The Theories: Fantasy Island (healing vs. infertility)

At the heart of the Fantasy Island theory is this tension between the island’s giving new life to the sick while denying life to the unborn and taking it from their mothers. Healing versus. Infertility. Is there a pattern to any of this? The Fantasy Island theory says no, that it is just an unintended consequence of the island’s unique properties. The Good vs. Evil theory wonders if maybe Locke was healed just he could play his particular role in the battle. After all, all of Locke’s mistakes derive from his need to feel special. That need went into overdrive when the island restored the use of his legs. Still, this post argues that the randomness of the island’s healing suggests a lack of sentient guidance.

The best example of the island’s powers is not Locke’s legs; it’s the disappearance of Rose’s cancer. Before coming to the island, Rose’s doctors give her only a short time to live.[1] But once arriving on the island, her cancer disappears.[2] Of course, the only evidence we have of her recovery is her own feelings, but then she is still alive, looking quite healthy, over three years later.[3] So we will assume she is cured. The faith healer she visits in Australia before boarding Flight 815 talked about certain spots on earth with energy pockets that can cure the sick.[4] Though we shouldn’t take anyone’s word on this show, especially potential conmen, he seems to give an accurate if imprecise explanation for the island. Rose and Bernard also speculate that her cancer will return is Rose leaves the island, though there is less evidence for that.

One reason Rose is so convinced her cancer has disappeared is because she is the one survivor to have seen Locke in a wheelchair in Sydney airport.[5] Then when she sees him walking around the island, she is convinced that the island is a cure for everything. She seems to be right and the Others, the people who have been on the island much longer, back her up.

After Locke’s leg is partially crushed by the blast doors,[6] Rose tells Locke it will not take 4 weeks for him to heal as Jack predicts.[7] Sure enough, a few days later he cuts off the spilt and walks without assistance.[8] Mikhail, the Other who himself won’t die, tells the survivors that Naomi’s lung wound will heal in a day and a half.[9] She does recover rapidly and is in great shape until Locke puts a knife in her back. Later, when Locke has been shot and once again faces the prospect of losing a leg, Richard, the oldest and wisest Other, tells Locke to keep the wound clean and the island will do the rest.[10] Lastly, Ben, the Others’ leader, tells Juliet that there is no cancer on the island…just before he himself gets cancer.[11] So, do you have to be a good person to experience the island’s benevolence?

The third prominent beneficiary of the island’s gifts is Jin. He was sterile before coming to the island but now Sun is pregnant with his child.[12] Juliet, the Others’ fertility specialist, tells Sun that the sperm count for men on the island is five times higher than average.[13] It is an interesting contrast for the island to destroy women’s ability to conceive while restoring a man’s virility. But is not necessarily illogical (ignoring the actual science). Juliet tells Ben that the problems seem to start at conception.[14] The body treats the pregnancy as a “foreign invasion”.[15] Please correct me if I way off, but I think in real life women’s bodies can attack sperm if not the actual zygote thingy. We do have to be a tad skeptical though, because Juliet gave that explanation while she was infiltrating the survivors for Ben; she needed a plausible story about an immune system suppressing serum in order to appear to save her and earn the castaways trust.[16] I do not think the Others have any idea what really prevents women from giving birth on the island and the only thing that saved Claire and Aaron was her getting pregnant off island. Of course, if that is true, why was Sun and Ji Yeon ok even though she did conceive on island? I guess whatever starts at conception, which might still be immune system based, goes away if one leaves the island early enough.

Overall, the island’s ability to heal is impressively broad. It is the miracle cure for the plague of the 20th century. It restores lost limps. And it helps men shoot straight again. It gives life, freedom and youth. But the consequences are random: seemingly all good for Rose and mixed blessings for Locke, Jin and Sun. If either Jacob or his adversary do control the island’s healing powers, or if it was always them and not the island, what were the motives for good or evil? With Rose, the good is that she’s a good person whose faith is rewarded. For evil, well, Locke never knows she was cured so it does not really affect him. With Locke, the evil motive was to fill him with pride so he was easier to manipulate. For good, it allowed him to help feed the castaways and he could have chosen the right path. With Jin and Sun, the good is it got Sun off the island and did result in a healthy daughter, further cementing their “special love.” For evil, it could have resulted in death of mother and daughter and maybe getting Sun off the island was part of the long con.

[1] “S.O.S.”
[2] “S.O.S.”
[3] “The Incident”
[4] “S.O.S.”
[5] Id.
[6] “Lockedown”
[7] “S.O.S.”
[8] “Three Minutes”
[9] “D.O.C.”
[10] “Because You Left”
[11] “One of Us”
[12] “The Whole Truth”
[13] “D.O.C.”
[14] “One of Us”
[15] Id.
[16] “One of Us”