Walkabout -- Locke's Destiny?
A Walkabout is a journey of spiritual renewal, where one
derives strength from the earth. And becomes inseparable
from it. John Locke to Randy in Ep. 1.4, Walkabout
INSEPARABLE? Is this the real reason for Locke's explosion tour?
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6 comments:
This is a great question! I'm not sure that John has derived strength from the island. Well, okay physical strength yes, with his ability to walk coming back.
Mentally and spiritually though I think he is still as haunted by his father as he was before the crash. Also, morally, his strength seems to have gotten less, what with arranging for Sawyer to kill his father, pretty much to be able to see what Ben had to show him.
I think Locke *thinks* that he has gotten all kinds of strengths and connections from his walkabout on the island. IMHO I think that all it has really done is focus or mutate his original insecurities in another direction.
Oh, and it's allowed him to use his survival skills. Things he had studied before the crash, but now seem poignant almost in the context of the island. He hasn't derived any survival strength from the island, he's just been given a scenario to use what he knows.
Good questions and good points Ange. It seemed as if Locke was really happy to find that he could use his skills on the island! Yet his focus has been sporadic at best. His intentions are knee-jerk and just all over the place! Some things he thinks out, and some things he thinks he's using intuition. And I even think that he mistakes his personal self-serving desires as intuition most of the time.
Locke's journey on the Island is defintely one of highs and lows. In the early episodes he's so confident. A miracle happens to him. Then he gets to be a "hunter" as Ange said. Then he has his encounter with the "eye of the Island" which bolsters his faith. And then he becomes the Island's leading accolyte leading first Jack and then Charlie to seek their redemption in this "special" place.
But like in all faith journeys, the highs don't last forever. We encounter difficulties and that's when the basis of our faith gets tested. Locke's lack of knowledge in what exactly he has faith in is almost certainly part of the reason he gets off track. Having faith alone isn't enough; you have to understand what you have faith in and that thing has to be strong enough to sustain you through the physical, spiritual and emotional lows.
I hope Season 4 will bring Locke some answers so that we and he can judge if his faith is well-placed or misplaced.
Ange, I agree with you about Locke 's moral floundering. Capcom put it perfectly when stated that he is all over the place. He wants to be a hero, but he lacks the moral fiber and self-sacraficial attitude.
He truly believes his blowing up tour is for the good - but whose good is it for?
What you said makes a lot of sense Memphish. Locke almost seems to act like once he finds his island warrior Valhala, that he will be in peace and tranquility forever and won't have to struggle anymore. He has wisdom in some areas (especially when it comes to telling Losties how to be spiritual, etc.) but is lacking wisdom in other areas for himself still.
And I agree with your point to PGT, Locke makes a lot of decisions, like blowing up things, without thinking of how it impacts those around him. Which to me is narrow-minded and selfish. I don't care how damned special the island is. A lot of his carelessness could have gotten people killed on some occasions!
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