I just finished a rewatch of the entire first season of “Lost” today, and in the closing few minutes, something struck me. As Hurley sits down in the plane at the end of the last flashback, he pulls out a comic book, and as he turns the page over there is, what appears to be, a polar bear on it. At first, I chuckled at what I thought must be an in-joke. For some reason, however, this seemed to ignite a chain of thought in my mind.
What if the island, and everything on it, is the product of the darkest fears and deepest desires of those on it? It would certainly make sense to a degree. Hurley has an immense fear of the numbers – they crop up frequently including on the side of the hatch. Jack fears and regrets his relationship with his father – the coffin on the island is empty. Claire fears for her childs safety – the constant threat to her baby from “the others”. Shannon fears being alone with no one – Boones death. Locke’s fear of being unable to walk – the “island” threatens to take it away. Charlie’s fear of heroin – the plane full of it.
Sun’s fear of Jin finding out she speaks English – forced down and torn between the two groups. Michael’s fear of having to raise a kid on his own – now he has no choice. However, the polar bear – that would be an enigma, until I noticed it on Hurley’s comic. Could it be that the island scanned the minds, so to speak, of everyone on it as they crashed, and created a new scenario on itself? Could it have an ability to hide itself until it is “needed” to solve these problems, hence the lack of discovery?
The pattern certainly fits to a certain extent. Of course, it could be possible that these are all deliberately crafted as such, but for a different reason. The island’s suggested “personality” may be nothing.
Of course, I don’t have a clue, only the writers do – but I thought this little theory may spark a few thoughts in someone who reads it, and that together we might piece together the puzzle that is “Lost”
And as I was discussing this with Gateway, he pointed out the idea that the island may also give people what they want. Locke seems to be the only one who has caught onto this – bowing before the hatch for use of his legs back, and he apparently received.