We meet in agreement about the difficulty for viewers to maintain "the thread" over long periods of time. I recall the "interview" episode, in which the writers attempted to tie things together a bit for the audience, at the point they were beginning to lose interest.
You raise the prospect that now Mother might be the Island, seeking her replacement, which will come in the form of Jacob. Hence, I present you with a crazy theory. Ready to jump off a cliff with me?
In the Greek myth, Arachne is an excellent weaver, who in her hubris claims to be better than Athena herself. Athena challenges Arachne to a contest, only to find that Arachne's work is indeed superior. Unfortunately for Arachne, her hubris has continued, as she weaves tales of male gods taking advantage over females (many of them HUMAN) for which Athena beats her and drives her out. Arachne, in great anguish, hangs herself and dies. Athena, showing a bit of pity, transforms Arachne into a spider, sentencing her to weave for all eternity beautiful webs, though she is a hideous creature. (Backstory over. Here comes the craziness...)
Mother has, at some point in the distant past, been stranded on this island, perhaps with the other humans to which Brother will eventually go. Being an explorer by nature, she roams the island until she discovers The Kincave! Exposing herself fully to the light, she gains a depth of knowledge and understanding akin to Eve eating the apple. Now she perceives that humans might indeed contain the essence of godliness, if only they can become fully actualized. (Paging Dr. Maslow; Line 3) Full of this deep understanding, she is either rejected by the Others, or disdainful of them, sentencing herself to an eternity of living alone, quietly weaving her web to draw in unsuspecting "flies". Claudia obliges, with the ultimate gift for Mother's purposes, Twins! Here are two genetically identical (or at least, similar) boys, completely different in personality - the perfect subjects for an experiment! (If you doubt this, Google "Twin Studies" and observe the terrible things that have been done to twins in the name of science. Better, acquire the documentary movie, "Three Identical Strangers" and let it turn your scientific/psychological mind on its ear. Metaphorically speaking.)
Anyway, Mother knows that Humans are flawed because she has "seen The Light". She knows that she herself is flawed. She knows that the experiment must go on, just in case someone defies the paradigm. Brother is her favorite because he is flawed like her, and knows that everyone else is too. But Jacob is the pivotal character, because he may not be flawed. (At least, in the way that is essential to the Island.) After Mother is gone, Jacob, dutiful spider, takes up the loom and continues to weave, catching ships and airplanes in their turn in his web of philosophical experiment.
We meet in agreement about the difficulty for viewers to maintain "the thread" over long periods of time. I recall the "interview" episode, in which the writers attempted to tie things together a bit for the audience, at the point they were beginning to lose interest.
You raise the prospect that now Mother might be the Island, seeking her replacement, which will come in the form of Jacob. Hence, I present you with a crazy theory. Ready to jump off a cliff with me?
In the Greek myth, Arachne is an excellent weaver, who in her hubris claims to be better than Athena herself. Athena challenges Arachne to a contest, only to find that Arachne's work is indeed superior. Unfortunately for Arachne, her hubris has continued, as she weaves tales of male gods taking advantage over females (many of them HUMAN) for which Athena beats her and drives her out. Arachne, in great anguish, hangs herself and dies. Athena, showing a bit of pity, transforms Arachne into a spider, sentencing her to weave for all eternity beautiful webs, though she is a hideous creature. (Backstory over. Here comes the craziness...)
Mother has, at some point in the distant past, been stranded on this island, perhaps with the other humans to which Brother will eventually go. Being an explorer by nature, she roams the island until she discovers The Kincave! Exposing herself fully to the light, she gains a depth of knowledge and understanding akin to Eve eating the apple. Now she perceives that humans might indeed contain the essence of godliness, if only they can become fully actualized. (Paging Dr. Maslow; Line 3) Full of this deep understanding, she is either rejected by the Others, or disdainful of them, sentencing herself to an eternity of living alone, quietly weaving her web to draw in unsuspecting "flies". Claudia obliges, with the ultimate gift for Mother's purposes, Twins! Here are two genetically identical (or at least, similar) boys, completely different in personality - the perfect subjects for an experiment! (If you doubt this, Google "Twin Studies" and observe the terrible things that have been done to twins in the name of science. Better, acquire the documentary movie, "Three Identical Strangers" and let it turn your scientific/psychological mind on its ear. Metaphorically speaking.)
Anyway, Mother knows that Humans are flawed because she has "seen The Light". She knows that she herself is flawed. She knows that the experiment must go on, just in case someone defies the paradigm. Brother is her favorite because he is flawed like her, and knows that everyone else is too. But Jacob is the pivotal character, because he may not be flawed. (At least, in the way that is essential to the Island.) After Mother is gone, Jacob, dutiful spider, takes up the loom and continues to weave, catching ships and airplanes in their turn in his web of philosophical experiment.
Til next time!