Charlie-centric episode. Not that I dislike Charlie, but his
character has gotten on my nerves from time to time. Although, getting to know
more of his back story (especially in this episode) makes you realize that his
character was not always the way we know him since the crash.
It’s not even that he’s a bad guy or anything. He means
well, but you can see how the events of his life really influenced him and
molded him into the person he is today. I guess it’s kind of sad when you think
about it. He was wholesome and believed in the moral value of things before he
was repeatedly disappointed by his older brother, whom he looked up to. This
led Charlie down the wrong path in many situations and I believe that Charlie
is one of the most obvious cases of a character transformation via the island.
It may seem like it’s stating the obvious, but the title and
its implications that we learn about later in the episode are proof enough that
this is the case. That being said, I have always thought that the comparison to
a real moth applies to everyone on the island. Not just Charlie, even though it
is very focused on Charlie’s life in this episode.
Speaking of concepts that apply to all the characters, I
thought that a line that the priest said to Charlie in the confessional during
Charlie’s flashback was very fitting to the general theme of the show. “Life is
a series of choices…etc” Yes, I know – it would have done my sentiment more
justice if I knew the exact and complete line, but you get the point. And I’ll
explain further…
In my opinion, this bit of advice from the priest winds up
being a major theme of the show, which is described in greater detail when we
learn more about Desmond. Not only is life a series of choices, but in
metaphorical terms those choices are essentially either a right or left turn.
Each decision you make shapes your path, and where that path leads or
ultimately ends up was determined by each individual decision you have made,
even if it was a decision that seemed insignificant or irrelevant to your
path’s current position.
This applies to Charlie because the decisions he makes in
his flashbacks are directly responsible for him arriving at the island. These
decisions culminated with him visiting his brother Liam in Australia to try
to convince him to get the band back together. Sydney, Australia
as we know was the place where flight 815 took off from en route to crashing on
the island.
As for the other survivors, there is a lot going
on. Jack is still convinced that the caves are the place to be and he is trying
to convince the other survivors (mainly Kate) to join him because it is safer
than the beach. Kate remains unsure and Sawyer is just happy to take over
Jack’s spot and shelter on the beach. The difference in opinion between Jack
and Sawyer is certainly not the first and won’t be the last, but in this
episode it also involves their positioning for Kate. We will see the strategy
of this positioning, especially as Sayid’s plan to triangulate a signal unfolds
simultaneously with other events on the island. Sayid’s plan involves
cooperation and precise timing, but we have seen how things can go wrong and
people can be unreliable or selfish. So of course you get that sinking feeling
that someone is going to let the group down. The number one candidate has to be
Sawyer at this point, who tags along with Kate as she intends to do her part
for Sayid’s plan.
You really get the sense something is going to go wrong when
Sawyer uses his knowledge of a cave-in involving Jack to ruffle Kate’s
feathers. He tells her that Jack fell victim to a cave-in specifically leading
her to believe that Jack was dead or at the very least, in serious trouble. She
runs off to try to help, leaving Sawyer to carry out Sayid’s plan. This causes
unrest for the audience because it is easy for one to assume that Sawyer will
purposely screw up the plan for some reason, even if that reason is just to
spite Sayid. This does not wind up being the case, but despite everyone doing
their part, Sayid is attacked from behind before he could acquire the signal.
Meanwhile, Charlie really struggles with his heroin
addiction but of course, none other than John Locke is there to help him. And
not only help him, but his methods are calculated and he is very sure of
himself and the influence of the island. Almost as if he has done this before.
Charlie isn’t convinced at first and finds himself wondering why Locke has
taken such an interest in his personal battle. Locke means well, but Charlie is
not interested in anything other than getting his fix. Locke finally explains
the meaning of the episode title as he finds a moth almost ready to break from
his cocoon.
As with many people on the island, the moth is a great
example of how one must struggle and experience difficulty before they have the
strength to proceed with the rest of their lives. Just like a moth must
struggle and fight their way through their cocoon in order to build the
strength to survive the rest of their lives in the wild. Without the struggle,
they wouldn’t be strong enough to live in the real world. This clever metaphor
can be applied to many characters and situations on the island, but the concept
really comes to fruition at the end of this episode as Charlie is the unlikely
hero that helps Jack free himself from the cave-in by finding a small hole in
which both of them were able to break through. Much like a moth emerging from a
cocoon, Charlie is able to experience Locke’s example first hand, which leads
him to find the strength to give up the last remaining drugs all on his own.
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