Why Didn't The Others Come For
Goodwin's Body?
Put this in one of my biggest mystery files. In
Season 3 we see the elaborate Viking funeral pyre
combined with the white clothes of New Orleans combined
with the musical stylings of Brenda Lee to send Colleen
off to her great reward. I'm guessing that was all for
Jack's benefit since the Others have shown no regard for
the rest of their fallen comrades.
Nothing for Ethan who at least was buried by Hurley and
Charlie. Nothing for Goodwin who's left to rot with flies
swarming his bloody carcass. Nothing for Pickett except
Juliet's trial. And of course we have the Dharma body
pit and Roger's corpse in his VW van.
Do the Others have a theology of death, is that theology
individualized (though you think Pickett's would mirror
Colleen's), or are they the reprobates with no
respect for life or death that they've always seemed to be?
This treatment reminds me of Jack's decision that the
bodies of those who did not survive Flight 815 had to be
burned in the fuselage. They didn't have the time or
ability to sort out people's Gods, religions or preferences.
But surely that's not the case with the Others who've lived
in community for at least three years. Chalk this up as
another one of those arghh! those Others drive me
crazy things.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
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5 comments:
I vote for C: they are reprobates with no respect for life or death. :-)
Seriously, what you say seems to be true. If they feel like respecting someone in death they do, otherwise they seem to consider the deaths in their camp as unavoidable collateral damage in their war to save the island. Probably the only reason that the Purge Peeps got thrown into the pit was because you can't exactly leave dead bodies lying around the village. I think that the only reason that Colleen got a funeral was maybe because Pickett loved her so much and insisted on it. And it turned out to be a good opportunity to put on a show for Jack at the same time.
I like the idea that they were putting on a show for Jack. It doesn't seem that they truely care for the dead. I believe that many mourn their fallen comrades, yet whoever these Others are...they don't REALLY seem to have time to sit around and cry over the deceased.
CF
Or...they did pick up Goodwin & Pickett and gave them proper burials, but it happened off screen for us.
Ethan was buried, no need to dig him up, and those killed by the Tailies were presumably buried by them too.
Or...Colleen died on Falcatraz, the others died on Lostie Island. Maybe that's the difference? Death has to be treated differently on Falcatraz, or burial is not allowed there?
Good question Memphish!
Ben and his group seems to have no respect for the dead! Just look at the Dharma pit (it isn't even filled in with dirt)! They do seem to pick and choose who gets a burial and who doesn't. I do agree that Coleen's burial rite was more show for Jack than anything else. Or else Pickett did insist on a proper send off for her. How did Juliet feel knowing that Goodwin was just left to rot in the jungle? Unless she was told he was buried or, as Amused suggested, it was something that was done unknown to us. At least the Losties took proper care of their dead.
Maven said: At least the Losties took proper care of their dead.
That's the thing that stood out to me, the contrast between our group of people who were thrown together by the circumstance of a flight who've formulated a system in terms of place and rites for handling their dead (Eko's treatment excepted). But the group of people who are a "community" do not seem to have a similar thing.
Thanks A2BH for pointing out that Colleen's Viking thing took place on Falcatraz. That makes me think even more that it was designed only for Jack. That Pickett's grief was real, but that good soldier that he was he still allowed Ben to use the situation to their advantage with Jack.
As for Juliet, I think that's one of the things that drives me nuts about her. Why haven't we seen her upset about the loss of Goodwin or Ethan? Her ability to compartmentalize her emotions is one of those traits that makes me so dislike and distrust her.
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