Announcing the official publication of Literary Lost: Viewing Television through the Lens of Literature by Sarah Clarke Stuart.
To purchase the book click here
The Publication Party
Please join us for a celebration and book signing.
When: 7:00pm, Wednesday, February 2, 2011
(part of downtown Jacksonville’s Artwalk)
Where: Chamblin’s Uptown, 215 N. Laura Street, Jacksonville, Florida
I’m so pleased to share these positive reviews for my upcoming book, Literary Lost. To pre-order the book, see the link to Amazon below.
“I did not need to be convinced that the recently completed Lost was a series of great complexity and depth, one of the most narratively rich in the history of the medium, but I was not prepared to discover the Lost Sarah Clarke Stuart discovers in this important and insightful book. By diving deeper than any critic has to-date into Lost’s intertextuality, by asking questions nobody so far had thought to ask, Stuart not only takes our understanding of a small-screen masterwork to a whole new level; she also builds ready-to-be crossed bridges between one-time adversaries: literature and television.”
– David Lavery, co-author of Lost’s Buried Treasures
“I’ve been arguing for decades that not only is television not inimical to literacy, it is a great ally of reading. Sarah Clarke Stuart’s Literary Lost provides a brilliant, meticulous, soaring and satisfying proof of that proposition. Her tour-de-force analysis examines the roles of nearly a hundred books in Lost, ranging from the Holy Qu’run to the Wizard of Oz. The television series had highs and lows of narrative; Stuart’s work has only highs, and is destined to become a classic in television studies.”
– Paul Levinson, author of New New Media, and The Plot to Save Socrates
I have spent the last month or so completely immersed in finishing my book manuscript for Literary Lost. Now that I’m done I can post here on a regular basis again, returning with book recommendations and the occasional commentary on the final season.
A Recommendation: The Island of Dr. Moreau
Though I don’t cover it much in my book, this brief H.G. Wells novel is a new favorite of mine. For “Lost readers” wading waist-high in book titles, I would recommend this one as a priority read. With its central plot revolving around a mad scientist and his frankensteinian drive to create life, it doesn’t readily lend itself to a comparison to the show (besides the fact that it is set on a strange, uncharted island). But one passage that strikes me as relevant reflects a broader theme of the human condition in the confines of civilization and social life. The following line recalls the frequent description of Lost‘s island as a “microcosm of life”:
“A strange persuasion came upon me that…I had here before me the whole balance of human nature in miniature form, the whole interplay of instinct, reason and fate in its simplest form” (149).
The creatures that Dr. Moreau “humanizes” are destined for a crueler fate than brute animal life; they are bound to an existence in which they must “stumble in the shackles of humanity.” Moreau is the god of these creatures, but even he is subject to the limitations of animal life. As the castaway narrator eventually concludes, “A blind fate, a vast pitiless mechanism, seemed to cut and shape the fabric of existence” (150).
In a way, this is also Lost‘s conclusion. Though the central characters are redeemed in a spiritual sense, most of them suffer greatly as a result of their own physical fragility and the calculated forces of other human beings. They face brutal deaths as they are hunted down not only by the Smoke Monster, but by one another. Naomi, Sayid, Daniel,Jack, Charles Widmore, Dogen, Charlie–these characters “stumbling in the shackles of humanity” find their doom in the “pitiless mechanism” of both the violence of the wilderness and the cruelty of human nature.
As the global tribe of Lostians gathers around the flickering light of broadcast television tonight, the anticipation is high. Unlike some fans, I am eager for it to be over, not because I’ve grown tired of the series, but because I can’t wait to work with a complete narrative, to discuss the text in its entirety.
So what do we want from the finale? Well, it’s just a television show, just like any story is “just a story.” What can we expect from fiction? What is the purpose of spinning yarns in the first place? Because anyone who has ever been captivated by a tall tale knows that there is a purpose.
Like all good storytellers, the creative forces behind Lost are expected to enchant us while providing meaning within the narrative, and any good resolution should bring some sort of order to the fictional cosmos that has been established. An ending does not require a list of answers, but it should demonstrate that the central conflicts transpired for a reason. Like Jacob’s fire, the story will soon be extinguished, but its spirit will be preserved through those who choose to protect it, if it is worthy of being protected.
So here’s hoping that the final hours of Lost will simply do what a story is meant to do: delight, entertain and, just maybe, reveal a profound message or two. Happy watching!
Free and open to the public. Please see RSVP information at the bottom of the page.
Get “LOST” For the Night: Scratch Your Head with the Rest of Us with a Series Finale and a Serious Discussion
The series finale of the television series LOST has garnered much attention in the media, and for good reason. For years the show has been hailed as groundbreaking, criticized for redundancy and trite storytelling, and dismissed as too complicated in its plot. Not surprisingly, for seven years LOST has been a centerpiece for “watercooler” talk .
With the series “finale” at hand, we invite you to attend a discussion of the cultural and literary impact of LOST. We also invite interested parties to present their readings of the significance of the show, with particular attention paid to the potential “reverberations” the show will have.
The “conversations” will take place on the UNF campus on Wednesday, May 26, from 5:00 – 10:00 pm. The order of events:
5:30 – 6:00, scholarship panel
6:00 – 7:00 discussion and refreshment
7:00 – 9:00, the series finale
9:00 – 10:00, a group discussion
Help us as we say farewell to a show and greet a field of inquiry in popular culture studies.
Please RSVP to englishdept@unf.edu by Wednesday, May 19, if you plan to attend.
Please forward panel/presentation proposals to lhowell@unf.edu by Friday, May 14.
A university-sponsored event, free and open to the public
Series Finale Re-watch and Discussion on May 26th
The series finale of the television series LOST has garnered much attention in the media, and for good reason. For years the show has been hailed as groundbreaking, criticized for redundancy and trite storytelling, and dismissed as too complicated in its plot. Not surprisingly, for seven years LOST has been a centerpiece for “watercooler” talk .
With the series “finale” at hand, we invite you to attend a discussion of the cultural and literary impact of LOST. We also invite interested parties to present their readings of the significance of the show, with particular attention paid to the potential “reverberations” the show will have.
The “conversations” will take place on the University of North Florida campus in Jacksonville, FL on Wednesday, May 26, from 5:00 – 10:00 pm.
The order of events:
5:30 – 6:30, scholarship panel
6:30 – 7:00, refreshment break
7:00 – 9:00, the series finale
9:00 – 10:00, a group discussion
Help us as we say farewell to a show and greet a field of inquiry in popular culture studies.
Please RSVP to englishdept@unf.edu by Wednesday, May 19, if you plan to attend.
Please forward panel/presentation proposals to lhowell@unf.edu by Friday, May 14.
The only thing more interesting than a story set in hell is a story that might be set in hell. “Ab Aeterno” features not only a timeless narrative theme–the nature of evil–but also a classic literary device–ambiguity. Let’s face it: the writers of Lost intentionally leave things open to interpretation and I doubt that even “The End” (the series finale) is going to change that. However, I don’t think that Jacob and the Man in Black are supposed to be morally ambiguous figures; if there must be a devil, it’s pretty clear who plays the role of “El Diablo” here. But the most interesting part of this episode is the uncertainty that Richard raises about the nature of the island.
The island as cork (courtesy of abc/Disney)
The following passages will consider the nature of evil, and various notions of hell, in literary and mythological terms.
The Book of Job
The biblical book of Job chronicles the test of the human spirit, illustrated by one man, an exemplary figure in God’s eyes. The story is structured around a debate about human nature between God and Satan. Satan challenges God, claiming that Job is only a good man because he is wealthy, secure and surrounded by friends and family. If he were challenged by poverty or illness, Satan argues, Job would curse God and turn away from him. In essence, Satan believes humans to be selfish beyond all hope. There is no use redeeming man.
I’m not the first to acknowledge the similarities between this biblical text and the discussion between Jacob and the Man in Black. I have compared many Lost scenes to other religious stories, but this one seems to fit these two characters best. In this book, both Satan and God resemble the gods of ancient Greek and Roman mythology who are not necessarily all-powerful. Jacob and the Man in Black do have their own special powers, but they are both limited in what they can do. Jacob tells Richard that he can’t step in and make people do the right thing. They have to figure it out for themselves. In the same way, both God and Satan seem to agree that if people know they are going to be rewarded for worshiping God, their motive is a selfish one, making them unworthy of redemption.
According to Robert Sutherland, author of Putting God on Trial: The Biblical Book of Job, “The implicit restriction that Satan places on God is that God is prohibited from explicitly giving Job the reason for suffering. The concern is that any disclosure of a reason behind suffering might give Job a selfish motive to worship God and ultimately to manipulate him. If Job is truly the man God believes him to be, then Job will worship God regardless of what God might do for him. And so, Satan leaves the presence of God in heaven to create Hell on earth.” The idea that God’s people can’t know the reason for their suffering seems to resonate with the experience of being lost and the the experience of watching Lost. Viewers don’t understand their reasons for suffering much more than the characters do, but those who develop faith in themselves, and in the right leaders, seem to do okay. (Think Hurley).
Also notable in the book of Job is the man himself, in comparison to Richard Alpert. Like Job, Richard suffered the loss of his home and family (Isabella), an unjust punishment, and physical torture. At his darkest moment of despair, the Man in Black comes to him and unchains him. This recalls God’s command that Satan may do whatever he wants to Job except kill him or “lay a hand on his person.” Perhaps, Richard was on the brink of death when the Man in Black came to him. He wasn’t allowed to let Richard die and go to hell, but he could tempt him and lie to him as much as he wanted. “It’s good to see you out of those chains” is code for “welcome to the playground of good versus evil. Game on!” It’s also interesting that Job lived for 140 years after the end of his trial and Richard, too, has lived for 140 more years. This can’t be a coincidence. Looks like somebody’s been reading the bible…
Lucifer's fall to earth created an island
Lucifer’s Fall and the Making of an Island
According to Christian lore, Lucifer (Latin for “light-bearer” or “light bringer”) was a fallen angel, cast down from heaven. He has also been referred to as “the Morning Star” and it seems appropriate here to recall the creepy rendition of “Catch a Falling Star” from the post-massacre scene at the end of “Sundown.” In Dante’s Inferno, Lucifer’s expulsion from heaven and fall to earth displaced a large chunk of earth which was thrust up to the surface, forming an island called Purgatory. Despite the writers’ denial of the Lost island as Purgatory, it’s always interesting to consider it as a metaphorical Purgatory, where the tension between good and evil is revealed. With this image of displaced earth forming Dante’s “Purgatorio,” should we envision it as a place that keeps Satan and all of his evil suppressed, (or corked)? Does Purgatory maintain balance in the universe? Does it act as a threshold between earth and hell? More important, will everyone fall into hell if the evil is unleashed, as Hurley suggests?
Dante’s Inferno
“Midway on our life’s journey, I found myself/ In dark woods, the right road lost”
Such begins Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, section I, Inferno, an allegorical journey exploring the nature of evil. Inferno describes a descent into the nine circles of hell where Virgil, the classical Roman poet, serves as tour guide. Similar to Dante, Jack Shephard finds himself in the “woods,” “midway on life’s journey,” a life that seems to be humming along just fine (on a superficial level, at least) until the plane crash.
“Abandon all hope, you who enter here”
These words, familiar to even modern readers, are inscribed on the gates to hell in Dante’s Inferno. There is no escape from this city and those who enter might as well leave any shred of hope at the door. Richard conveys a similar message to the other characters in the opening scene of “Ab Aeterno,” as his faith quickly disintegrates upon the death of Jacob. So when he says “we are in hell” he is speaking the truth, in the sense that hell is a state of mind devoid of all hope.
The third circle of hell
Though it’s been acknowledged many times before, I feel the need to include the Cerberus bit once again for anyone who missed it. Cerberus, a monster originating in Greek mythology, is also a resident of Dante’s Inferno. It is described as a “three-headed dog-like beast who guards the gluttons.” Recall that in Lost the vents from which the Smoke Monster escapes are called “cerberus vents” and that the Smoke Monster has been referred to as a “security system” or guardian of the island.
Episode 9
In this depiction of the afterlife, Lucifer is a prisoner and forever fixed in the ground of the ninth circle of hell. This is the final and lowest level of hell, and stands in stark contrast to the next scene when Dante ascends to the surface of the earth saying, “To get back up to the shining world from there/ My guide and I went into that hidden tunnel…/Where we came forth, and once more saw the stars.” Richard also ascends out of his hell, after his faith is restored by Hurley and Isabella. Note that we are in the “ninth circle” of Lost as well–that is, the ninth episode into the season. Will we ascend into the clear light of day…with more and more answered questions?
Lucifer held prisoner in the ninth circle of hell
Thanks for reading. There is so much more to say about this episode but it will have to wait for the book.
(“Recon” spoilers here.)
Just as every cop is a criminal/ and all the sinners, saints.
–Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil”
In “Recon” it becomes clear that Sawyer is on an inescapable path of vengeance, whether working for law enforcement or working for himself. The lines of good and evil aren’t drawn as neatly as the parameters of legitimacy. A similar line of reasoning can be applied to Jack –being a professional healer of the body does not necessarily make for a good, emotionally healthy person–and most of the other characters, in their own ways.
This is not the first time that recent episodes have recalled this particular Rolling Stones song, its central theme wrapped up in the following line: “I shouted out ‘who killed the Kennedys?’ when, after all, it was you and me.” In other words, the devil is in each of us–we control evil, or choose not to control it. “The incarnation of evil,” if there is such a thing, feeds off of our words and deeds, just as the Smoke Monster was strengthened by Sayid’s decision to give in to temptation. As Sawyer said to the woman he met on Hydra Island, “God’s got nothin’ to do with it.” Well, neither does the devil. It’s all just up to “you and me.” In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, a character named Simon, sums up this idea nicely as he addresses the idea of the so-called beast in the jungle: “Maybe there is a beast…maybe it’s only us.”
"Just call me Lucifer/ Cause I'm in need of some restraint"
This week I will be brief regarding the “books of the week.” They were mostly repeats, novels we’ve seen featured in previous seasons. The difference here is that Sawyer is not reading them; they are lying on his dresser as Charlotte rummages through the drawers: Watership Down by Richard Adams, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle and Lancelot by Walker Percy. Does this mean that Sawyer is less of a reader in this life? Like Locke lacks faith in his flash sideways existence, perhaps Sawyer is missing the nuances and metaphors of fictional worlds.
I also found this quote interesting: “(Life) is all about laughing and loving each other. Knowing that people aren’t really gone when they die.” This, from Pa to Laura on the TV show Little House on the Prairie, based on the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Sawyer is watching this program in a flash sideways scene, all by himself in his bachelor pad. Sad but funny.
“The art of choosing men is not nearly so difficult as the art of enabling those one has chosen to attain their full worth.” -Napoleon Bonaparte
In the first scene of the flash sideways sequence, Ben delivers a lecture on the first exile of Napoleon, explaining that the French revolutionary was able to maintain his title of emperor, but might as well have been dead, considering he was without followers and, therefore, devoid of power. Napoleon was sent to the island of Elba before returning to France to wrest power away from the throne again. What can we deduce from this little history lesson? That Ben, a one-time leader with a bad inferiority complex, has been reduced to a powerless exile and that he will rise again if he can get off the island? And that, like Napoleon, he will be exiled to another island where he will die of cancer? Brilliant. We’ll leave it at that for now.
First, let’s turn to The Chosen, a coming of age novel first published in 1967 by Chaim Potok. Ben finds this book, among other reading material (a smutty magazine and a DVD or CD titled Benjamin Disraeli: Justice is Truth in Action) , in one of the tents on the beach, presumably Sawyer’s old digs. The book is about a friendship between two boys that forms after an accident (involving a baseball) in which one of the boys was hospitalized. Though they have grown up in the same neighborhood and share a Jewish-American heritage, their lives are very different. Danny Saunders’ family follows a strict Hasidic tradition and Reuven Malter has grown up with a Modern Orthodox understanding of Judaism. The narrative is shaped by the boys’ parallel paths in life that sometimes intersect and cross over. The story also relies on the notion that human lives are interdependent and that ultimately we can only survive within a community. Both of these ideas correspond to themes in Lost (parallel lives, “live together or die alone”), but there is another, more obvious, motif I want to address.
The novel’s title, on its own merit, can be used to draw a comparison to Lost and, more important, to unearth the meaning of this particular episode. In the novel, being “chosen” refers to the condition of the Jews as God’s chosen people and the status of Danny Saunders as the eldest male, obligated to inherit his father’s position as leader of their Hasidic sect. It also illustrates the contrast between being chosen and choosing, being acted upon and being the actor. This, of course, recalls the ever-present theme of free will versus predetermination in Lost. In “Dr. Linus” we see the consequences of those who follow the path of the Chosen and their subsequent crisis of faith (in Jacob). Consider, for a moment, Ben, Richard and Ilana. They were chosen and then abandoned. Jacob’s touch imbued them each with a greater purpose, but now that he is dead, they are drifting aimlessly into chaos. This brings up a host of questions: Is it better to be chosen or to choose your own path? How can you trust the one who has chosen you? Where does the authority to choose originate? When the one who does the choosing is gone, what will become of a society, a tradition, a faith?
Further, how has this culture of exclusivity dictated the group dynamics of island life? How have the leaders used this cult of the chosen to manipulate their followers?
This Napoleonic sneer makes you wonder: did Michael Emerson use this portrait as a model for Ben's bad-guy face?
Just to keep things interesting, let me pull another novel into the mix. In Lord of The Flies there is a boy named Jack who gains the support of the other castaways through fear and intimidation. Through “Jack of the Flies” and Ben Linus, the profile and tactics of a typical power-hungry leader emerges. This is where we return to Napoleon . Jack in Lord of the Flies uses the illusion of exclusivity to gain power among the boys, slowly pulling their loyalty away from Ralph , the more democratic boy-leader, and toward himself. He makes the boys feel special because they are chosen by him, when, in reality, he just wants to control everyone.
In the same way, Ben Linus (in previous seasons) has shrouded his purpose in mystery and drawn in followers by convincing them that they are special. He is an expert at psychological manipulation, and his words are his most powerful tool. John Locke is the best example of a character manipulated by Ben’s charade of exclusivity. But, as we can see now, John is not the only pawn here. Ben is just continuing the game that Jacob started.
All of this “being chosen” business reminds me of a Catholic hymn we used to sing in church when I was growing up. (“Anthem” by Tom Conry) Apparently the lyrics are somewhat controversial now, allegedly grooming a “culture of conceit” among parishioners. But they seem perfectly fitting for the position many characters find themselves:
We are called, we are chosen.
We are Christ for one another….
Let’s look again through the Jacob-as-Christ-figure lens. According to these lyrics, are the characters “Jacob for one another” now? If so, who will do the choosing? Will they be able to make the right decisions for themselves, as Ben did in his flash sideways life?
“Lighthouse” definitely rings some literary bells. First, it recalls To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, which is divided into three parts, the last section titled simply “The Lighthouse.” The novel depicts the changing dynamics of a large family, the Ramsays, over the course of a ten-year period during which time many characters die and World War I comes and goes. In the first section, “the Window,” some of the family members want to visit a lighthouse but the father discourages the idea. At the end, after several years have passed, they finally make the visit to the lighthouse. During this trip Mr. Ramsay and his son share a special father-son moment–James, who is accustomed to his dad’s criticism and high expectations is surprised when Mr. Ramsay lavishes him with praise. This sounds like a familiar family situation. In Lost, specifically in the Shephard family, the evolution of fatherly love took more time (an entire generation and a leap to an alternate universe), but at least Jack does learn to express his unconditional love for his son, David. Another clear similarity between Lost and this novel lies in the element of perspective. Woolf uses multiple voices to tell the story, a technique where the point of view shifts from one character to the next, creating a highly textured story. This form of construction is a fundamental characteristic of Lost‘s storytelling. There is no one single voice of authority that can provide a whole narrative; various single threads of narrative are woven together to create a complete tapestry (to use the image of Jacob weaving).
THe Lighthouse of Alexandria, built in the 3rd Century. More commentary forthcoming on this image...
The other reference that immediately comes to mind is the story of Hero and Leander, a tale of two young lovers from Greek mythology. Hero, the beautiful priestess lives in solitude at the top of a towering lighthouse at the edge of Sestus. Guided by Hero’s lamp, Leander swims across the channel every night to visit her, and then returns each morning. The story ends in tragedy when Leander loses his way and drowns in a storm one night. When Hero finds his body she throws herself into the water, killing herself.
At this point, any strong connections to Lost are fuzzy, but both stories popped into my head when I remembered that tonight’s episode was titled “Lighthouse.”
PS: Yet another guest appearance for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland! Jack’s son, David, had an annotated edition in his room.
Lost: A Transmedia Story 