Lost (TV series)

:This article is about the drama series, for the reality series, see Lost (reality TV series).

Themes

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There are several recurring themes on Lost, which drive central plot points and the development of the survivors as they try to live on the island.

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Black & White

The colors black and white, which traditionally reflect good or positive forces versus evil or negative forces, have featured a number of times, particularly in regards to John Locke. In "Pilot", Locke shows Walt a black and a white backgammon piece and says "two players, two sides, one is light, one is dark." In "House of the Rising Sun", Jack finds a pouch on a pair of mummified corpses, nicknamed "Adam and Eve" by the survivors, containing one white stone and one black stone, which he then hides from Locke. In the opening sequence of "Raised by Another", Claire has a nightmare in which Locke has one black eyeball and one white eyeball. The black-and-white logo of The Dharma Initiative appears on various surfaces in the hatch compound; the same symbol appears on the labels of all the food in a storage room, and on the tail of a shark that circles Michael and Sawyer.

Related Topics:
Black and white - Pilot - Backgammon - House of the Rising Sun - Adam and Eve - Raised by Another - The Dharma Initiative - On the tail

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Fathers

Most of the major characters have fathers who are or were either absent, reluctant, or destructive. Thus far, the father issues of Locke, Jack, Sawyer and Walt have been the most well explored, with Locke in particular being the victim of a wretched betrayal in "Deus Ex Machina". These characters are not alone, however: Aaron was abandoned by his father (Claire's boyfriend Thomas), Claire's past with her father has been alluded to, Kate's father is possibly dead, Shannon's father is dead, Hurley's father is absent, and Sun's father is a particularly destructive force. In contrast to this prevalence of father issues, the only main character whose father seems to have been a positive force is Jin's. In this instance it was Jin's shame at his father's poverty that led him to tell Sun and others his father was dead. Additionally, though previously absent, Michael is working diligently at being a good father to Walt. Up until now, there has been little to no mention of the fathers of Boone, Sayid, or Charlie.

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The Numbers

The number sequence 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 is a recurring and significant theme. This string of numbers was broadcast from the island's radio transmitter as far back as World War II, and it was this message that drew Rousseau's expedition to the island. Though she later changed the message after the deaths of her team, the numbers had also been heard by others, eventually making their way to Hurley, who used them to win the lottery. However, after his win, a series of misfortunes begin to happen to those around Hurley, leading him to believe the numbers are cursed. His search for answers leads him to Australia and, through the crash, to the island itself, where he ultimately discovers the numbers engraved on the hatch. These six numbers are not the only ones with significance: when the survivors descend into the hatch, the sum of these six numbers, 108, appears as well, as does one instance of 540, which is 108 x 5. Significantly, these numbers frequently appear individually throughout the lives of the survivors, both before and after the crash. The numbers also appear as the code for the computer inside the hatch, as well as their sum being what the timer counts down from.

Related Topics:
4 - 8 - 15 - 16 - 23 - 42 - Broadcast - World War II - 108

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Redemption

Some of the characters in one way or another are finding redemption and second chances as a result of being on the island. This refers to Kate most of all (given her past), but it can also refer to Charlie, Jin, Sun, Claire, Sawyer, Shannon and Walt. Locke, who has been given an amazing second chance of his own, seems to be the one who is drawing everyone else into this theme. This can also refer to the title, giving it a double meaning of people being 'lost' or 'adrift' in life, but finding themselves and getting a chance to make things right on the island.

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Philosophy

John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, for whom the characters John Locke and Danielle Rousseau are named, were both famous social contract philosophers who dealt with the relationship between nature and civilization. Locke believed that all men were born with a "clean slate" (Tabula Rasa). This idea suggests that the island serves as a second chance for those on it (Locke gains use of his legs, Kate gains her freedom, Michael mends his relationship with Walt, etc.). This idea of being "born again" could be alluding to a Christian theme as hinted on in various episodes. John Locke also proposed the following criterion concerning personal identity: "If you remember thinking something in the past, then you are the same person as he or she who did the thinking." Another point of his was that in the state of nature, all men had equal right to punish transgressors;to ensure fair judgment for all, governments were formed to better administrate the laws. Rousseau, on the other hand, argued that man was born weak and ignorant, but virtuous. Only after man develops society does he become wicked. These beliefs of Rousseau led him to create the theory of a Noble Savage. The theory said that a savage raised in the wilds was purer than a man raised amongst civilization. This evidently relates to Danielle's character as a sort of savage living alone in the wild. This is paralleled by the characters on Lost: Locke embraces both nature and the need for organization among the survivors, while Rousseau prefers nature and appears to abhor joining the survivors in their village.

Related Topics:
John Locke - Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Tabula Rasa - Christian - Noble Savage

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