Flocke’s growing pains
i was reading kimberly’s post about kate and locke’s conversation and she had the convo quoted in there and while locke is talking about his crazy mom he says “i still have some growing pains i’m working through” or something along those lines. now i know i have been saying that locke was just making shit up about his crazy mother to get at kate’s soft spot and get her on his side. but just for this theory’s sake let’s say i am wrong and smoky really had a crazy mother and now he has problems he needs to work out, which finally leads me to my theory:
THE WRITERS LIED TO US AGAIN! they said the island isn’t purgatory, even thou we have all been saying that it is from season 1! but think about it, whoever came to terms with their issues “died” or technically they are all dead already so they passed on to the next heaven/hell place. smoky is still working out his problems, for years and years and he hasnt gotten through them yet so he cant get off the island, but he desperately wants to, so when he comes to terms with his problems is when he will be able to leave.
i realize the purgatory thing doesnt work with them coming back off the island and all these people coming and going, but who is to say that the world they come to is “our universe” maybe it’s like a parallel universe full of people who got stuck in limbo? (ok totally kidding with that one)
Oh no, you said the “P” word. 😉 But, I totally understand what you are saying and where you are coming from…
I don’t think the island is purgatory, but what I do believe is that like purgatory the island is a liminal place. It’s a threshold of sorts that is betwixt and between two possible realities. It’s a place where new perspectives can be gained and realized. A place where if left too long, one is at risk of becoming permanently liminal and trapped forever. That is unless you are able to find a loophole and a way out. 🙂 It’s also a place were liminal beings can be considered neither dead nor alive. I thought it was funny that Hurley asked Richard if he was a Cyborg. Cyborgs are considered liminal beings…
So, I think I am actually saying the same thing as you, but without calling the island purgatory…
I agree, obsessedWlost, the island definitely exhibits signs of purgatory. And by that I mean “purgatory” with a lower case “p,” defined as a place of temporary suffering, or expiatory purification, cleansing and atonement for sins or transgressions. Redemption. It’s all over this season–having the free will to make up for hurtful acts you’ve committed against other human beings. I think that Jacob, while not totally good or evil, exemplifies that part of us as humans that can choose to change our ways to become better persons. MIB is the fatalist who says that no matter what, people will always be corrupted, and can never be redeemed.
So we can still look at the island generically as purgatory, not Purgatory, the specific place in Roman Catholic canon, and not offend anyone who doesn’t believe in a specific organized religion.
I had the idea of purgatory in my head agessss ago.. It makes the most sense.. But that is really heavy on one religion and could piss a lot of people off.
Where as they use a lot of different religions in the show, they never really ‘greatly’ focus on one. So for that reason, im inclined to think its something else..
Or maybe they’ll think ‘HAHAHA i dont give a crap, its not like you have to come back and watch it again’ and go with that idea lol
But good thoughts anyway
yeah i didnt mean purgatory in the sense of coming directly from catholicism, but just in a sense of just like a limbo place between being alive and dead, to face your life’s sins or whatever you want to call them, kinda like a review before you advance to the next level.
I see what you mean there, OBSESSED. Definitely not an entirely new concept… but I think we all dread any kind of purgatory/Purgatory associated with this show, though the island has all the trappings of a kind of purgatory so the theme is worth revisiting, especially as we start to see the alternate timelines comparing with the regular one this season.
But yes, the writers do lie (let’s say that oft-repeated evidence together now: “No time travel?”).
I think I have always enjoyed the idea of a purgatory, albeit a more advanced one and one that entails something far more important is in store for our Losties (not just a run-of-the-mill purgatory for any human/group of humans who die unexpectedly).
As IMISSCHARLIE points out the major motif of the show REDEMPTION… can’t help but hope for all our Losties to redeem themselves and prevail over their evils. And as ELSEWHERE pointed out, the idea of being trapped forevermore until a loophole is found…
Ok i cant believe the purgatory idea for one reason and one reason alone…
They said it would never happen. If it does happen that that means they lied (again) and so if they did lie and this happened.. That would bring us one step closer to the aliens happening :(!
i cannot have that possibility in my head! It frightens me to death!! haha