the jungle. Jack abandons his discussion with Boone and runs toward the man in black suit. Jack becomes obsessed, oblivious to his surroundings, and stumbles off a cliff, grabbing a bush to prevent his fall into the gorge below. Locke appears above Jack and pulls him up. The dialogue that ensues is the most quoted conversation of the twenty-first century.
The Four Discoveries
45.01 JACK: How are they, the others?
45.02 LOCKE: Thirsty. Hungry. Waiting to be rescued. And they need someone to tell them what to do.
45.03 JACK: Me? I can’t.
45.04 LOCKE: Why can’t you?
45.05 JACK: Because I’m not a leader.
45.06 LOCKE: And yet they all treat you like one.
45.07 JACK: I don’t know how to help them. I’ll fail. I don’t have what it takes.
45.08 LOCKE: Why are you out here, Jack?
45.09 JACK: I think I’m going crazy.
45.10 LOCKE: No. You’re not going crazy.
….
45.13 JACK: I’m chasing something-someone.
45.14 LOCKE: Ah. The white rabbit. Alice in Wonderland.
45.15 JACK: Yeah, wonderland, because who I’m chasing-he’s not there.
45.16 LOCKE: But you see him?
45.17 JACK: Yes. But he’s not there.
45.18 LOCKE: … then what would your explanation be, as a doctor?
45.19 JACK: I’d call it a hallucination….
45.20 LOCKE: All right, then. You’re hallucinating. But what if you’re not?
45.21 JACK: Then we’re all in a lot of trouble.
45.22 LOCKE: I’m an ordinary man, Jack, meat and potatoes, I live in the real world. I’m not a big believer in magic. But this place is different. It’s special. The others don’t want to talk about it because it scares them. But we all know it. We all feel it. Is your white rabbit a hallucination? Probably. But what if everything that happened here, happened for a reason? What if this person that you’re chasing is really here?
45.23 JACK: That’s impossible.
45.24 LOCKE: Even if it is, let’s say it’s not.
45.25 JACK: Then what happens when I catch him?
45.26 LOCKE: I don’t know. But I’ve looked into the eye of this island. And what I saw was beautiful.
[Locke gets up to leave.]
45.27 JACK: Wait, wait, wait, where are you going?
45.28 LOCKE: To find some more water.
45.29 JACK: I’ll come with you.
45.30 LOCKE: No. You need to finish what’s you’ve started.
45.31 JACK: Why?
45.32 LOCKE: Because a leader can’t lead until he knows where he’s going.
Water has already been a recurring theme in the first three acts of the episode; the survivors have nearly exhausted the Oceanic bottled water, and Claire may be suffering heat exhaustion. Just to be sure we understand the significance, Locke mentions water at the beginning of their conversation and also at the end. Coupled with the water motif is the theme of leadership. At 45.02, Locke tells Jack, “… they need someone to tell them what to do” and at 45.32, “… a leader can’t lead until he knows where he’s going.” But these two themes are not the only ones repeated in the course of this brief discussion.
Chiasm
If you read the scene a few times some interesting patterns begin to appear. First they are discussing water and leadership, then the White Rabbit, then Locke steps out of the normal flow of conversation and makes an important statement that appears at first unrelated to the concrete issues of water, leadership, and Jack’s fatigue-induced hallucination of his dead father. Then they resume their discussion about the “hallucinations”, but the character of the discussion has changed, and finally they speak again of water and leadership.
A 45.01 to 45.07 Water and Leadership. Jack says he’s not a leader.
B 45.08 Locke changes the subject: Why are you here, Jack?
C 45.08 to 45.10 Jack says he’s crazy. Locke says Jack is not crazy.
D 45.13 to 45.14 Jack chases the White Rabbit.
E 45.13 to 45.15 It’s Wonderland–the chase has no reason,
F 45.17 The Rabbit is not real.
G 45.19 to 45.21 Jack says the Rabbit is an hallucination.
H 45.22a The Island is not magic, it is real.
I 45.22b This Island is different. Special.
H’ 45.22c The Island is not scary, but real (we all feel it).
G’ 45.22d Locke says the Rabbit is probably an hallucination.
F’ 45.22e What if the Rabbit is real?
E’ 45.22e It’s the Island–it has reason (the chase has a reason).
D’ 45.22e Locke says Jack’s chasing the Rabbit.
C’ 45.23 to 45.25 Jack says the Rabbit is impossible. Locke says it is not impossible.
B’ 45.26 Locke changes the subject: The Island is beautiful.
A’ 45.27 to 45.32 Water and Leadership. Locke says Jack’s not (yet) a leader.
This is a literary structure called a chiasm. Every statement in the passage is oriented around a chiastic centre at 45.22b. The entire scene is essentially an onion with nine layers. Statement A is the outside of the onion, the next layer is Statement B, and so on all the way to Statement I, which is the core of the onion. With Statement H’ we move from the core to the next layer out, then to G’, and so on all the way back to the outside of the onion at A’. The supporting statements flanking the centre mirror each other, so that Statement A mirrors Statement A’, Statement B mirrors Statement B’, and so on. Everything in the sequence points to the core statement, or thesis, and everything within the chiasm relates thematically to that core. Sometimes it helps to visualise the chiastic structure with a bit of reorganisation, as in the illustration below.
Because the structure is chiastic, we are able to draw certain conclusions, at least from a literary point of view. We are to understand, as we bore our way through the layers, that the topics invoked are intimately related to the core concept. Here the concept is the Island as a different, special place which is the ultimate arbiter of reason. The Island imbues all motifs in the chiasm with inherent rationale and deep purpose. Water is not the only thing that flows from (or actually because of) the very Source of the Island. The Island establishes leadership, reality, and beauty. Because the Island is, Christian Shephard is. Jack’s vision is no hallucination.
Jack initiates the conversation at the beginning of the scene. It’s clear to Locke that Jack is distraught, so he takes control of their dialogue by changing the subject, trying to get Jack to focus. But Jack is not ready to relinquish control, he’s trying hard to centre the dialogue on the scientific rationale for his vision, and it’s not working. He concentrates on his feeling of being crazy, of having experienced hallucinations. For the sake of Jack’s argument, Locke is willing to grant that Jack is suffering hallucinations, but he doesn’t believe it. Now that Locke understands the real issue, he drives home his response, and this time he wrests control of the conversation and never again surrenders to Jack.
Locke’s point (thesis at 45.22b) is that the Island is special. The significance for Jack is simple: The Island has direct bearing on everything Jack seeks. When Jack continues to insist that the Rabbit cannot possibly be real, Locke again refocusses (45.26) on what he knows to be obvious: ”I’ve looked into the eye of this island. And what I saw was beautiful.” It is the beauty of the Island that will resolve all the water and leadership issues. It is the deep reality, harmony, and special nature of the Island that means all events transpiring there, even Jack’s visions, are real. The White Rabbit is real, and it is directly related to the Island.
The First Discovery: Jack’s Status as Follower
First he chased the White Rabbit, then he was beaten down twice in the same discussion by a man who had no understanding of science. In fact, the man rejected every plausible scientific explanation Jack attempted. As if this weren’t enough, Locke told Jack at the end of their conversation, “A leader can’t lead until he knows where he’s going.” It was a double slap in the face: Jack didn’t know where he was going, and he was no leader.
The Second Discovery: Faith
In John Locke Jack discovered an adversary who challenged Jack to his very core. Jack had squirreled away nothing in his personal or professional repertoire that allowed him to comprehend a faith-based approach to life. This conversation marked the introduction of the great struggle between science and faith. Locke gained the upper hand almost immediately. It would be nearly three years before Jack finally came to terms with Locke’s wisdom. At this point in his journey, however, every word out of Locke’s mouth seems nonsense.
From Locke’s standpoint, the most important truth for Jack was that his vision of the White Rabbit was real. Because it occurred on the Island, and because everything on the Island happened for a reason, the White Rabbit had to be real. It was more connected to Jack, more connected to the Island, and had greater purpose for Jack than anything he had previously experienced.
The concept of faith in LOST is not tied to traditional religion. By the end of the series LOST made entirely unique statements about faith, but in this first discussion only the mystery of the Island was invoked. In this early phase of Jack’s journey and Christian’s revelation of Island secrets, it was sufficient to say that Locke had faith in the power of the Island.
Symbolically, by having Locke pull Jack up from a certain fall and possible death, Jack was shown to be saved by faith, even if he rejected every aspect of Locke’s faith-inspired vision of life and the Island.
The Third Discovery: Water
Water was in short supply, and helping Jack find it was Christian Shephard’s first order of business. Since it was at the top of Christian’s agenda, it was the first thing Jack discovered after his talk with Locke. It was not until near the end of Season Six that we learned about the “special” aspects of Island water, but we knew there was some type of spiritual connection due to the nature of Christian Shephard.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
Christian led Jack to waters, but they were not still. The agitated pool was a physical reflection of Jack’s turbulent emotional state. His confusion only increased as the scene progressed.
Christian was Jack’s guide, and he led his son directly to water. He was acting in his capacity as the Good Shepherd, who leads and cares for his flock. I don’t believe LOST intends that we understand Christian Shephard to be the full embodiment of Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, I don’t believe Christian is intended to represent a pastor in the traditional religious sense. I understand Christian to be a spiritual guide, and in fact, the supreme spiritual leader to everyone on the Island, but he represents no religious faction.
The Fourth Discovery: The Empty Tomb
Jack had no intellectual or emotional tools to deal with the airplane wreckage in front of his eyes, and still less to understand the significance of the wooden coffin so haphazardly placed amid the strewn wreckage. When he opened the casket and found it empty, the bewildering, frustrating, angst-ridden nonsense of the Island finally bested him. Jack busted that coffin into a hundred pieces. None of it made any sense, least of all the empty casket. Was this an hallucination, too, or did the empty tomb prove Locke correct?
During Season One I didn’t know what to make of the empty coffin. I understood the strong religious symbolism of both the empty tomb and Christian’s name, but with so many connections between characters, with no clear vision of where the story was going, I was hesitant to construct any frameworks involving Christian Shephard. Events beginning in Season Four gave me enough confidence to state early in Season Six that we would see the coffin again, and it would be empty.
Something Nice Back Home
The scene was brief but to the point. Christian held Aaron and smiled up at Claire. Would a mother trust her baby to her father? Not for a few minutes, but for a few years?
Claire left baby Aaron in the jungle in the Season Four episode “Something Nice Back Home”. Except for an appearance in Jacob’s cabin, we didn’t see her again for nearly a season and a half. We did see Aaron. We saw a lot of Aaron, especially in the flash-forward sequences off the Island. Kate was the loving surrogate mother to Aaron and the loving fiancée to Jack. Unfortunately for her, Jack was approaching the edge of the abyss in his faith journey, and Kate was in no position to save him. Their painful separation was inevitable. Kate was in a predicament more difficult than anyone could have understood. Kate and Jack loved each other, but the forces acting on Jack were stronger than any that most people ever have to deal with. Kate had no such powerful connection to the Island. Her strongest connection was to Jack, but he would have to face the dark night of his soul entirely on his own.
Kate would leave the Island because Jack was leaving. Their connection meant they would inevitably end up living together, but there would be complications. Kate was on a mission for Sawyer, too, and that connection between the former lovers was enough, in Jack’s warped and confused mind, to justify his separation from Kate. Without Jack, Kate had no reason to return to the Island.
Jacob thought Kate superfluous, and scratched her name off his list of Candidates. The Island knew better than Jacob. The Island knew Kate was no mere love interest of two men. She was the one who would finally upset the balance pans long enough for Jack to make a final end of the Smoke Monster and reignite the Light that connected the world to the Source. But the Island knew Kate would leave the Island, knew she would have no reason to return. Something would have to be done to ensure her trip back.
Christian made arrangements for his daughter. He took Aaron. He may have lied, or he may have told the truth. It didn’t matter. Only one thing was important, and that was being sure that Kate would return to the Island.
Of the dozens of individuals on the Island, two felt a particular affinity for children: Benjamin Linus and… Kate Austen. Christian placed the baby in a place he would be found by Kate or her beau, Sawyer.
All of this–risking a baby’s life, risking a mother’s sanity, risking Kate’s life–all of it in exchange for a single bullet delivered in driving rain on a cliff of volcanic ash? Yes. All of this.
The Last Recruit
By now a fair number of you are about ready to give up on this half-baked analysis. “The writers already told us the Man in Black was posing as Christian Shephard. You’re going in the wrong direction with this one, Pearson.”
I urge you to hold on a bit longer. Things are not always what they seem, or as we believe we understand.
The writers have never said, to my knowledge, that the MIB at any time took the form of Christian Shephard. They have referred to him as being “undead”. They told us he is important to the end of the story. But they never once said Christian was the mouthpiece for the Smoke Monster. In fact, it was the MIB himself who told us he had been impersonating Christian Shephard, in the Season Six episode “The Last Recruit”.
JACK: The third day we were here I saw… I chased my father through the jungle… my, my dead father. Was that you?
LOCKE: Yes, that was me.
JACK: Why?
LOCKE: You needed to find water. This may be hard for you to believe, Jack, but all I’ve ever been interested in is helping you.
JACK: To help me? To do what?
LOCKE: Leave. But because Jacob chose you, you were trapped on this Island, before you even got here. Now Jacob’s dead. We don’t have to be trapped anymore. We can get on an airplane and fly away anytime we want to.
JACK: If we can just fly away whenever we want, why are you still here?
LOCKE: Because it has to be all of us.
Now, apply what you learned in the above section on chiasm. What are the structural features of this exchange that become obvious as you read it over a few times?
Jack asks four questions:
1a. Was that you?
1b. Why?
2a. To help me (do what)?
2b. Why are you still here?
The questions form matched pairs. The first two questions concern Christian Shephard’s appearance in the jungle to lead Jack to water. The second set of two questions concerns the MIB’s desire to leave the Island with all of the Candidates.
Let’s begin with Question 2b. The Smoke Monster tells Jack they all have to leave the Island, and in response to the fourth question, he says when they leave “it has to be all of us.” But we have the benefit of hindsight now, and our backward vision is better than 20/20. We know the real plan was much simpler: the MIB was going to find some way to get all of the Candidates into the same enclosed space so that they could kill each other all at the same time. He couldn’t physically kill them himself, and if he allowed even one of them to escape, he wouldn’t get another chance because they would be wise to his intentions. So he devised a fairy tale. I’m a good guy, just misunderstood by everyone. I just want to leave this place and live in peace. Then he got them all on a submarine.
Human nature being what it is, Sawyer didn’t trust Jack, and he pulled out the wires that activated the bomb. Sawyer proved the MIB right. “They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same.” What the Smoke Monster didn’t understand is that Sawyer’s tendencies were only half the story. The man most corrupted by the MIB, the one he probably believed he could count on the most, proved to be the Smoke Monster’s undoing. Human nature being what it is, what it truly is, Sayid sacrificed his life so the others could live.
The Smoke Monster lied to Jack in response to Question #2b. He also lied in his answer to Question #2a. And now we come to the first pair of questions. In response to Question #1b, the MIB said this:
“This may be hard for you to believe, Jack, but all I’ve ever been interested in is helping you.”
In the bright and revealing light of his later responses, this must also be a deception. In fact, we know the MIB had only one abiding interest: killing all the Candidates so he could leave the Island. If anyone knows of a means by which this exchange can be interpreted in such a way that the Smoke Monster is telling the truth, please enlighten me. I find only one reasonable conclusion: the MIB was lying to Jack.
In this exchange the Smoke Monster has provided three lies in response to three of four questions. Recall that the first two questions were paired, and dealt with Jack’s vision of his father back in Season One. The MIB lied to Jack after the second question. In response to the first question did he tell the truth or did he lie?
I suppose it’s possible the MIB was responding in truth to the first question. Maybe the MIB really did impersonate Christian. But why would he have done this? Not to lead Jack to water. Not because all he was “ever interested in is helping” Jack. Maybe he had nothing else to do, was tired of looking like someone whose body had died over two thousand years before. Maybe he had some other reason. Maybe he had no reason.
The MIB had plenty of compelling reasons to lie in response to Jack’s first question at their Season Six rendez-vous. He was in the midst of devising a plan, a long con, to get the Candidates into a confined space so he could trick them into killing each other. He needed everyone, and particularly Jack (the person in his mind most likely to replace Jacob), to believe he was a misunderstood but essentially good and reliable person. What better way to endear himself to Jack than to claim he took his dead father’s form, that he led Jack to water, that his only interest had ever been helping Jack.
I suppose it’s possible the MIB was responding in truth to the first question. I also suppose it’s possible that the sun will rise in the west tomorrow morning, and the cow will jump over the moon.
Some will argue at this point: We have more than this conversation from Season Six. We have the barracks scene from Season Five. Surely this scene proves categorically that the MIB took Christian’s form. Christian appeared to Sun and Frank only after the swaying of trees and noise that indicated the Smoke Monster’s presence. And as soon as he disappeared, the MIB–in Locke’s form–appeared at the barracks. These are not coincidences, some will say. They are the sure sign that the MIB first impersonated Christian and then impersonated Locke.
To this I say you will know them by their fruits. Christian appeared to Sun to help her. If the MIB had found a way to take Christian’s form when he was alone with Sun and Frank, he could have–probably would have–killed her. No one would have known, and he would have had one less Candidate to worry about. No, he came to help Sun reunite with her husband, and his efforts were successful. Christian here was not acting on behalf of the Smoke Monster. Also, if you remain unconvinced, go back again and listen to the noises that accompanied the swaying of the trees. They are not Smoke Monster sounds at all.
The Smoke Monster lied. He lied, and there is no better proof of that lie than the brief exchange in “The Last Recruit” that led to Jack giving a measure of trust to the most untrustworthy of all men. The exchange that led to Sun’s entrapment and Jin’s sacrifice in love.
The Smoke Monster never, not once, took the form of Christian Shephard.
This can be etched in stone. Lostpedia can add this fact to their pages on the Man In Black and Christian Shephard. There are few facts about the characters of LOST upon which all can agree. This is one of those few facts.
If You Build It …
If you build it, he will come.
Not the misunderstood and self-exiled writer, J. D. Salinger. Not Doc “Moonlight” Graham, who made it to the majors but never got to swing a bat. Not Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was unfairly ejected from major league baseball. Not any of these people, as important to history as they might be. Not as compelling as it was to give any of them one last afternoon on perfectly mowed grass, on an Iowa Field of Dreams. Not important or compelling personalities, but the single most important person, the single most compelling soul, the single person who has most influenced your life from its very beginning.
The Incredulity of St. Jack
Did Darlton intentionally pull this idea from W. P. Kinsella’s novel? I don’t recall the book ever being mentioned in conjunction with LOST. Perhaps it was coincidental, perhaps “Shoeless Joe” served as subconscious or unintended inspiration. Regardless of the historical context, I am now convinced that Jack’s Season Five allegorical journey from Man of Science to Doubting Thomas to Man of Faith did not intend the resurrection of John Locke as its final outcome. The expectation instead was that Jack would open his eyes to the reality of what had already transpired: his father, Christian Shephard, was resurrected.
Christian was no figment of Jack’s imagination. He appeared to Sun and Frank when Jack was several kilometres and thirty years away. He conversed with them. He couldn’t walk through walls or ambulate without putting one foot in front of the other. He carried a lantern to show Locke the way to the frozen wheel, two hundred metres below and 150 years before Jack ever came to Mittelos. Christian was the catalyst for some of the most important voyages starting and ending on the Island.
Christian does not represent the MIB. Who, then, does he represent?
LOCKE: Are you Jacob?
CHRISTIAN: No. But I can speak on his behalf.
LOCKE: Well, who are you?
CHRISTIAN: I’m Christian.
LOCKE: You know why I’m here?
CHRISTIAN: Yeah, sure. Do you?
LOCKE: I’m here… because I was chosen to be.
CHRISTIAN: That’s absolutely right.
In this dialogue from “Cabin Fever”, Christian does not claim to speak for Jacob. He claims only “I can speak on his behalf.” If he had been Jacob’s representative, a more likely response would have been “I speak on his behalf.”
Christian is working at cross purposes to Jacob. He is trying to get one of Jacob’s prized Candidates to do some un-Candidate like things. He is very shortly going to tell Locke to “move the Island”. He knows in doing this Locke will disappear from the Island and reappear in Tunisia. And then Christian confirmed something the MIB had told Richard:
CHRISTIAN: I believe in you, John. You can do this.
LOCKE: Richard said I was going to die.
CHRISTIAN: Well, I suppose that’s why they call it sacrifice.
LOCKE: All right. I’m ready.
Christian was actively catalysing a plan that would end in the death of one of Jacob’s Candidates. It is unlikely he was carrying out Jacob’s instructions. The death of a Candidate would be welcome news to the MIB, and he took no small pleasure in informing Richard of Locke’s coming death. He had his own plans for exploiting Locke and his soon-to-be dead body. But these were not Christian’s plans. Christian had worked hard to ensure that both Jack and Kate returned to the Island. Locke would provide that final “little push” (as Jacob may have described it) that would force their return.
Christian did not work for the Smoke Monster.
He did not work for Jacob.
Christian Shephard worked for the Island. Christian Shephard was the sole human representative of the power and majesty that is Mittelos.
The Road to Emmaus
I don’t know how the Island found it possible to resurrect Christian Shephard, nor can I claim any real understanding of the ramifications of the event. I consider myself aware of sentiments spiritual and religious in my own faith journey, but I find among those thoughts and feelings no fact or bit of knowledge that might assist me in my understanding. I know that none of the disciples of the world’s most famous resurrected personality anticipated Jesus’ resurrection, and in fact, several of them conversed with a fellow traveler on the long road to the town of Emmaus just after Jesus’ crucifixion. During that entire journey not one among them realised that they had been speaking with their now-resurrected master. The disciples didn’t understand. I don’t understand. I think it’s fair to say that in the entire history of theological inquiry no one has truly understood. One believes, or one does not. There is no scientific basis for any of this. There is no middle ground. There are no rationalisations, no proofs, no mathematical formulae.
I suppose the only thing we might do is acknowledge appreciation, to a story that managed to weave together science fiction, mystery, mythology, and a heavy dose of spiritual drama into a story about some of the most compelling characters and situations even to have been portrayed on the small screen. Christian Shephard and Jack Shephard were two of the most intriguing characters I have had the pleasure of coming to know.
So much more could be written on this subject, but I will not be the one to do it. For now, all I can say is that I, like the White Rabbit, am an adult, and I suppose in my children’s eyes, anyway, I am an authority. And as I pull the pocket watch from my vest, I see the late hour, and realise–
Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!
PM
Related posts:
-
Isla Cognita: Cultural Knowledge in LOST 6.13 “The Last Recruit” by Pearson Moore - So You Could Find One Another: Cultural Perfections in LOST 6.17-6.18 “The End” by Pearson Moore
- Reconvergence: A Cultural Interpretation of LOST 6.08 “Recon” by Pearson Moore
Tags: Christian Shephard, LOST Theories, Pearson Moore
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Rules for commenting.
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- Do not be rude: personal attacks and destructive criticism will get you banned.
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June 13th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
“If the MIB had found a way to take Christian’s form when he was alone with Sun and Frank, he could have–probably would have–killed her.” The MIB can't kill Candidates. That's a fact. Whether he is appearing as Christian or not does not change this. That is not evidence for Christian not being the MIB in that scene.
June 13th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
Pearson, amazing as always. It has been an absolute pleasure to read your posts for the duration of Lost's final season.
June 13th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
I really do love your analyses. I love this show so much and I have been getting into it with my brother ( he hates it). I have used some of your articles to try and sway him, but he won't budge. I feel like a Christian at an atheist convention, trying to explain why I believe something. How do you tell someone about something that you can't put into words? We watched the finale together and before it even started, he was like “there is no way they can tie this up.” He was unsatisfied before it started. I was the opposite. They (he and his GF) argue with me about it all the time. what can you give me on this? How do I shed light on my side?
June 13th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
thank you pearson, i thoroughly enjoy your analysis every week. you should write a book about LOST: the analysis of pearson moore! you'd probably get some money for it too…
June 13th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
What if the MIB was telling the truth the whole time, but like any human (since he was human at one point) changed his mind towards the end, and made the choice to give Jack the wrong pack, as a test. If Jack stayed true to his word, the bomb would never have gotten to the sub.
Remember the MIB was described as the island's security system. Security systems include traps. Their goal is to protect, and while he may've tired of his duty in that respect, his actions ultimately served to protect the island the entire time – from the candidates, and survivors.
Your arguement that the MIB is predicated on the idea that the story presented about the MIB's origin is in it's entirety completely correct. While everyone ascribes positive motives to Jacob, it's been made clear his presentation of reality may not be entirely accurate. One must remember that Jacob and MiBs mother was addled and therefore misrepresented reality to both of them. As such, because their perceptions of events may have been clouded assuming either was telling the truth, or lying, at any given time is likely a mistake. In many cases, it can be argued MiB stated with complete honesty exactly what his position was at any given time.
I would also add that Christian Shepherd appeared in white, and in black suits respectively. While the Man in Black wore light colored pants, and a dark top, and Jacob wore dark colored pants and a light top. There are gaps within the story which suggest that perhaps Christian Shepherd may've functioned as a representative of either being at any given time, perhaps even both simultaneously.
The use of Black to represent evil is a common enough theme that one should not necessarily trust that meaning, nor it's interpretation as entirely accurate in Lost.
Especially given the usage of the nickname “Man In Black” given it's assosciation with Johnny Cash.
Consider this: the MIB may never have left the island, in physical form, but the assumption always seems to have been that he wanted to leave physically, rather than spiritually.
If the island is actually Christian Shepherd, where exactly are these events taking place, and what is the MiB Really? The scene where you cite John Locke looking in the eye of the island refers to him looking into the eye of the smoke monster. Your arguement is implying that Christian, and the MIB are in fact the same entity. Remember the island is referred to as “special” and they refer to it as “not necessarily even a real place”
Another point to remember is that the island has Smoke, and Mirrors. Deception is par for the course. Evil and good, death and life, assumptions about the reality of these events, are constantly made during analysis of the story. But smoke is shades of grey, neither light nor dark exclusively.
June 14th, 2010 at 12:21 am
I think Lost: Missing Pieces #13 – “So It Begins” lends support to some variation of this theory
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GBYVvgiMSo
June 14th, 2010 at 1:02 am
Hi Mrbrownstone8797,
Thank you for your excellent comments. You're right, of course. I didn't proofread very well, and missed a very glaring error. I should have written that the MIB could have had them kill each other (or actually, have Frank kill Sun, which would have been easier to arrange). All he'd have to do is get Frank to believe his life or some greater good was at stake if he didn't kill Sun. Thanks for catching the error!
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 1:10 am
Ahh okay, well that makes more sense. It was tough for me to accept this theory if you were basing it on a false premise, but with that correction I have to say you put forth a very interesting and convincing argument. This will be in the forefront of my mind when I rewatch the series!
June 14th, 2010 at 1:17 am
Oh Pearson,Pearson Pearson I can't decide now if this theory is 100% right or vice versa.But what I can say now, with a 100% sincerity is that I am “Totally Lost” LOL. (But thankfully only in regard to the true identity of the Christian/MIB entity's.) LOL. P.S Thanks again for more night time enlightening reading.
June 14th, 2010 at 1:33 am
Hi Mike,
Thank you for your kind comments. It has been my pleasure to write these essays.
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 1:43 am
Hi Tony,
Thank you for your very generous comments. As for your brother, I'm sorry to hear that he wasn't able to enjoy the last episode of the series. It is not a typical television programme, though, and we are going to have to expect that a good number of people are not going to appreciate the idea that they have to strive for answers. But this is indeed the expectation, and has been all along, from the very first episode. Lost is not something you understand just by watching. Perhaps your brother will return in a few years and give it another try. In the end, this is not Law and Order. My feeling is that it is okay if someone decides they didn't like the show. Stephen King is a great writer by any standard. I don't like him. I know I'm missing out on a lot. But that's how it is. But then I imagine few people would work their way through 500-year-old journals written in ancient French, as I have–and for pleasure! Everyone has different tastes, and I sincerely wish your brother and his girlfriend every good thing.
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 2:23 am
But would not Christian as the MiB have wanted to reunite Jin and Sun because he didn't know which (if not both) of the two were candidates? He wanted to reunite them to, as you pointed out and the show stated, round up all the candidates together in an enclosed space and manipulate a situation in which they would inadvertently choose to kill one another.
Christian being the MiB makes more sense than not, in my opinion:
1) Him telling Locke specifically to turn the wheel and leave the Island and so die and return to the Island so that he could assume his form as the leader of the Others was all part of his plan.
2) Him recruiting Claire to use as a pawn in the coming years.
3) Him “helping Jack look for water,” aka, trying to get the sleep-deprived doctor to fall to his death.
I could continue thinking about other instances when/where he appeared, but I think those suffice.
Interesting article, I just don't agree.
And I would obviously say that the Purgatory Christian was clearly the REAL Christian Shephard, who had died and was waiting to move on like everybody else.
June 14th, 2010 at 3:15 am
Brilliant analysis as per usual. I had suspicions that Christian Shephard was on the Island throughout the story (or at least throughout most of it) and your analysis helps me see it more clearly. The only times I thought Christian was possibly the MIB was when he was in Jacob's Cabin, in the Dharma barracks and with baby Aaron. The latter two points have been answered clearly but the mysteries surrounding Jacob's Cabin are of particular interest to me.
“Why do you think it was the real Christian Shephard who was in Jacob's Cabin?”
Thanks
June 14th, 2010 at 3:52 am
PEARSON!!! You are awesome.
On another note: try reading the Jack/Locke conversation as if they are talking about the Earth and humanity. It is really deep and spiritual and moving.
Thanks.
June 14th, 2010 at 10:48 am
Hi Wormhole75,
Thank you for your kind comments.
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Hi Missing Piece,
Thank you for adding to the discussion. Having many perspectives in the comments section brings greater depth to the article.
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 10:51 am
Hi Loveulost4ever,
I agree with your sentiment. Christian has been the central catalyst since day one, and Missing Pieces 13 certainly demonstrates this.
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 10:52 am
Hi Andy108108,
Thank you for your generous comments. I'm totally Lost, too!
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 11:08 am
Hi InklingJD,
Thank you for this excellent contribution to the discussion.
You bring up three pieces of evidence supporting the possibility that the MIB posed as Christian Shephard. I agree the first scene, in Jacob's cabin, on its own could be evidence of this, but I discount it as discussed in the article. As for the second piece of evidence, I again discuss this in the article, and I account for both Claire and Aaron, and tie them to Kate, who is one of three essential characters at the MIB's death. I consider that this explanation–that Christian was acting on the Island's behalf when he arranged for Kate to raise Aaron–explains the Claire/Kate connection, the importance of Aaron, the importance of Kate, and so on, in a most satisfying manner. The only thing accomplished by deciding that Christian in this scene is really the Smoke Monster is to say the Monster is pursuing his agenda, but it does nothing to tie Claire to Kate, nothing to demonstrate the importance of Aaron. If the Monster knew Kate might possibly raise Aaron, and this would drive her to return to the Island to reunite mother and son, do you really think he would have posed as Christian to accomplish this? No, my rationale here is strong. I respect counter-arguments, but I have yet to find one as strong as the one I presented. As for the third one, Jack's fall was necessary so he could be “saved by faith”, that is, saved by Locke. He had to fall, because it was a physical symbol of his inadequate understanding of life, the Island, and himself. It was the physical form of his discussion with Locke, where Locke quickly gained the upper hand. But the result of Jack's foray was his discovery of water and discovery of the empty tomb. I should have added the empty tomb cannot be taken as sign of MIB's activity, since he doesn't actually inhabit bodies (recall both John Locke's body and the MIB's original body were buried, but Smokey took their form anyway). Thanks again for a worthy and thought-provoking addition to the discussion.
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 11:16 am
Hi Mr. B,
There are two opposing pressures when one writes a weekly blog: Get it right, but get it out on time. The clock almost always has to win, which means sometimes you don't end up taking the little bit of extra time to get the wording just right. In this case, poor wording led to an actual mistake in the article. The articles frequently suffer poor wording, but occasionally there is even a mistake, like the one you found. Now if I could afford an editor…
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 11:27 am
Thank you for the great article again, Pearson. I had a difficult time figuring out why the MiB would want the Oceanic 6's return to the Island, but now that I understand that Christian had never spoken on the behalf of the MiB, it finally makes sense.
One thing that's been hunting me ever since “The End”: during Jack's last moments, he looks up and sees a plane fly across the sky. I don't think it's the Ajira plane with Kate, Sawyer and co., but Oceanic 815 in the afterlife. As far as I understand, the alterLost version of the flight served as a kind of vessel for the dead islanders — much like the ferry to the underworld. It is out of space and time. There is a moment on the plane during the shaking and turbulance when Jack is visibly stricken. I believe that is the moment of his real life death. When his soul from his dead body lying among the bamboos is lifted to his heavenly body — up in the air, on the alterOceanic flight. On a plane that does not carry his father, because Christian has been on a higher plain since the beginning, since his worldly death.
I really love the symbology of LOST and find great joy in reading your analysese. Thank you ever so much for them. Namaste.
June 14th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
That's an interesting theory but the plane flying overhead as Jack is dying, really is the Ajira plane.
June 14th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Thanks so much for another enlightening article. With each one I feel a new layer of the Lost onion is being peeled away, giving me so much more understanding and appreciation of both this great series and your amazing powers of interpretation. Though I am reading other people's analysis of the show, some of which are quite compelling, none of them have the resonance with me that yours has had. I hope this will not be your last entry.
June 14th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Beautiful article, Pearson. I really enjoyed reading this one.
June 14th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Hi Christian,
Thank you for your kind response.
Your observation that Christian's manner in Jacob's cabin and with on-Island Claire seems consistent with the conclusion that on-Island Christian was somehow different from the Christian we came to know through flashbacks. I agree. On the Island, Christian was no longer just Claire's father, he was also the Island's representative, at least to Jack, Claire, Hurley, Sun, Frank, and Locke. His manner would have to change, since he was more than Christian at that point, and had a very important agenda to implement.
Why was Christian in Jacob's cabin? Someone had to move the Island so the on-Island survivors would be dumped into 1974 to prepare for the arrival of the off-Island returning survivors so the Incident could occur in 1977 so the re-converged survivors could be in position to assume Jacob's vacant leadership position, deactivate the Light, kill Smokey, then reactivate the Light. Only one person was going to do all that–not Jacob, not Smokey, not even Locke. It had to be the Island. And it was the Island, working through Christian Shephard.
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Hi Mike,
Thank you!
The Locke speech is amazing, isn't it? Science can never suffice to our true understanding of the world. Faith is required, and more than that, a deep and sustained effort to arrive at truth through faith. Maybe the best speech in the six years of Lost.
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Hi Love,
If we are to believe Christian's words inside the church, everything that happened on the Island actually happened. I think Darlton have stated this as well. If this is true, Jack saw Ajira 316 when he was dying, not Oceanic 815. He smiled, then, because he realised his Kate and the others had succeeded in leaving the Island.
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Hi Diane,
Thank you for your kind comments on my article. Who else are you reading? I just read Doc Jensen's article about naming the Island “Carrie”. Interesting. Can't say I understand all of it, least of all his conclusion that the survivors visited the Island (during the time flashes) at a time before Jacob and the MIB. I wonder what he and his readers would think of my conclusion that the Island's name is not Carrie, but Christian?
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Hi Willieworkman,
Thank you for your warm comments. I'm glad you liked the article!
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
This seriously is one of the best theories/reflections I've read in a long time.
I love this theory…I want to point out one more addition.
In the season 4 finale, Christian appears on the freighter out of nowhere, telling Michael Dawson he can go now. In season 6 Michael still seems to be trapped on the island though..but, since the Smoke Monster was never able to travel over the ocean, that appearance was NOT smokey…
June 14th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Hi Erikburger,
Thank you for your kind words.
You point out an excellent addition. There's also the hospital appearance, which could have been Jack's mind playing tricks, but in my theory, could be the real Christian, acting in his capacity as Island representative. We know already the Island could affect things at great distance–as in Michael's inability to commit suicide, even across the globe in New York City. Thanks!
PM
June 14th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Very interesting theory and analysis. Vvery sound in my opinion. The one part that doesn't seem to fit for me is the fact that Christian and the MIB seem to have very congruent agendas with respect to Claire, Aaron and the Others. When asked how she knew the Others had taken her baby, she replied that “First my father told me, then 'my friend' told me.” It sounded like “Christian” and the MIB had a common agenda with manipulating Claire… Which makes it seem like they are one in the same…
June 15th, 2010 at 12:06 am
Hi Sam5Ferguson,
Thank you for contributing to the discussion.
Your point is well taken, but I think there are a number of reasons to believe the MIB and Christian are distinct entities, in addition to the evidence I cited in the article. As you yourself note here, Claire distinguishes between her father and her “friend” (the MIB as Locke). She believes them to be distinct entities. Christian's agenda was different from that of the MIB. Christian, as representative of the Island, had to ensure that Kate would return to the Island after leaving with Jack. Christian was not going to be able to plead with her or cajole her into staying, and Jack was going to be going through too much in his own life to be much of a magnet for Kate, as much as she loved him. Some other magnet would have to be used to get Kate to return to the Island, and that magnet was Claire's baby, Aaron. Christian separated mother and child expressly to play on Kate's mother instincts, forcing her to take Aaron as her own, but eventually also forcing her to realise that she was not an acceptable substitute for Claire, therefore forcing Kate's return to the Island. The Island's agenda and the MIB's agenda dovetailed only in that the MIB was the only acceptable protector for Claire. Thanks again for your excellent contribution.
PM
June 15th, 2010 at 12:30 am
Pearson,
Good stuff indeed. I think one of the best parts of the show Lost is the analysis and discussion of it – of which yours is amongst the very best.
However, after reading it, I remembered something on a Official Lost Podcast where Darlton broke down what “seeing the dead” meant in relation to who it was doing the seeing and a reference to Christian and the MIB. I went back and re-listened to it and the word they used regarding MIB and Jack and Christian was he “admitted” to Jack that he had impersonated his father. They then went on the explain that if you are person who does not normally see the dead, then you were likely seeing the MIB. If normally see the dead (Hurley) then you probably are seeing the dead and not the MIB.
Another interesting angle… Not necessarily 100% incompatible with your theories.
The podcast for reference:
http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Portal:Official...
The relevant section is about 14:55.
June 15th, 2010 at 2:03 am
I remember the podcast. However, in the “Walkabout”, which I believe is the first appearance of Christian Shephard, Jack spots him in th water, but Kate can't see him. Perhaps that's a clue that only Jack could see his ghost-dad? Other appearances may be the MIB.
June 15th, 2010 at 2:05 am
I think he meant the time when they flashed and there was no well, indicating a time before the well was dug, and hence, before Jacob and MIB came to the Island. Very interesting that both you and Doc Jensen are focusing on the “Island” as a key character on Lost.
June 15th, 2010 at 2:12 am
Nice article. Symbolically, I agree with you that Christian Shephard represents the Island. However, I'm not entirely convinced that all appearances of Christian have been only MIB or only as a Ghost. If all CS appearances have been MIB it reduces the impact of the meeting between CH and Jack in the Flash-sideways Church.
We may reason that there have been two “avatars” of CS on LOST. I agree with you that the “White Rabbit” version of CS we saw was NOT the MIB. And we may safely assume that the CS we saw in Jack's flash-forward was not the MIB either. However, the CS we see in Jacob's Cabin, and talking to Sun/Frank are, I think, the MIB.
Enjoyed your analysis, as always!
Rams
June 15th, 2010 at 2:41 am
Hi Sam,
Thanks for the podcast reference. I found the page, but it contains over a dozen podcasts. Which one should I listen to? Thanks!
PM
June 15th, 2010 at 5:26 am
[...] to read HERE. By delladuck, on giugno 15, 2010 at 9:26 am, under Lost. Tag:Lost6. Nessun commento Posta un [...]
June 15th, 2010 at 5:31 am
I've been trying to figure out this whole “Christian” thing myself, but I kept hitting dead ends, until I read your article. I was in the Christian is really the MIB boat for a while, mostly because the show never clearly discussed a different possibility, though I guess that is one of the cool things about Lost. It is a show that actually challenges you when you're trying to put it all together.
Christian having been seen off the island twice after his death is another strong supporting factor in your theory (once to tell Michael he could go now, and yet again when he talked to Jack in “There's No Place Like Home Part 1″) And it was clearly put out in the show that MIB could not leave the island until all of the candidates were dead.
Also, something else I just discovered, in “Lighthouse”, when Jin (being stitched up in Claire's tent) hears Claire constantly go on about how the people at the temple stole her baby, he asks her how she could be so sure the Temple “Others” have Aaron… her response was, “How can I be so sure? Well, okay, first my father told me, and then my friend told me. So I'm pretty damn sure.” It was cleared up later that her friend is the smoke monster, so that means that Christian and the smoke monster are two different beings.
I'm also beginning to believe that the Christian in the flash-sideways at the very end, who opened the doors to the church and finally explained it all to Jack, was the island too. The most important part of Christian's life wasn't on the island, since none of his life was spent there, so it wouldn't make any sense for him to be in the flash-sideways with the rest of them. I think the island chose to speak through Christian, in the flash-sideways and on the island, because it would, as you said, help him convince Claire to stay on the island and give Kate a reason to come back, and it would be the catalyst to Jack's redemption and realization that John Locke had been right all along, and the island really did need saving.
I said above that the show never stated clearly that MIB wasn't Christian, but I think their shout out to this theory was when Jack opened his dad's coffin yet again, and found it empty.
It appears I've answered all of the questions I was going to bring up to you myself typing this out. xD
June 15th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Brilliant analysis of the chiasm.
June 15th, 2010 at 10:37 am
Hi Ramya,
I'm glad you enjoyed the article!
PM
June 15th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Hi FakeJake93,
Most people in the comments section bring questions–you bring answers! Thanks for contributing.
PM
June 15th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Hi Rich,
Thanks!
PM
June 15th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Hi Pearson,
Robin's recap of The End was interesting to me, though yours go to much greater depths of meaning. That one is here.
http://lost.robinparrish.com/6-176-18-the-end/
The other one is Amy's completely different take on the whole series. I sent you her recap of the last few minutes of The End, and here's where you can see her theories and other recaps. She believes the series was a puzzle, and now that we have all the pieces, she is going back through each episode with a fine toothed comb to analyze. I can't easily explain her theories, but she believes the people arrived on the Island as “blank slates” and what happened to them was not in a physical reality, but was real on some level, and they were, I guess, trapped and had to be rescued. In The End they finally found their way out. The problem I'm having with her theory is that I don't see how it explains the importance of what happens to the characters on or off the Island and it begs the question, where were they before all of this happened if the flashbacks we see are not memories? And it seems to negate the importance of all the rich mythology and character development you have so beautifully written about. Still, it is an interesting theory and she makes some pretty good claims for it. If you are curious you can see everything at her site below.
http://lostblog.com/blog/2010/03/12/amys-lost-t...
Oh, and could you give me the link to Doc Jensen's site. I'd love to read what he has to say.
June 15th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Sorry about that. It's the one from 05/07/10.
June 15th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Now that's an interesting angle there…
June 15th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Dear Pearson
You know I have been an admirer of your LOST related essay-work for a long time. I still think the way you write about this show is unbelievable.
However, I'm sorry to say that I grew tired of investing more time in this TV show. The finale disappointed me dramatically. Might be a question of taste, it obviously appealed to many LOST fans. It definitely didn't to me. Anyway, coming to what I really want to say: I think it is a very honourable thing to do what you did: Invest so much time and energy in the world of LOST. I once took a course in signology at university (the study of meaning and signs within languages and literature). One intersting hing I took from that course: It's rather an irony that there is actually more letters, words, phrases, essays on many literary works than the letters the work contains itself. Meaning: Who says what the author wanted to “say”? Even more compelx: What if history changes and new elements can be found in a work that the author couldn't have meant because the thinks hadn't existed in that time. To make this short: Language is fluid property, so is literature, so is culture. There is no way we can talk about big works and actually know what their meaning is. This might make LOST one of those big works, I partly admit that.
However, where it failed 100% (for me) is that all the things you said about Christian were simply left out. End of story. The writers fascinated us with christian from Season 1 onwards. But now after Season 6 we don't know so many things about Christian. Was he really MIB? Or not? Were there multiple Christians? Who was Christian in L.A.? And this is not an ambiguity of great literature, in my eyes this is simply lazy writing. The producers painted themselves in the corner and were too lazy to answer these big questions. Or they didn't know. Just look at the finale. They made a huuuuuge jump: Well, they are all dead now. Some of them died early some didn't. Oh yeah, and Christian in the church is Jack's father. REALLY convenient Jack didn't ask him (as he asked MIB) whether or not it was him on the island. That would have meant the writers would have had to come up with some concept…
Well, I don't mean to offend you, Pearson, it's a great thing you're doing, it keeps LOST rolling. I just lost my faith with the show. Too long was I a believer and no matter what criticism came up on LOST I was always there to defend my favourite TV show. In the hindsight I have to say I was wrong. The people saying there IS NO overall structured plan were right. The finale proved this clearly…
June 15th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Thanks for the reference. I listened to the May 7, 2010 podcast twice this afternoon. I've listened to most of them, and it turns out I did listen to this one when it came out a month ago. The only thing I take away from it after three hearings is that the rules governing the Smoke Monster's appearances as dead people are complex. As Ramya noted, Jack saw Christian in the waves, he asked Kate, and she hadn't seen him. Jack saw Christian at the edge of the jungle, Boone didn't see him. Seems likely that only Jack saw him, therefore not fulfilling the Darlton requirement that Smoke Monster appearances be visible to everyone, therefore indicating that at least this appearance of Christian was not the Smoke Monster. Thanks again for alerting me to the podcast!
PM
June 15th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Diane,
Doc (Jeff) Jensen writes at ew.com:
http://www.ew.com/ew/
On the black bar just below the EW.com headline you'll see a shortcut to Lost.
PM
June 15th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Hi Adrian81,
Thanks so much. I've enjoyed all of your comments. You're always thought provoking and bring much to the discussion.
PM
June 16th, 2010 at 4:35 am
Woops. Sorry about that. I should have specified, it's the one from 05/07/2010.
June 16th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Thanks for the website. I look forward to reading what he has to say.
June 16th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Amazing, truly amzing.
This was the best analytical approach toward -as you put it right- the most enigmatic character in LOST, Christian Shephard.
I find it quite meaningful that Christian had been a separate 'force' from the beginning – I also find MIB's impersonation of Christian meaningful. The great thing about LOST, is that 'everything makes sense in every way you look at it'.
I find your theories on the Chiasm, water & parallel symbolism in 'white rabbit' & 'the last recruit' very interesting. We discussed that parrallelism of the scenes in your previosu entries, but I'd never taken notice of the sequence of the lines.
About Sawyer's role in MIB's plan, I think Sawyer was the 2nd loophole as Ben was the 1st, both providing the best example of MIB's view on mankind: “they come, they fight, they destroy, the corrupt…”
I think Christian, on the 'scientific' aspect of the show, was the proof of the existance of another realm…the sideways universe, the afterlife…whatever you want to call it. He was 'the' constant soul of the LOST equation who could travel in & out of worlds.
Thank you Pearson for another great entry.
June 16th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
I love your chiasm of the Jack/Locke conversation from White Rabbit.
This has been my favorite Lost scene ever since I saw it, and that never changed.
Seeing your union figure really amazed me.
Thanks, PM
June 16th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Hi Hygoniz,
Thank you for your very kind comments.
Your speculation about Christian is very interesting. I have not thought much on the implications of Christian's resurrection, but I have to say your idea makes a lot of sense. And most interesting is your observations that the MIB out-manipulated the two star manipulators: Ben and Sawyer. There are so many of these kinds of tidbits in the last few episodes. I know a deeper significance is intended in the fact that Jack and the MIB had to work together to lower Desmond into the Light, and later Ben (the liar) and Hurley (the truth-teller) had to work together to lower Jack into the Light. Fascinating stuff!
PM
June 17th, 2010 at 12:31 am
Hi Crazysalvatore,
Thank you for your generous comments on the article. I'm glad you liked the analysis of the chiasm.
PM
June 17th, 2010 at 8:33 am
Thank you Pearson,
Locke, Jack & Desmond…it was all about them from the beginning.
Locke hiding his discovery of hatch (Desmond) from Jack was the beginning of their conflict.
About Christian; if we assume most Christian apparitions to be 'himself', (which I believe the one in “So it begins” is the same 'true' Christian we see in “The end”) then Claire's speech about his father makes sense:
Claire told Jin that 'her friend' (MIB) & 'her father' (Christian) told her that the others had Aaron.
There's a good reason for MIB to manipulate Claire, & there's also a good reason for (the awakened) Christian to deceive Claire into believing the others had her baby, so Kate's journey of redemption could bring her to the point of 'destroying' the monster, as you mentioned in your recap; that single bullet. (come to think of it, Kate was the one character so much terrified of the monster in “Pilot”! )
Then in 'The last recruit' Claire told Jack: “Did he tell you he pretended to be your father?” (I don't remember the exact line.) which could prove your theory that MIB basically lied to Jack in that scene, to further distance him from the purpose. It seems that MIB told the same things to Claire, “I was pretending to be your father when we were in the cabin.”
For Christian apparitions, they work both ways & match the storyline very well imo.
June 17th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
I disagree ;D First of all Flocke told Jack that he was helping him to find the water, but only Christian new that he was looking for the water, that he was searching for something in the jungle. So if Flocke knew that too, that means MIB claimed Christians body. Secondly, in that episode when Jack was searching for his father, he almost fell from the rock. MIB TRIED TO KILL HIM, BUT NO DIRECTLY.
That is my opinion. If I made some grammar mistakes, I am very sorry. I am not from America ;].
June 17th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Hi Reportable,
Thank you for joining the discussion!
You are in good company. Many people believe the MIB posed as Christian Shephard, and for precisely the reasons you state. Certainly there is evidence on both sides. As far as the Smoke Monster's knowledge of Jack's search for water, we know the Smoke Monster was keeping tabs on the survivors–coming close to the beach camp, getting close enough to Locke to “read” him, and so on. Would Smokey have known of their quest for water, even if he didn't interact directly? Almost certainly. Therefore, though it's tempting I know, I don't feel Smokey's knowledge of their search for water on Day Six could be taken as proof that he posed as Christian Shephard. Thanks again for a terrific contribution!
PM
June 17th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
Hi Hygoniz,
I couldn't agree more. The question of Christian's position in the story is a minor question, and as you note, no matter how one might choose to believe regarding the MIB posing as Christian, the story comes out the same regardless. The principals were Smokey, Locke, Desmond, Jack, and Kate. Lost is their story, not Christian's.
PM
June 18th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Pearson – thanks for this excellent analysis. We've been discussing Christian's true nature on another blog and deconstructing scenes by place, intention, clothing…..The thing that does explain all of it quite well is that Christian represented the island. I just wish the showrunners were explicit in this particular area as I think it changes the way viewers experience the entire story.
June 18th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Hi Jstephane,
Thank you for your warm comments.
Where can I find your analysis of Christian? I'd love to read it!
PM
June 20th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
I just watched “Sherlock Holmes” (directed by Guy Ritchie). Watching that movie made me realise what I missed so dearly in the LOST finale: If you watch the last 10 Minutes of the movie where Sherlock Holmes reveales that he knew all along what everything was about the audience suddenly realizes how all the elements, the tiny details come together and form a large picture: All the small, presumably unimportant elements finally make sense. Even more importantly: The audience understands that the writer(s) / director of the movie had a clear plan. All the things shown to the audience had a clear function, heading toward a great finale.
I understand so many people liked the final episode of LOST. However, I kept watching the series believeing the producers/writers would also have such a meticulous plan for a great finale. I hoped that in the same way Sherlock summarized all the elements so would Jacob or anyone, I hoped for someone to explain some of the mysteries, for the audience to be proven that the writers did not insert details in the series only to leave them and never touch upon them ever again… I just wish they would have had a finale more like the one by Guy Ritchie…..
June 20th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Hi Adrian81,
Thanks for another excellent comment.
I think the debate about the finale, and the significance of Lost overall, will go on for decades. The series is not seamless, does not try to unambiguously answer every question. Charlie posed the question at the end of the pilot: “Where *are* we?” We have received all the information we require after these six years to render our own decision on the meaning of the Island for which Charlie gave his life. We visited the Dharma Initiative starting in Season Two, and intensively in Season Five, and we learned enough to know with some degree of certainty that the writers did not hold science in high esteem. We are to understand that faith is going to win any meaningful struggle with science and technology, that science is impotent in addressing the most pressing matters of human life. Therefore, the scientific answers, the logical answers, the etiologically valid answers, will not be forthcoming. The questions of faith are the ones that were most completely answered. Did Locke die in vain? Absolutely not. Jack became his devoted disciple. What is the meaning of life? To Lost, it is not a struggle of 'good versus evil', but rather the struggle of human civility versus selfishness. Jack represents the best portion, the ideal to which we rate any degree of progress. Rose and Bernard are not the holders of greatest wisdom, but a kind of way station, a place to refresh ourselves before we continue with the struggle, which is the upholding of our humanity, represented by the cuneiform scrawl on the cork stone. Understanding the value of faith versus science is the key to Locke, the key to the finale, the key to Jack's journey.
PM
June 21st, 2010 at 8:53 pm
I am so glad I found your anaylses during season 6, they greatly enriched my enjoyment. I think you are correct in your theory that MIB lied to Jack about leading him to water as Christian in season 1. I think jstephane is onto the clue of Christian's clothing. I believe that when he was wearing his black suit we were seeing a version of the departed Christian Shepherd. I also believe, however, that when he was wearing a striped shirt, i.e. in Jacob's cabin, in the Kehana with Michael, in the cavern of the frozen donkey wheel, he was the MIB. It seems in the cabin and cavern MIBs motivations makes good sense sending Locke on his fatal mission. He was also wearing the striped shirt in the Dharma barracks when he showed Sun the Dharma photo, though I am not sure what the MIBs motivation was in doing this.
Some have pointed to the Kehana appearance as an “off island” appearence and therefor discounted the possibility that it was the MIB since he supposedly cannot travel across water, at least in smoke form. However most of us assume it was he (and not the less likely Widmore team) that killed the Ajira survivors on Hydra island. Also, Jin was transported to the past, even though he was on the Kehana when it blew up, so perhaps the effect of the island, the local neighborhood if you will, is not defined just by the perimeter of where the time displacement effects occur. Just my 2 cents and thanks again.
June 22nd, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Hi Jhoop2000,
Thank you for your kind comments on my essays, and thank you also for contributing the the discussion on Christian and the MIB. I would guess, short of some definitive pronouncement from Darlton, we will never have definitive word on the connections between the two characters. In the end I come back to Ockham's Razor. Some of the appearances of Christian are more interesting if we assume the apparition is due to the Smoke Monster taking on that person's form. Ockham's Razor tells me I must choose the simplest explanation, and in this case simple means Christian Shephard's apparitions are due to Christian Shephard. Since the apparitions often articulate an agenda that has nothing to do with medical matters or concerns directly related to the Shephard family, but very closely aligned with matters of concern to Island inhabitants, I am forced to offer an hypothesis regarding the origin of the apparition's agenda. The simplest conclusion (again using Ockham to guide us) is that Christian represents the Island. Thanks again for your excellent contribution to the discussion!
PM
June 22nd, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Ah, but what do you think Ockham's Razor would say about an apparition changing wardrobe? I believe the simplest explanation is more than one apparition. Again, thanks.
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:15 am
Possibly. Steam, flowing water, and ice covering a lake all seem to be different from each other. An advocate of the position that the three have no relation to each other would point out that each of the three has properties neither of the remaining two can emulate. Ice does not fill a volume of any shape as steam does. Water and ice have quite different densities. One could compile a long and convincing list of the distinct properties of each of these chemical substances. But each is merely a form (or phase, as scientists say) of the substance we call water. Again, Ockham's Razor tells me Christian Shephard is Christian Shephard, even if he decides at some point to don more comfortable clothing.
PM
June 27th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Yes, that's correct, we received a considerable amount of answers and LOST has really coivered a long and ongoing part of the history of this island, I will not argue about that.
The disappointment in my eyes simply lie in the fact that many compelling story plots were put into the series without concept. They seemed to be highly important and when watching them (was I the only one thinking this) I believed there to be a concept behind it only the writers knew and they would reveal those big mysteries in the final season (the best example: Jacob's “Help me” or Christian appearing so many times being a fascinating character. There would be loads of other examples.
Having just watched the latest interview (team Darlton talking about LOST) has actually proven my right: They said they had to leave some storylines in order to continue the series, they had to leave certain (fascinating) elements of the series. This has really shocked me. Even though this was my theorie all along I still had the hope for the writers simply not having put everything into the series but they actually know somek of the combining elements that keep everything together. But the sad truth is: All those insane moments in LOST, where they left the audience wondering, shocked abut reveleations, having them think about what just happened or how this can be explained, these moments were in the show without in-depth consideration, without a complex plan. These were moments without any soul, I'm talking about things like John Locke having seen Walt (taller??) or Aaron being highly important, the super-evil Widmore (just being shot and that was it…), Illana, Dogen being killed of without having been used for anything, the fountain that healed Sayd): The list could be continued… The thing here is simply: What I belived to serve as a tool in order to come to a great finale, bringing together everything they time-jumped to the future not coming back to ANYTHING.
Shall I tell you something? Honestly, YOUR theories and many of MY theries were SOOOOO much better than what they showed us.
Just some exmples: They could have made Aaron man in Black, this would have explained why he had to be raised by his mother. The psychic wanted to prevent this?
The concept of the skeletons being someone we knew (Jack, Kate, anyone more familiar): They timejumped and had to achieve something in the past and died there, thus creating another time-loop.
The alternate timeline (flash-sideways) could have been one created in order to use some of the dead characters and bring them back to the island.
John Locke could have been within the form of MIB, at the end JOHN Locke could have raised within MIB and somehow “killed” MIB.
There could have been a scene like in Harry Potter: We see some of the Losties as really old people, talking about the events on the island. This too would have been a moving finale.
Can you see where I'm heading? I wanted the finale to be something cool, something spectacular, something fascinating. I did NOT want a time jump and a mere “well, there are no answers at all, they simply died, all of them”. Again: The finale was one of the greates cop-outs I've ever seen in TV history…
August 2nd, 2010 at 4:33 pm
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January 2nd, 2011 at 4:07 pm
———-
NOTICE: CORRECTION
On May 23, 2010, during the nationally broadcast “Lost: The Final Journey”, Carleton Cuse, creator and Executive Producer of Lost, made the following statement: “Once [the MIB is] the Smoke Monster, he only can assume the form of dead people on the Island. The Man in Black appeared as Christian Shephard. [Emphasis is mine] He most notably takes the form of John Locke.” This constitutes canonical affirmation of the widely-held theory that at least some of Christian Shephard’s apparitions were due to the Smoke Monster.
A few of my essays on this website state that the Smoke Monster never appeared as Christian Shephard. I regret the error. I am currently correcting those essays that contain the erroneous statement. I thank my colleague NeverStopBeingLost, frequent contributor at major Lost websites, for researching this question.
Pearson Moore
January 1, 2011
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