(Group 1) “Do No Harm”: Conveyances—Moving from one stage to the next
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By jazprof
- (Group 1) “Do No Harm”: Conveyances—Moving from one stage to the next
- Created: Aug 10, 2007
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 3.22: Through The Looking Glass
- Status: Current
- Flag this theory:
Jack & Claire — stubborness apparently passed on through the father’s line?
— jazprof
Frankly I wasn’t sure I was going to have much to say about this ep. other than how upsetting I find it. So I was thinking about that and realizing that what is so upsetting is the juxtaposition of Boone dying with all the other transitions—and that existential realization that life goes on without us. That got me focussed on the idea of mobility—of moving from one state to another—and I decided to use the word “conveyance” because it’s not just about people moving from one state to another, but also about someone helping them make that journey (the “Ferryman” — Charon conveying people from life to death—this might somehow fit with Prof’s ferryman theory: http://lost-theories.com/theories/2007/jun/29/ferryman-theory/). I also like the word “convey” cause of the meaning to convey information, and I noticed how Jin, even though he can’t literally understand is still able to convey both information and comfort to others.
Jack & Claire — stubborness apparently passed on through the father’s line?: I know we’ve referred to Jack as the “fixer”—I was thinking another meaning of “fixed” is remaining in place and both Jack & Claire resisted transitions in this episode. Claire does so because of her mixed feelings about the baby. Kate asks her “Do you WANT this baby?” — desire is the force behind transition? Does Jack want to remain fixed because he also has mixed feelings? In the flashback that seems to be the case. He worries that he is marrying Sarah partly because he saved her life. He wants his desire to be pure?
Jack is 0- the universal donor. He wants to only give and never receive? Never be in someone else’s debt? Maybe that is what he gives in to when he says to Sarah that she fixed him—she gave him something. Jack definitely has a hard time believing anyone else can help Boone—we see that in his interactions with Sun.
Jack is fixed in his view of Sawyer—he tells Kate to ransack the tent for alcohol. She asks Sawyer instead—he gives her everything he has and asks if she needs anything else.
Jack says “Dont tell me what I can’t do”—both Jack and Locke (lock) too rigid in their positions at times.
Jack & Sarah play “Heart & Soul”—she takes the “easy” part. Is the easy part the “heart” (which she mentions in her vows)? Does this also refer to Boone—dying from bleeding to death? Jack was able to save Sarah—her wound in her spinal column—in some eastern religions this is where the spirit is based (soul?). Can’t save the person who is bleeding to death.
Other things regarding mobility/transition: Boone’s wound is to his leg. Work on the raft. Sawyer calls Jin “Kato” (the Green Hornet’s chauffeur). Sawyer says if he was Jin he would swim off the island. Sarah injured in a car accident. Kate falls running back with the bottles.
Shannon says “I don’t want to go back.” A little later Sayid says about what might happen between them that he has “Hopes, not expectations”—I guess one thing I’d say about that last statement is that an expectation seems more fixed, whereas a hope is about desire.
A final question: Why does Locke feel the need to keep the hatch and plane secret?
Key characters
| Short Name | Full Name | Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone | Boone Carlyle | 1.13 | 164 |
| Claire | Claire Littleton | 2.15, 2.12, 1.10, 1.15, 1.21, 3.12 | 384 |
| Jack | Jack Shephard | 1.1, 1.5, 2.11, 1.11, 1.16, 1.20, 3.9, 3.22, 3.1, 4.10, 4.12, & 3” href=”/episodes/theres-no-place-home-parts-2-3/”>4.13 | 1451 |
| Sarah | Sarah Shephard | 106 |
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.20 | Do No Harm | 4-6-2005 | Jack | 70 |
Locke keeping the hatch a secret … I’ve wondered about that too…Could it be something close to self-preservation? I mean, we see locke spending LOTS of time in the jungle and living away from the others, perhaps he saw it as a place/thing that he could make is own or somehow utilize to make living by himself a bit better/easier? Something set apart from the other Losties? By this point, he’s already realized that he wants to stay on the island, and he knows that the majority of people on the beach are still waiting to get rescued… this could be his new home or solid place to hide? Or the other possibility that I thought of (Although I don’t agree with it) is that could he be harboring some selfish thoughts of becoming the leader? And fully investigating the hatch and its purpose and where it goes could be information he was planning on using to present to the beach people to try and take some of the power away from Jack?
Great observations, jaz.
John later seems to suggest that he wanted to know what they were dealing with (in terms of the hatch) before cluing everyone else in.
Very nice jaz.
One thing that kind of struck me was Jack playing piano and the fact that a piano has black and white keys.
Jaz: I can’t match you for detecting the symbolism. I came away from this episode with a far greater respect for Jack than ever before. When Boone is injured, he leaps into crisis mode while everyone else is paralyzed. Kate just can’t believe he has the ability to punture Boone to re-expand his lung. Jack has confidence supreme in his ability, but its not a God complex. He is the ultimate healer, totally “committed” to the challenge before him.
Jack as leader: knows what chess piece to use depending on the situation: go to Sawyer for alchohol, get me Michael to help cut off the leg, use Kate to deliver the baby, use Charlie as the messenger (fleet footed Hermes?), send Hurley for xx, keep Sun as assitant nurse.
Jack still man of science/technology frustrated by lack of proper equipment vs Jin’s herbal naturalistic remedies: sea urchin solves problem of needle, stick solves problem of no anesthesia. But he has great difficulty in acknowloging Sun’s ability to help. Typical man, but our fearless leader is, we should remember, still human
Why is Jin the only one to hear Kate calling for help? I think its to set him up for later to appreciate the birth of his child with Sun. But also drives home the point that some events are universal; the birth of a child brings everyone together, whether you speak the language or not.
Irony: Shannon getting intimate (starting her new life) with Sayid while Boone is dying.
Jack as HERO. Universal donor. He can fix anything, anyone and is willing to give up his own blood to do it. Like him or not, Jack is the incredible stud doctor! He makes a triage crisis decision: blood vs baby and knows that babies have been born in worse conditions and will probably make it, but a matter of blood requires his unique skill set.
Sarah wearing #44 in her jamies. NOT one of the numbers meaning she’s not part of the synchonicity? Not part of the future?
Jack asks for guidance from his father - even though they butt heads on many occassions. Funny how Christian is a good father here. Did you catch Carlton Cruse sitting behind Christian at the wedding?
Jack tormented (we can tell his love for Sara is forced; based on the wrong things) but he wants to do the right thing. He’s noble in that way, kind of a throwback to Aurthurian times.
Jack is the one who also delivers the bad news not asking anyone else to take on that horrible task.
And at the end, when Jack has done everything he can for the tribe, given his blood, all his skill, all he knows, everything and goes off like a lonely leader, who comes to his aid? Kate. She is his soul mate. I wanted a more tender scene there, but Jack has to be the leader again and avenge Boone’s death. Look out Locke!
…correction: Sun’s naturalistic herbal remedies
Thanks for positive comments and great additional thoughts.
Stip, excellent & sensitive reading of Jack’s character. I think you’re probably more in tune with him than I am. I think you are right to describe him as acting nobly. I like the way that that nobility is both what makes him heroic and is his major flaw. I think he will be a tragic hero—or that’s the direction I see him going at this point.
Yeah, I like what you said about Jin. It was a great contrast to “In translation.” Maybe there’s a contrast between connecting through emotion and forcing a connection because you are trying to do the right thing?
That role for Charlie as messenger is very fitting given his ultimate role to deliver the message to Des—”Not Penny’s Ship.”
Symbolism detection—I bought the special add-on attachment feature for the headband.
jazzie: This is exactly what I love about this site! You are very astute with your observations, so is kat, Prof, Stip and others. I continue to learn every time I read any of your theories, and the brilliant comments that go with them!
Nobody, does it better than you guys!
Whoa… awesome comment, Stip… well done…
Stip: You must work on a theory, for us. I really hate writing them, but I sure do love reading them and commenting on them.
Thanks Prof. We make a good team, all of us.
Yeah—we’re completmentarians (and complimentarians) :-)
Dab, I do love writing theories, but the board is already so overly crowded (there has to be a way we can clean it up, put more theories into sub-categories, etc). Secondly, every subject has been picked apart to ad nauseum. I’m content to post comments and get engaged in point-counterpoint debate.
Having said that, there might be occasions where I feel the need to bare my soul again like I did with “We live two lives.” I have a lot to say (don’t all writers?), but its not always relevant to Lost. But now that I think about it, there’s not too many things that CAN’T be related back to Lost!
Kat: thank you, I’m world reknown (sp?) for my freakin crap ;-)
But your point about Jack’s comment about Sara: “Is she happy?” I rest my case. Is he noble and righteous or what. King Arthur ain’t got nothing on St.Jack. Here’s Jack, in deep shi-, confined, not in control, helpless… and that’s where his heart is? Man, I’d want to be PaintGirl after that remark!
But using Juliet…well, that’s just so brilliantly Ben, you rock sistah.
(sigh)…I know!!!! It’s “Jack moments” like that just melt my heart…. He’s always thinking of others! And what a man of integrity!! Jack is the Best!
Stip: I hear what you’re saying, but I do love reading your theories.
Well, then maybe I’ll just dig up a previous stream of consciousness I’ve written for a different occassion and run it through the 7 plane filter, sorry 8, forgot about the aquatic plane, and let you people take a whack at it!
Great comments!!! As much as i hate to say it, but i’m with jazprof on Jack being set up as a tragic hero in the end.
@KB: I agree, unfortunately, because I like Jack a lot, that Jaz may have him pegged.
I agree with jaz’s observations, but isn’t Sayid a pretty noble guy as well? No one likes Shannon, and yet he goes out of his way to show her kindness and make her feel like she matters. He’s got a streak of nobility in him our Sayid.
Art, Sayid may have shown some kindness to Shannon, but don’t think it was all out of chivalrous intent. He was after her. And I’m not running him down, but I don’t believe he was pure as the driven snow as people in my neck of the woods like to say.
Nothing wrong with that. If an attraction develops, it develops. He could have forced her, but he didn’t. He acted honorably. “I had hopes, not expectations” - tell me a girl that wouldn’t go for that line.
I had hopes, not expectations, Nice. Got that freckles.
I agree with Arthur and with kat. To me it’s not a “line” if he’s telling the truth, and a man who says that sincerely…again I’ll just agree with kat.
Art, I do see Sayid as noble as well, but perhaps a noble soldier rather than a noble king (Jack), as for example at the end of last season when he tells Jack that he’s willing to sacrifice himself if Jack pledges to lead the others off the island.
In their interactions with women, I would definitely favor Sayid. In some other comment I think I said that when I was watching Season 1 for the first time I kind of hoped something would develop between Sayid and Kate because Sayid treated her (at least in the first several episodes) as potentially just as much the camp leader as Jack. And with Shannon, he really helps her see herself as more than just the blonde bimbo. Jack I find to be overprotective and thus controlling of the women generally—especially Kate, but also Claire. And in fact the way he reads Claire stereotypically as the “hysterical” woman who needs to be medicated (eeeeesh!), well that was certainly pointed to as a mistake.