John Locke (Lost)

John Locke is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost. In the first three episodes Locke was largely a background character, but with the fourth episode "Walkabout," which revealed his past, he became one of the most prominent. He is played by Terry O'Quinn, who had previously worked with co-creator and executive producer J.J. Abrams as a recurring actor on Alias.

Themes

;Games: Locke is frequently connected with games. He teaches and plays backgammon with Walt, demonstrates Mouse Trap to a child in a flashback scene in "Deus Ex Machina", and plays Risk with a co-worker in "Walkabout". In "Exodus, Part 2" while handling dynamite, Locke asks Jack if he ever played Operation, joking that he "always got nailed by the funny bone" then proceeds to make a buzzing sound while lifting one of the fragile explosives. A startled Jack questions, "Do you like to play games, John?" To which Locke smiles, "Absolutely."

Related Topics:
Backgammon - Mouse Trap - Deus Ex Machina - Risk - Walkabout - Exodus, Part 2 - Operation - Funny bone

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;Philosophy: John Locke, after whom the character John Locke is named, was a famous social contract philosopher who dealt with the relationship between nature and civilization. Similarly, on the show, Locke's father is revealed to be Anthony Cooper, named for Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper who was the real world John Locke's political mentor and patron. Locke believed that, in the state of nature, all men had equal rights to punish transgressors; to ensure fair judgment for all, governments were formed to better administrate the laws. This philosophy is paralleled by the character of Locke, who embraces both nature and the need for organization among the survivors.

Related Topics:
John Locke - Anthony Ashley Cooper

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