Themes
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Utopia / Building a Society / Governing
Quote
The term "utopia" is combined from 2 Greek words - "no" (ou) and "place / land" (topos), thus meaning "nowhere" or more literally, "no-place / no-land". The word "utopia" was created to suggest two Greek neologisms simultaneously: outopia (no place) and eutopia (good place). It is usually used negatively to criticise proposals or ideas having or aiming for a level of perfection of utopia which is impossible or very difficult to achieve.
From "Orientation":
Dr Candle on film: "The Dharma Initiative was created in 1970, and it is the brainchild of Gerald and Karen DeGroot -- two doctoral candidates at the University of Michigan. Following in the footsteps of visionaries such as B.F. Skinner [there is a jump cut/splice here] imagined a large scale communal research compound where scientists and free thinkers from around the globe could pursue research in meteorology, psychology, parapsychology, zoology, electromagnetism, and utopian social [splice] Danish industrialist and munitions magnate Alvar Hanso whose financial backing made their dream of a multi-purpose social science research facility a reality."
The islanders very frequently refer to where they are as "the middle of nowhere."
They are provided with basic needs - supplies for shelter, food drops, fresh water source
They are a small microcosm of the world, and a representation of different
Ethnicities/Backgrounds:
(Caucasian) American - Jack, Sawyer, Kate, Locke, Shannon, Boone, Libby, Bernard
(Black) American - Michael, Walt, Rose
(Hispanic) American - Hurley, Ana-Lucia
(Caucasian) British - Charlie
(Caucasian) Australian - Claire
(Black) Nigerian - Mr. Eko
(East Asian) Korean - Jin, Sun
(Arab) Iraqi - Sayid
Careers/Skills:
Jack - Surgeon (medical knowledge, also some leadership skills)
Sawyer - Conman (experienced with firearms, street smarts)
Locke - Regional collections manager for box company, former home inspector and toy store employee (experienced with firearms, outdoorsman, tracker and hunter)
Kate - Fugitive (experienced with firearms, tracker, street smarts)
Shannon - Former dance instructor (speaks French)
Boone - Wedding business manager (athletic, lifeguard skills)
Sayid - Military communications officer (experienced with firearms, outdoorsman, interrogation skills, survival skills, many technical skills)
Mr. Eko - Former drug dealer turned "priest" (religious knowledge, physical strength)
Rose - N/A (religious knowledge, organizational skills, good at comforting people)
Bernard - Dentist (learning organizational skills)
Hurley - Former fast food employee (remembers numbers, good for comic relief, learning fair distribution skills)
Charlie - Rock star (musical skills, good for comic relief)
Claire - Former fast food employee (learning mothering skills)
Michael - Artist and construction (handyman and technical construction skills)
Walt - N/A (possible paranormal or clairevoyant skills)
Jin - Mafia associate, former doorman/waiter (fisherman skills)
Sun - Former student of art history (gardening skills, knowledge of herbal medicine)
The small group is also faced with making decisions on:
Who will lead -
Jack: "How are they, the others?"
Locke: "Thirsty. Hungry. Waiting to be rescued. And they need someone to tell them what to do."
Jack: "Me? I can't."
Locke: "Why can't you?"
Jack: "Because I'm not a leader."
Locke: "And yet they all treat you like one."
Jack: "I don't know how to help them. I'll fail. I don't have what it takes." ("White Rabbit")
Jack: "Everybody wants me to be a leader until I make a decision that they don't like." ("Exodus")
(Jack clearly emerges early as a reluctant leader, but his decisions are challenged by Sawyer, Sayid, Kate and others, especially Locke, with whom there is a growing ideological rift growing)
(Jack later tries to infer how the Others rule their miniature society, and Juliet is frustrated because it is a sore point for her that they are not as egalitarian as she tries to convince Jack:)
Jack: "You work for him?" (refering to Ben)
Juliet: "No, I don't work for him."
Jack: "He's in charge."
Juliet: "It doesn't work like that over here, Jack, we make decisions together."
Jack: "Really, because when I was holding that broken plate at your neck, it seemed happy to just let you die. It seemed like he made that decision on his own."
Juliet: "You don't know what you're talking about. I don't answer to him."
(Ben then bursts in and orders Juliet around, negating what she just said)
How work will be divided up -
Sayid: "We weren't able to send out a call for help. But we're not giving up. If we gather electronic equipment - your cell phones, laptops - I can boost the signal and we can try again, but that may take some time. So for now, we should begin rationing our remaining food. If it rains, we should set up tarps to collect water. I need to organize 3 separate groups. Each group should have a leader. One group for water - I'll organize that. Who's going to organize electronics? You? Rationing food? Okay. And I believe a third group should concern themselves with the construction of..." ("Tabula Rasa")
Jack: "Everyman for himself is not going to work. It's time to start organizing. We need to figure out how we're going to survive here. Now, I found water. Fresh water, up in the valley. I'll take a group in at first light. If you don't want to go come then find another way to contribute. Last week most of us were strangers, but we're all here now. And god knows how long we're going to be here. But if we can't live together, we're going to die alone." ("White Rabbit")
Kate: "Jack told me about your job. At least we have jobs again, right?" (to Hurley, about food distribution)
Hurley: "Hurray for us." ("Everybody Hates Hugo")
How limited resources will be distributed fairly -
Hurley: "People just kind of took what they needed because we were supposed to be rescued, but we weren't."
Charlie: "Even if we divvied it up, split the bottles in half it wouldn't be enough..."
Hurley: "People find out this is all we have left, they're going to freak out, man."
Charlie: "Don't tell the others we're running low. That way you can ration it. Then you can decide what..."
Jack: "I'm not deciding anything."
Sayid: "Is this the last of the camp's water supply?...Keeping it all in one place, foolish."
Locke: "When the others find out the water's gone it's going to get ugly. And when they find out that someone pinched it, it's going to get uglier." ("White Rabbit")
Jack: "It's only a matter of time before we have to tell everyone what we found down here. [To Hurley] So, do you know what to do?"
Hurley: "Inventory all of it, and figure out how we make it last."
Jack: "And in the meantime, nobody gets anything -- no exceptions. That's your responsibility, Hurley, okay?"
Hurley: "Let me tell you something, Rose. We were all fine before we had any [he pulls chips off the shelf] potato chips. But now we've got these potato chips and everybody's going to want them. So Steve gets them, and Charlie's pissed -- but he's not pissed at Steve, he's pissed at me... And I'm going to be in the middle of it. And then it's going to be: well, what about us -- why didn't I get any potato chips? C'mon, help us out, Hurley. Why did you give Kate the shampoo? And why didn't I get the peanut butter? Then, they'll get really mad and start asking: why does Hugo have everything -- why should he get to decide? Then they'll all hate me. I don't know what to do." ("Everybody Hates Hugo")
(Hurley is stressed over how to say no to everyone and be fair, but eventually decides he will give people rations and let it split it up for themselves, and Jack agrees to lay off on the pressure)
How justice will be meted out and what to do with people suspected of being dangerous or breaking the rules -
(Many of the characters endure accusations of having commited "crimes" that they didn't do, including Sawyer, for stealing Shannon's asthma medication; Jin, for burning the raft; Kate, for having poisoned Michael; Locke, for having murdered Boone with intent; Nathan, Jin, Michael and Sawyer, for being OTHERS that are attacking the tail section group; Ana-Lucia, for having murdered Shannon with intent)
Jack: "Yeah, well, where do you think we should put him?"
Sayid: "I say we put him in the armory, secure."
Locke: "Better to err on the side of safety, Jack. At least until we can be sure."...
Locke: "You're raising an army."
Jack: "What?"
Locke: "And why you didn't ask me to help -- well, that's your business -- but there's only one reason to raise an army, Jack. And that's because we're at war. And like it or not, whatever Sayid has to do behind that door [with "The Prisoner"]-- that's a part of it, too."
Jack: "What if he's telling the truth, John?"
Locke: "What if he's not?" ("One of Them")
Many of these same dilemnas and decisions of how to build a fair society are encountered by the rabbit characters of Watership Down, a book read by Sawyer in multiple episodes. These topics are similarly explored in Lord of the Flies, but with darker and more tragic results.
Item Last Updated: April 22, 2006, 01:31:47 PM by Pandora
