Tabula Rasa
Beginning with this episode, we start to gain insight into who our castaways are, who they were, and how they ultimately ended up on that fateful plane. This happens through the convention of using flashbacks focused on one particular character for the episode. Each episode, the focus shifts to another character. This convention has become a hallmark of Lost, and it has served the show well. Slowly, we will learn everyone's story and everyone's secrets.
We start with Kate. Kate is on the run from a U.S. Marshal, and she's escaped to Australia. She hunkers down on a farm 15 kilometers from the nearest town. The farm is owned by Ray Mullen, a man whose wife died 8 months ago.
Kate lies, says she's Annie from Canada, and keeps quiet about her plight. Well, she wasn't lying about one thing. She does know how to work a farm, and she maintains her employment for nearly three months. She hides her money in a tin can, and when confronted she admits that she has trust issues. In return Ray Mullen betrays her for a $23,000 reward - after all, he's got a hell of a mortgage to pay. Kate is captured, and that is how she ended up in handcuffs on a plane from Sydney to Los Angeles.
It's so nice to have a mystery solved! But we still don't know what she did.
We aren't the only ones to gain quick access to Kate's secrets. The Marshall has woken up, and Jack and Hurley learn quickly that Kate is a felon. The Marshall is convinced that Kate is dangerous, that she could do anything. He's worried that she's already "gotten to" Jack. And yet, we've seen Kate engaged in many worthy activities. She's helped stitch up Jack, she goes on expeditions without complaint, she saves Ray from his burning vehicle and even asks the Marshall to make sure Ray gets his reward. The Marshall is genuinely amused at this gesture, and he comments, "You're one of a kind, Kate." Kate can't be all that bad, can she?
But we also see her lie and withhold information. The scene where she and Jack are on the beach after she's returned from the mountain are very telling, both of her and of Jack. Kate doesn't admit that she knows the Marshall nor does she tell Jack her past; instead she warns him of the Frenchwoman's transmission. If you look carefully, you can see that this is not what Jack is expecting. He wants Kate to confess. He looks hurt and confused, even disgusted when she doesn't. He too keeps his lips closed as to what he knows, and lies that the Marshall hasn't said anything. Kate trusts Jack with the transmission, but not her past, and now Jack doesn't seem to have much trust in Kate.
Trust isn't easily earned on Lost, and we have already seen the practice of withholding information. When Jack, Kate and Charlie returned from the cockpit in the previous episode, and they're asked if there were any survivors, Jack says "no" while Kate and Charlie exchange glances. (Boone brings it up later during the hike up and down the mountain; likely, Charlie told him during the trek.) At the campfire at the beginning of this episode, Sayid convinces the small group not to disseminate the Frenchwoman's transmission. He says it would provoke panic and take away people's hope. Kate sums up her take on Sayid's plan: "So you want us to lie." As we've seen, Kate has some experience with this.
Sawyer is another one who keeps his cards close to his vest. He's one of my favorite characters. What an interesting name he has. Sawyer. Kind of like Tom Sawyer, huh? Tom Sawyer was a bit of an anarchist, a bit rough and tumble, and certainly quite individualistic and self-oriented. Our Sawyer also has a mouth on him, and a penchant for using nicknames. He calls Kate "Freckles", Hurley "Lardo", Jack "the hero", and he refers to Sayid as both "Abdul" and "Al Jazeera". But Sawyer has no problem with keeping his yap shut when it comes to keeping secrets.
Keeping the transmission secret to avoid panicking the group may be admirable, but Sawyer's motivation to keep secret the gun he took from the Marshall has nothing to do with protecting the group. The scene between him and Jack in the fuselage highlights this. We're splashed by brief return to the horror genre, with Jack poking through luggage and dead bodies by flashlight while the music cues us to mounting tension. Sawyer diffuses this tension with upon announcing his presence, or would have except for its redirection towards the conflict between him and Jack. Jack's calm socialistic concerns and Sawyer's uncivilized individualistic creed of The Wild are smartly juxtaposed.
Later we see different sides of Jack and Sawyer when it comes to the Marshall's final hour, and gives us a fresh perspective on euthanasia. The Marshall knows he's going to die; will Kate be the one to do it? Kate won't; apparently she isn't willing to do just anything. Sawyer thinks it humane do the Marshall the favor; when he realizes he's failed and has just increased the poor man's suffering, he is absolutely appalled (and not just because he's used the last bullet.) Jack wants nothing to do with it; when pressed in the end, he discharges his responsibilities resolutely.
The episode tries to end on a high note. Jack makes a solemn if not contrite soliloquy about everyone deserving a fresh start on the island. We are treated to Hurley listening to his Walkman, and the music becomes our soundtrack to a montage of happy moments. We see some acts of tenderness and forgiveness - Sun's husband brushes hair out of her face while she sleeps, Boone finds sunglasses for Shannon, Sayid tosses Sawyer some fresh fruit, Charlie writes a less depressing word on his fingers, and Walt finally gets his dog back. But in a moment of reversal, the music becomes dark and ominous as the episode fades to black on the face of Mr. Locke.
Reversals
We're led to believe that the title of the episode, Tabula Rasa, has something to do with getting a clean slate, a fresh start, a new beginning. This theme is repeated several times, especially in the context of the featured character, Kate. But these writers, they are sneaky. For they know quite well the there is a second side to the term "Tabula Rasa." "Tabula Rasa" is better known as a concept borne of the Enlightenment, a concept which has figured prominently in Western psychology and philosophy.
Some history is in order. "Tabula Rasa" is a Latin phrase that indeed translates literally as "scraped tablet" and more conventionally as "blank slate." Its use as a metaphor in the psychological sense is first seen in Western writings from Aristotle. It goes relatively unnoticed until the 13th century, when Thomas Aquinas likens the human intellect to a clean slate, contrasting it with Divine Intellect. Again, though, the idea languishes, this time until the 17th Century. At this time we start to see flurry of intellectual activity, and one of the prime debates is the classical clash of nature versus nurture. Tabula Rasa is firmly on the side of nurture.
In this context, it refers to the epistemological thesis that individual human beings are born with no innate or built-in mental content, in a word, "blank", and that their entire resource of knowledge is built up gradually from their experiences and sensory perceptions of the outside world. This is certainly apt for Lost: we are indeed blank slates with respect to the show, but we can build up our knowledge of the Island and the show through sensory perception and experience. We should take this advice, and discard our preconceived notions of what rules govern this Island.
The more important clue has to do with the Enlightenment philosopher who promotes this philosophy of Tabula Rasa - none other than John Locke, 1632-1704. What a coincidence, huh? As it turns out, Mr. Locke is positioned on the opposite side of the fence from Kate in this episode. Like Kate, Mr. Locke seems kind and resourceful on the surface. (He's paying attention to the people around him, and he's competent, as exemplified by the sequence where he whittles a whistle, which he then uses to call the dog Vincent. Locke completes this task by rousing Walt's father and giving him the glory of returning the dog to the boy.) Like Kate, Locke too has a secret. Unlike Kate, he tells his secret to someone; unlike Kate, his secret doesn't get him into trouble.
Speaking of reversals, has Kate really gotten a clean slate? I'm not so sure. Look at how Hurley acts towards her after he finds out about her shady past. He practically runs away in fright! And Jack is no saint either, and he is quick to judge. The Marshall is starting to die, and Kate grills Jack in the rain about his suffering. Jack is repulsed by her suggestion that the Marshall be put out of his misery. He takes his secret knowledge of Kate and throws it in her face with all righteousness: "I saw your mug shot, Kate. I am not a murderer." I feel for Kate. How is she really going to get a blank slate when she is not afforded some privacy regarding her narrative past? Her secrets have already been compromised. Maybe Mr. Locke is the one whose truly gotten "a clean slate."
Secrets and Mysteries
While some secrets are revealed, other mysteries continue to baffle. My initial fear that the "monster" might be out of Jurassic Park is quickly dismissed. Hurley suggests to Jack that maybe it's a dinosaur. Jack brushes it off immediately: Dinosaurs are extinct, he says, and Jack is not prone to flights of fancy. Contrast this with Walt's father, who goes looking for Vincent in the "haunted damn jungle" and ends up running away in fright. I laughed when he told Walt that he'd go looking for the dog as soon as the rain lets up, and then the rain immediately let up! At least this downpour started normally - we see clouds gathering in the distance flashing with lightning, and later hear thunder just before the water falls.
Finally, it's rather mysterious that Ray Mullen is missing his right arm. This is so unusual. It doesn't serve the plot at all. On the other hand, many of our beach dwellers have all kinds of superficial cuts and bruises. Especially on their faces.
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Registered:12/06/2005
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(Date Posted:06/07/2007 19:27:38)
Music
In Tabula Rasa we get our first commercial musical references in Lost. While Ray Mullen drives Kate across the Australian landscape, we hear Patsy Cline on his radio. During the last montage scene, we hear Joe Purdy on Hurley's Walkman. These are the lyrics to those songs.
Leavin' On Your Mind
If you got leavin' on your mind
Tell me now, get it over
Hurt me now, get it over
If you got leavin' on your mind
If there's a new love in your heart
Tell me now, get it over
Hurt me now, get it over
If there's a new love in your heart
Don't leave me here, in a world
Filled with dreams that might have been
Hurt me now, get it over
I may learn to love again
If there's a new love in your heart
Tell me now, get it over
Hurt me now, get it over
If there's a new love in your heart
Hurt me now, get it over
If there's a new love in your heart
Wash Away
I got troubles, lord, but not today
'Cause they're gonna wash away
They're gonna wash away
And I have sins, lord, but not today
'Cause they're gonna wash away
They're gonna wash away
And I have friends, lord, but not today
'Cause they done washed away
They done washed away
Lord, I've been crying alone
I've been crying alone
No, no more crying alone
no, no more crying here.
We get lonely, lord, but not today
Cause we're gonna wash away
We're gonna wash away
I got troubles, lord, but not today
Cause they're gonna wash away
This old river's gonna take them away.
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(Date Posted:06/07/2007 19:32:07)
I would be greatly surprised if the writers didn't start using the concept of "mirroring" with this episode. I'd be greatly appreciative for any suggestions which point out the use of actual mirrors or of metaphorical "mirroring" in this episode.
For example, the mirror in Ray's truck comes into play when they notice the Marshal driving up behind them. That's a physical instance of the mirror.
Metaphorically speaking, aren't Kate and Locke mirrored in this episode? Locke is the one who "really" gets a "clean slate", although we don't know it yet. Locke is healed and now able to walk, but Kate is still haunted by her reputation as a felon.
What other sorts of mirrors or mirroring occurs in Tabula Rasa?
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(Date Posted:06/07/2007 19:53:00)
Jin asks Sun if she's seen herself. That would imply a mirror, yes?
Charlie finding out that Claire doesn't have a husband is an instance of letting a preconceived notion get in the way of learning by experience.
Ray experiences a reversal when Kate says that she's not Annie.
We see two sides of Kate - the felon on the run, but also someone who helps others
I wondering if I should explore in greater depth the interactions with Michael. Is there something more symbolic about his crashing into the semi-nude Sun? He says he didn't see anything, which could be reference to how he didn't see anything coming after him, how he hasn't seen Vincent, and how he really isn't seeing Walt for who he is. Is Michael getting a clean slate with Walt? On the one hand he is, simply because they don't really know each other; it's a new relationship. But the relationship has gotten off on the wrong note; when Locke gives Michael the opportunity to return Vincent to Walt, it reverses things. Michael finally earns some respect from Walt, and he has to have changed his opinion somewhat about Walt. Walt, who's been looking to Locke for a connection, now gets to connect with Michael.
Looking
Hurley says Mars "looks" like he's in pain, and that Kate "looks" hardcore.
Jack says, " Look, I'll handle it. Why don't you keep an eye on him..."
Sawyer says Jack isn't looking at the big picture.
Charlie says "look on the bright side."
Sun says she'll keep looking for Jin's bag.
Ray says that Kate gets "a look in her eye" whenever he asks about her.
Kate says she's looking for Jack.
Jack says "look at me."
Kate says, "What are you looking for, Ray?" when he's looking in the mirror
Michael goes looking for Vincent.
Mars says, "You don't look free to me, Kate."
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(Date Posted:06/11/2007 00:10:49)
More Mirroring in Tabula Rasa
First scene begins with Marshal warning Jack not to trust Kate. Next scene Kate tells Sawyer to trust her. Hurley finds out about Kate's pic; now there's three people who don't trust Kate. Meanwhile, at the campfire, trust in Kate grows, and she's elected to hold the gun.
We go from Kate taking possession of a gun to Kate looking down the barrel of a shotgun. Later, in a flashback, we see the Marshal pointing his finger at her as if a gun, which is juxtaposed with Kate now actually having possession of the gun.
Kate trusts Sawyer to give the Marshal his last rites, not Jack.
I wonder if one of the "mirrors" of this episode is the juxtaposition of light and "shadow". There's a lot of hiding in this episode. Hiding information. Hiding emotions. Hiding "self" and narrative. A "shadow" character - Locke is the shadow to Kate's sunny side up.
The Mirror of Tabula Rasa - the idea of no preconceptions on one side (a condition of birth), the idea of getting a new "clean slate" on the other (rebirth). What stands between birth and rebirth? Death. The mirror can be death.
Hurley says of the Marhsal that he's "mumbling 'she's dangerous, she's dangerous' over and over" - twinning the repititions of the french transmission.
Jack in the fuselage, "shadowed" by Sawyer, and representing opposite sides of the fence - Civilization versus the Wild.
The wheelchair shows up in this episode, "foreshadowing" - and during the wheelchair scene, Charlie jokes about men being "useless" - twinning Shannon's fear of being "useless", as well as playing on the concept of those in wheelchairs being useless.
Jin asks Sun, "Have you seen yourself?" This implies having a mirror to look into.
Hurley runs away from Kate - he runs from the runner.
Kate and Jack show dark sides - Kate snapping at Ray, "My name's not Annie" is not unlike Jack's snapping at Kate, "I am not a murderer."
Walt hides what Locke says, saying "some of it's secret."
The weather stops weirdly - in Pilot, it started weirdly.
Michael sees Sun nude while she's bathing - she was told to go bathe by Jin, who's concerned about her modesty.
The mirror sides of euthanasia are shown, the doctor who wants to preserve life, those who think he should be put out of his misery, which is what he ultimately wants. Boone chastises Shannon for wishing the guy was dead, but his retort of "that's real humane" is a mirror of what the motivation is for euthanasia.
Kate's lighter fails, but Sawyer's lighter works. After Sawyer shoots the Marshal, failing to put him out of his misery, the lighter stops working.
Kate would have got away if she hadn't saved Ray. not only does she save the man who ratted her out, which leads to her capture, but she wanted to make sure that he got his reward money
Kate said in Pilot 2 that there were no other girls like her. In this episode, the Marshal calls her "one of a kind." We see twinning of a "not twinnned" moment.
Kate trusted Sawyer to put the Marhsal out of his misery, not Jack. Look at how relieved Jack was when he saw Kate emerge without a gunshot, and then... "boom"
Locke secretly informs Michael of Vincent's "return", taking to the shadows rather than the spotlight. Locke inverts Michael's view of him.
"The Fugitive" is a cultural reference, but with a gendered mirror: Kate is female, Kimble is male. Another mirror: Kimble is a doctor, Jack is a doctor. Kimble is after the one-armed man; Kate is betrayed by a one-armed man. Kimble would risk capture to help a deserving person on his travels, and often worked low-paying menial jobs. Kate risks capture to help Ray, who's given her a low-payming menial job. Both adopt non-descript aliases.
