(Group 1: “I Do”) Doors, Boxes & Hope
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By jazprof
- (Group 1: “I Do”) Doors, Boxes & Hope
- Created: Dec 26, 2007
- Last updated: Aug 13, 2008
- After episode: 3.22: Through The Looking Glass
- Status: Current
- Flag this theory:
I associate her opening the box here with Pandora’s box, the veil symbolizing her hope that she can escape her past in her marriage to Kevin, but also symbolizing that she can only do so by remaining veiled (as Monica) which of course shows that she can’t really escape at all.
— jazprof
Not really sure if I have something which ties this all together. I’m free associating a bit today (I blame the post- holiday, over-stuffed, grogginess, or grog, or sumthin’). But anyways I think I can see some connections around the theme of escape/imprisonment and relatedly open/closed doors and boxes.
In the flashback opening, Kate opens a box that contains her wedding veil. Because the idea of hope comes up specifically in Kate’s present relationship with Jack and with Sawyer, I associate her opening the box here with Pandora’s box. The veil symbolizes her hope that she can escape her past in her marriage to Kevin, but also that she can only do so by remaining veiled (as Monica) which of course shows that she can’t really escape at all. The veil (marriage) can only be another imprisonment. All of the above also gets encapsulated by the fact that Kate seems nervous at first when Kevin comes to the door (she still fears being apprehended)—she escapes the fear because it turns out that this prisoner/cop exchange is just sexual play but the escape is only momentary (returning with the other policeman—Mars). (I think this also foreshadows the meaning of Kate’s having sex with Sawyer in this episode—that is a sexual encounter as a temporary escape—a similarity drawn attention to by Kevin’s somewhat similar looks and accent)
The imprisoning nature of the veil is also drawn attention to by the way in which it is juxtaposed with Kate being hooded when she is led in to see Jack. Immediately before this we see the flashback scene of the marriage ceremony, the lifting of the veil, and the priest remarking that Kevin has said of “Monica” that “What you see is what you get.” Then in the present Kate is brought before Jack hooded—I was thinking it’s an inverse wedding because Kate comes to ask him to vow to do something based on her feelings for Sawyer, and it drives Jack away from Kate. Earlier when he said that he won’t do the surgery he expresses his skepticism about the deal by saying “And then I’m just going to HOPE you let me go…” After this confrontation with Kate, and then later seeing Kate and Sawyer embracing post-coitally—I don’t think Jack gains hope—it seems more like he is desperate to get away from Kate and the supposed knowledge that she doesn’t love him. So he agrees to do the surgery based on a complete loss of hope (that Kate would every love him)—and that seems to return him to his old behavior—fixing things, rescuing others, and also to Kate’s old behavior (yelling at her to “RUN” at the end of this episode.)
The way hope plays into Kate and Sawyer falling into each other’s arms (sex? love-making?—just not sure) is first, that she kisses him when he confesses that he has been keeping the fact that the island is inescapable from her “Cause I wanted you to believe we had a goddamn chance”—OK, I think she does love him at that moment because he’s been doing all he can to give her hope—something she’s never really had. And I think her making love to him is also a way to try to give some of that hope back. (Note, I think there may be a pun on Sawyer asking at the beginning of the episode if Kate is trying to make him feel productive—by trying to make him feel productive-hopeful-has she made him/them reproductive?) Again though I don’t see it as clear-cut because Kate is still herself veiled/imprisoned so I don’t know if she really has that gift of hope to give. That’s also suggested by the juxtaposition of the flashback in which Kevin asks “What’s wrong” and Kate replies “Nothing, I just love you so much” (she uses “love” as a mask in that scene) with Sawyer asking whether she really meant it when she said she loved him. I think the kiss there is a distraction away from the fact that she can’t say it.
And all of the above reminds me of how often Kate uses “drugging” men to accomplish goals—her father, Jack (to get him to sleep), Jin (so she could take his place on the boat) and Kevin.
My other drug connection (ahem) on the episode is to what Ben says before becoming unconscious during his surgery—he says “see you on the other side”—same thing Cooper said before surgery and Dave said before falling off the cliff. I was thinking about how going from one side to the other—as in on and off the island—also seems to have to do with unconsciousness (Juliet being drugged, Jack’s black-out, Desmond’s flash to the past?). And then the line from the Doors song came into my head: “break on through to the other side.” That led to several connections—the name of the group is an allusion to Aldous Huxley’s “The Doors of Perception” which is about his experimentation with mescaline (Huxley a fellow experimenter with “altered” realities through drugs with the actual Dr. Richard Alpert). And Huxley’s title is a reference to William Blake’s poem “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” which overall is about Blake’s idea that the dualism of body/soul, good/evil is a false one. The particular quotation on which Huxley’s title is based is “If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is: infinite.” Certainly the idea of trying to open doors of perception seems very relevant—I wonder if opening the doors to the infinite might turn out to be a very unwise thing to do though. [Other Huxley references—”Brave New World” (genetic manipulation); “The Island” (utopian community—Pala—the Pala Ferry)]
Another connection to Kate and to the idea that body/soul might be a false duality is that when she calls Ed Mars to ask if he will leave her alone, Mars mentions that it is the Feast of the Assumption (Mary taken to heaven without having her soul leave her body). The allusion to the Virign Mary also ties into Kate needing hope and asking for mercy (mercy/justice division from last Group1).
A few more random notes
Hope again? Locke’s decision not to take Eko’s body back to camp because they’ve gone through too many funerals. “Lift up your eyes…” besides the directional clue, could also mean be hopeful.
Kevin investigating a Tampa fugitive on the computer—Sawyer? The Tampa job?
Juliet tells Pickett they are going to have to move the construction schedule up after Ben finds out that he has only a week to get the surgery done. Ben had told Kate that the next two weeks of her life would be difficult. They are working on a landing strip—so does this have something to do with a fall back plan in case Jack wouldn’t do the surgery? Some other means of getting a spinal surgeon to the island? And why would they need a landing strip when they have the sub?
Pickett waits until Ben is unconscious and then decides to go off to kill Sawyer saying “Shepherd wasn’t on Jacob’s list”—suggests a division in leadership, and Ben preventing some faction from killing Sawyer (in order to use Kate/Sawyer as bait for the surgery).
Alex uses a sling-shot. Ethan and Tom used slings. Slings are ancient weapons often used by shepherds (David and Goliath). A sling-shot though is a modern instrument as it requires rubber. A trebuchet is a giant sling.
Sayid just found out about Smokie in this episode? That seemed odd.
Key characters
| Short Name | Full Name | Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben | Benjamin Linus | 3.20, 4.9, & 3” href=”/episodes/theres-no-place-home-parts-2-3/”>4.13 | 1712 |
| 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 |
| Kate | Katherine “Kate” Austen | 3.6, 1.2, 1.3, 2.9, 1.12, 1.16, 1.22, 3.15, 4.4, 4.12 | 711 |
| Sawyer | James “Sawyer” Ford | 3.4, 2.3, 2.6, 2.13, 1.16, 3.10 | 451 |
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6 | I Do | 11-8-2006 | Kate | 80 |
Interesting connections. I bet you’re right about Sawyer being the fugitive Kevin was looking for in the Tampa job.
Interesting analysis jaz. I think the wedding veil scene being combined with the scene where Kate has the bag placed over her head to go see Jack was great. I just have to say though, that I was really annoyed with Jacks attitude in that scene. He almost immediately started accusing her of cutting deals with the enemy for her own ends, and had no compassion. To be honest, the first time I watched the episode, I believed Jack was onto Bens manipulations and was acting out the scenes the way he thought Ben would expect them to play out. I thought that when he saw Kate and Sawyer on the monitor, he was surprised and then I thought there was acceptance; that Jack had turned a corner in his personal development and had the peace of seeing the woman he apparently loves (even though he still cries over Sarah ever so often), with someone that he knows loves her. He wanted the peace of mind of knowing who Sarah was with and in this situation with Kate he was given that information. However with hindsight, I think you are totally right about Jack losing hope.
I love the awesome Break on through to the other side connections, and I also believe that Sawyers Tampa job is the same as the one talked about in this episode.
Kates husband was quite the guy, I think its a shame Kate didnt tell him the truth,maybe he would have loved her anyway, but Kate doesnt think anyone could love her if they really know her.(my 2 cents worth:) and +1
Very, very cool connections—cool-kat :-)
The stuff about veils—curtains—the Ark of the Covenant (does God see the island or not? the importance of transition from immanent gods—idols—the statue, to a more transcendent unrepresentable God?).
And necklaces reminds me that there’s another necklace in the episode—Yemi’s crucifix which Locke takes from Eko’s body. I don’t know if there’s been any indication that Locke is currently wearing it.
Hoods—they make complete sense symbolically. Do they make sense literally? Is there anything they really shouldn’t be seeing?
Curtains—hey kat-talented—you realize you made another connection (besides the drug one) to two main parts of what I posted? Break on through to the other side—by drawing the curtain? And then of course there’s The Man Behind the Curtain (to whom we pay very much attention :-)
Heh, just picturing Ben twirling a long mustache and saying “Curtains, foiled again.” :-) Except, of course, that he’s the good guy.
Smokie could be said to be another curtain or veil, but also seems to be a means of drawing the curtain between past and present.
Had a quick look at that site, kat, and one thing that drew my attention was the description of how humans once saw everything (Blake—the infinite) but spiralled (!) down to a lower level of consciousness—a lower frequency. Good Vibrations? Is there something about the Island actually being on a different frequency, or being veiled by vibrations? I seem to remember reading something about an idea for a cloaking device on that principle. The author also uses the metaphor of a parachutist to describe going from one level of consciousness to another.
And Good Vibrations just reminds me that in replying to Y2’s name post I was wondering if Charlie might be a reference to Charles Peirce—because of the connection to semiotics and also Peirce’s emphasis on the role of chance even in scientific prediction.
A further thought about hooding—the Others—and Ben in particular. I wonder if I’ve been putting too much emphasis on the hooding as a way to keep someone from seeing someone, rather than on the act of taking the hood off and revealing something? Much like Ben’s overall strategy of getting them to want to do something, is the hooding a kind of behavior modification not to decieve them but to get them to open their eyes?
In particular I was thinking of the two statements Ben makes about whether God sees or doesn’t see the island. He says God doesn’t see the island to Locke—the believer; he implies that God does see the island to Jack the non-believer. In both cases trying to get them to see things from the other side?
sorry that should say “to keep someone from seeing something”
Gosh I seem to be posting more comments than anyone—that can’t be good! Sorry…things just keeping popping into my head.
That line from Blake about when the doors of perception are cleansed humanity will access the infinite—just thinking I wonder if that’s what happened in the “Incident”—did Dharma open a door they shouldn’t have? (Also a Pandora’s box reference.) Then entering the numbers, and Desmond turning the failsafe key—attempts to put a lid on it? (As in a concrete pour—Chernobyl)
OR…the hooding could symbolize the need to cultivate a sense of detachment as has also been hinted at in the many near suicides (Locke, Des, Jack, figuratively Sawyer)…sort of like Luke training to use the light saber with the blast shield up :-)
Certainly Jack’s detachment from Kate is one result in this episode.
OK, I will now try sitting on my hands and see if that helps ;-)
Very interesting that Kate is the source of many druggings. There is definitely some significance to being unconcious and being transported to the island. Could this lend credence to the theory that Kate is somehow “in on it”, being that she is the drug-er and not the drug-ee? This also again brings up the question of why she is the only one that claims to remember the crash. Is she lying or does this suggest something else. Good post none the less! +1 and all that!
Jazzie, You have drawn some amazing parallels here. I particularly like the “Doors of Perception”, and definitely feel there is a connection here. The quote by Huxley, that “If the doors of perception were cleansed, than everything would appear to man as it is: infinite”, has to have some bearing on the story, overall.
I always was under the impression that Jack would never have agreed to do the surgery, because I see him as being extremely stubborn. I think the fact that he did so, was because Kate told him “they were going to kill Sawyer”, and when he saw the two of them being intimate together, it was a sacrifice of love. Love for Kate. A supreme act of self sacrifice and unconditional love.
Brilliant observations as usual! +1
Heya my jac’kat-ted seester,
O man, thanks for bringing up that awesome theory again. So good to reread :-)
Well I’m sure you won’t be surprised to find I have thought of a way in which both theories are right :-)
Think of the numbers as a key—so a key can both unlock something and lock it back up again, yeah? And the lines you quoted in that theory: Lenny saying “It doesn’t stop.” That would certainly fit with that Blake quotation. The numbers were how they opened the door to the infinite—and then reentering the numbers was a way to try to close it back up again.
Falls: (eventually ties back to numbers): You mentioned all the falls associated with Hurley, and the falls as fate. It occurs to me that in almost all of Hurley’s falls someone is killed (with the exception of his mother falling off the curb)—including the fall from the sky of the meteorite (falling star/shooting star—hey it’s the Ben thread ;-). But when the plane falls from the sky it’s more like the temptation given to Jesus—to have the Angels catch him. Then there are more falls like that on the island—Jack falling but saved by Locke. Locke falling but not dying—saved by Walt. (Again Boone is the exception.) Desmond brought the plane down when he delayed entering the numbers—did getting to the numbers in time do something to prevent what fate should have brought about—that is everyone dying? Des as the wildcard—a force for fate and for changing fate. He falls down ladders, but he also “lifts it up.” And going back to your theory for a sec—the other person who notably lifts things up is Danielle.
Hooding: was also reminded in that post of thinking about Des having already been underground and unconscious, so now ready to enter into the stage in which the hero changes destiny. Hooding also symbolizing unconsciousness?
Dabbie, I like what you said about Jack’s sacrifice. It’s a more positive way of looking at what might be a stage in his detachment? I wonder also again if the mistake he made which has led to where he is in the FF is connected to his attachment for Kate and doing something to get her off the island which has messed everything up.
Dang… you guys are awesome.
or possibly an android…let’s offer him a donut and see what happens…
Late in the day, maybe, but just a comment to note I came and I saw. I thought it was, you know, OK.
:o)
I thought Kate’s having sex with Sawyer was a kind of pity gesture (she thought he was a dead man) and a means of finding out for herself what she had been wondering about for some time (if he really was the man for her). When he managed to not die it was kind of awkward between them… like the morning after a one night stand when the other person wants to hang around for breakfast.
Pandora’s box is something that has been on my mind since Leonard told Hurley that by using the numbers he had opened the box. In this case it seems that it litterally released all evils, so the analogy with the numbers being a key to Pandora’s box is pretty good. It also makes sense since the numbers are somehow linked to a series of things leading to the end of the world. The power of the numbers explains why they must remain secret and therefore why working on them must be done in complete isolation.
Also, references to boxes are all too common in LOST. Hurley owns a box company where Locke works (supervisor for the box company, so he knows boxes inside and out!! Is he the one to reopen the box and let hope be released in the world); Leonard talks about opening the box; Ben describes a magic box, etc.