(Group1: “A Tale of Two Cities”)—Metafears
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By jazprof
- (Group1: “A Tale of Two Cities”)—Metafears
- Created: Nov 29, 2007
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 3.22: Through The Looking Glass
- Status: Current
- Flag this theory:
In the episode the main thing I see as the source of fear, and of attempts at control are female sexuality.
— jazprof
For some reason I’m noticing both verbal and visual puns in this episode (though I’m no clear on how they are all related)—Maybe moreso than usual because of that conversation about “Carrie” at the beginning in which Adam claims that “Carrie” isn’t literature because it has no metaphors—It’s “by the numbers religious hocum-pocum…science fiction.”
That is such an odd description to me because when something is metaphoric rather than literal it means there are at least two levels of meaning going on, and in everything else Adam then lists (with the exception of numbers)—there are also at least two levels of meaning: religion, magic, and science fiction. I also think that the more usual expression is “by the book” rather than “by the numbers”—so overall a theme I see is the attempt to control things by fixing their value (numbers, the Valenzetti equation), whereas the reality is that things are not so easily controlled or defined.
In the episode the main thing I see as the source of fear, and of attempts at control are female sexuality. Jack’s obsessive need to know his ex-wife’s new lover—to know his name—for example. It makes me think about the whole symbolism of women taking men’s last names in marriage—a symbolic pledge of ownership of the womean’s sexuality—specifically that the children she bears will have his last name and therefore be his. But actually there the man’s last name is only a metaphor. Other signs of Jack’s possessiveness—his claim to be a Repo-man. The fact that Juliet tells him to let go of the chain. The fact that his father repeatedly tells him to let it go.
The two visual puns I also saw connected to female sexuality—birth in particular. First, Juliet leaves the muffins in the oven too long and they burn. A bun in the oven? Gestational time gone awry? And second—Jack’s escape attempt. The water breaks—Juliet slugs him and then pulls him out…birthing him. And of course “Carrie” is all about female sexuality as horror show—the onset of menses tied to her telekinetic and murderous power. Interestingly the novel ends with Carrie’s last telekinetic act being to cause another girl to miscarry. (Another pun.) Ben finds “Carrie” depressing—one of the many people who dies is the school principal “Henry Grayle.”
Generally it makes me think that Ben is trying to control reproduction and that eventually that attempt to define and control female sexuality is going to blow up in his face. Another element here—that odd romance scene between Ben and Kate on the beach. Seemed to me there that the behavior technique they are trying on Kate is to make her as girly as possible—rob her of her tom-boyishness. The handcuffs—wedding ring? (OK before someone throws something at me…wedding rings actually do come down historically as symbols of male ownership of women.) Also the locker that has the dress for Kate says “Wear This”—Alice in Wonderland. I have read theories that suggest that Alice’s growing and shrinking in the novel has to do with fears of girls growing up—becoming women—becoming sexual.
Other thoughts about the episode:
While the behvioral experiment aimed at Kate and Jack both seem to be gender related—the one aimed at Sawyer treats him as isolated and as an animal.
Goodwin and Ethan being sent to the two halves of the plane—two of the three fertility doctors—why them?
The white bird flying up and to the left as the camera pulls away showing the Other’s camp—Noah’s Ark?, Jesus’s baptism?
Karl picks the lock to get out of the cage—Kate just climbs out. Was Karl just not smart enough to figure that out?
Music that plays when Kate is being brought in and we see Sawyer in the cage—definitely a riff on Planet of the Apes.
Jack’s relationship to his Dad—his need to be possessive with Sarah comes from the competitiveness and insecurity that his Dad instilled in him. OK—here’s the verbal pun—”A Tale of Two Cities”—more Dickens—two men in love with one woman, one man sacrifices himself in place of the other. The man who sacrifices himself is “Sydney Carton”—Christian Shepherd was coming from Sydney in a Carton. Did he sacrifice himself to save Jack?
Parallel lines of dialogue—Juliet about whether they are Dharma or not “It doesn’t matter who we were; It matters who we are.” Sarah to Jack “It doesn’t matter who he is; It just matters who you’re not.”—Jack needs to focus on what about himself needs to change. And the sign that he’s capable of that change—the fact that he asks nothing about who Sarah is with, but whether or not she’s happy.
Key characters
| Short Name | Full Name | Episodes | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Christian | Dr. Christian Shephard | 339 | |
| 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 | 1460 |
| Kate | Katherine “Kate” Austen | 3.6, 1.2, 1.3, 2.9, 1.12, 1.16, 1.22, 3.15, 4.4, 4.12 | 714 |
| Sawyer | James “Sawyer” Ford | 3.4, 2.3, 2.6, 2.13, 1.16, 3.10 | 455 |
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | A Tale of Two Cities | 10-4-2006 | Jack | 132 |
Dang.
Jazprof: To be honest, I got a few sentences into your theory, and I was thinking, “Oh, typical by-the-numbers angry feminist ‘the world hates women’ crap.”
Then I got to the stuff about the birth metaphors…and I was pleasantly surprised at how lucid it all seemed. The “buns in the oven” and the observation about water breaking are just wonderful. Thanks for sharing that. Now I have to re-watch that ep.
On the other hand….
I think Adam’s complaint about Carrie is not inconsistent. He is not offering religion and sci-fi as layers or metaphors. He is saying that it is straight-out sci-fi/religious hocum without a metaphor. It has no deeper meaning than what is on the surface. Incidentally, I think he’s right.
I also don’t see that Ben is trying to control reproduction. The women on the island have a problem, and he is, apparently, obsessed with trying to fix the problem. That is why he recruits Juliet. That is why he has a private conversation with Juliet about the problem. That is why Richard suggests that Ben’s obsession with the problem is causing dissent.
Wedding rings = handcuffs? Way too over-the-top angry feminist for me. (If any women out there want to cast off their gold and/or diamond bondage symbols, please let me know, and I will provide an address where you can send them.)
I appreciate the stab at Sydney Carton - but a coffin being referred to as a “carton” is a stretch. An admirable stretch, to be sure, but a stretch.
The parallel dialogue catch - very nice.
Plus TWO for the observations and literary analysis. Minus one for the misplaced feminist anger. Net: plus one.
(As always, can’t wait to read more of your stuff)
BTW, I wish I could give you another +1 just for “metafears.”
JazzDevil, Nobody has the kind of insight you possess when it comes to analyzing episodes! It is always such a pleasant learning experience. I also like the “bun in the oven” references, but unlike Quarantine see nothing radically feminist regarding the metaphors between the wedding ring and handcuffs. That can also be viewed as a two way street, for men as well.
Anyway, +1 on another good job!
:-D
Q… I know jaz… and she’s a lot of things (for example, her whole body is a weapon), but “angry feminist” is not one of them. :-D
As with all things jaz includes in these analyses, her comments were meant to be taken as potential themes employed by the writers, not political commentary. I mean, writers DO sometimes use specific gender conflict imagery for a variety of reasons in a given narrative. In fact, one of the producers has said of Juliet that her interpretation of why Jack insisted Kate leave him with the Others was tied to the fact that Juliet’s a woman. (Specifically, he said that because Juliet’s a woman she presumed that Kate broke Jack’s heart, and that’s why Jack wanted Kate to leave him and not come back.) I’m not saying this is a good or bad thing… it’s just something writers sometimes do. And in Lost it’s pretty obvious that gender conflict/politics is a plot element that the writers deliberately play with.
Of course… all of that is just how it looks from my perspective. And jaz can certainly speak for herself on the matter. I just had to laugh a little when you implied she’s an angry feminist. :-D Dang, it still cracks me up…
oooo Q, you know something you don’t want to do to an angry feminist, espcially an angry feminist whose entire body is a weapon :-)….um….call her an angry feminist.
No you’ve got to fool them into thinking you haven’t noticed, placate them with chocolate (it helps with those mood swings), and back very, very slowly out of the room.
Lucky for you, I ain’t one of them. :-D
But seriously—it’s more what both Dab and Prof said—I mean wives are called the “old ball and chain” right? The thing about symbols (and this was really the main point of the post) is that they don’t have absolute meanings. Wedding rings can also mean unity, or eternal love. But in a t least some cultures they have had that meaning of ownership: “The Romans were a little less romantic. Their iron wedding bands were not a symbol of love, but signified a binding legal agreement of ownership by husbands, who regarded rings as tokens of purchase. It also represented protection to the wife—a protection against challengers seizing her legal and rightful position in a power grab. ” http://sexloveandmarriage.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/the-wedding-ring-a-brief-history/
My point about religion and about science fiction—religion relies on the idea that there is something beyond this world, this reality—another level of meaning. Science fiction is in some ways an oxymoron. Science purports to tell the truth about the world, fiction to tell us a story.
And no hard feelings at all I hope (heh)—I’m joshing with ya.
Oh and I actually do think Ben is trying to do something to control reproduction—there’s some kind of power with children born on the island and I think Ben is trying to bring that about by whatever means including bringing in fertility specialists and using whatever technology they can. And in that way, as in others, Ben is cheating. I think that’s why there have been pregnancy issues (I’m pretty sure that neither Jacob nor the island likes technology). And one thing I’m wondering about Season 4 is whether Sun’s pregnancy will turn out differently because it is natural, and whether if Kate is pregnant it will be more dangerous because it was a pregnancy brought about through behavrioral manipulation (and whatever they injected her with).
You’re a class act, Jaz. This is a way of looking at this episode I would have never got to. My brain just ain’t wired that way!
I can’t decide if that Sydney Carton thing really was an intentional pub or a stretch too far. . .!
BTW, I thought Ben saying he found Carrie depressing was hysterical. Just coming from him. The most depressing, gloomy, doom-ridden guy you can imagine finding a pulp horror novel depressing. That had to just be his deadpan humour, right? That’s how I took it, and laughed.
+1
“Men desire two things, fun and danger. That is why men love women, for a woman is the most dangerous plaything.”
-Nietzsche. Also Sprach Zarathustra.
I meant pun, not “pub”.
It’s Friday. I got drinking on my mind.
Quarantine, I find it interesting that you found quotes which elude to women being playthings! Some women, might resent being referred to as a “plaything”, especially if they’re holding a heavy object in one hand!
Still want to play?? LOL
Jazzie my hat is doffed to you. In a totally egalitarian way, lol.
+1
Great post jaz. Im really looking forward to the season 3 Group 1 discussions. +1
I know this is a late comment here, but Jack was listening to “String of Pearls”, I believe, in his car while he was staking out his estranged wife. Wasn’t this the same Glen Miller tune Sayid and Hurley picked up on the short-wave? And then, in the next episode, a string of pearls plays a part in Sun’s flashback.
I doubt any of these things mean anything, but I do wonder about them.