Get 'Lost' in the seven deadly sins

Thanks to Tanya for the following.

Faithful fans and viewers addicted to "Lost" could not be happier now that the spine-tingling, unpredictable narrative of survivors on a mysterious South Pacific island has resumed on ABC. The rich characters are what make "Lost" so much more than just an action-packed drama. But the show's characters are multifaceted, and some even embody characteristics of the seven deadly sins.

Pride: Jack, the doctor and natural leader of the plane crash survivors, sometimes lets power get to his head. His flaw is his inability to listen to other people when he thinks he knows what is best for the group. Perhaps he gets his obstinate nature from his overbearing, alcoholic father, or from years of being in control of his operating room. Whatever the case may be, there is no doubt that Jack has noble intentions, but he should be careful so that his pride doesn't cost him his credibility and leadership among the survivors.

Gluttony: Sorry to pick on the endearing Hurley, but his back story and rotund frame make him the obvious choice for this deadly transgression. Back in the real world, Hurley's eating habits seemed to be a safety blanket that kept him from growing up, like his imaginary friend Dave in the mental institution, who urged him to overeat.

In season two, the survivors find "real" food in the Dharma Initiative's underground hatch, and viewers caught a glimpse of Hurley again using peanut butter and ranch dressing as comfort; however, a glutton for punishment Hurley is not. After suffering through weeks of Sawyer's degrading name calling, Hurley stood up to Sawyer, showing a maturing character that is beginning to need more than fried chicken to find happiness.

Wrath: Though several "Lost" characters have blown their lids under the pressure of dramatic island adventures, John Locke is one man who seems to constantly be battling bottled-up rage. With a childhood spent in foster care, a betraying father who stole his kidney and caused his paralysis, and a love, Helen, who left him and his monotonous career, Locke has a lot to be angry about. In this season's recent episodes, while leading a group into hiding from some mysterious newcomers, Locke seems to have gone off the deep end. His intense desire to take the right steps forward have turned him into a frustrated man, acting out of anger instead of his uncanny connection with the island, which has made Locke such an intriguing character in past seasons.

Envy: While there are many characters who want things they cannot have, Jin is a man who seems to envy others the most. Particularly throughout his life in Korea, Jin is frustrated by forces that are out of his control, like his lowly place in society as a fisherman's son or his inability to have children with his wife, Sun. When he got to the island, he was envious of Sun's ability to understand English and communicate with the other survivors.

The frustrating language barrier aside, Jin's envious nature seems to have improved on the island. He is free from Sun's father and cruel boss, and he and Sun are able to get pregnant. Fortunately, Jin seems to have little to be envious of on the island these days, but this season viewers will see how long his good fortune lasts.

Sloth: The sexy but spoiled Shannon, on the island for only one season, did everything she could not to do anything. While other survivors gathered luggage or searched for food and water on the island, Shannon sunbathed on the sand. She offered the excuse that rescue was on its way, thus not feeling the need to help out the others. Sadly, in a stormy rainforest shoot-out, the beautiful blonde learned the hard way that those who lie around all day apparently get nothing but a fatal bullet to the stomach.

Lust: Kate Austen never stays in one place for very long, so why would she settle down with just one man? The love triangle she has formed among Sawyer, Jack and herself defines her as the manifestation of lust. Though a compelling story line (who doesn't like a little sex on primetime TV?), her flip-flopping between Sawyer and Jack also greatly confuses Kate. Her relationship with Sawyer was born partly from her attraction to his smart but dangerous nature, similar to her own, but also from her jealousy of Juliet and Jack's intimate friendship in season three.

Kate should be careful that her physical passion for Sawyer doesn't critically injure her relations with Jack, for whom she obviously has serious feelings. Only time will tell if she decides to allow just one leading man in her life.

Greed: Sawyer is a man who knows what he wants, and he's not ashamed to lie, steal or cheat to get it. His past as a con-man and selfish hoarding of supplies from the plane wreck makes the Southerner a character that best embodies greed; however, as "Lost" progresses, a different side of Sawyer has also begun to manifest.

In season one, viewers were led to categorize Sawyer as a heartless opportunist, but each episode depicts a more generous and even loving side of Sawyer. His protectiveness over Kate and awkward, shy good deeds for the other island survivors earn him the benefit not to be judged on first impression alone.

"Lost" is critically acclaimed for its ingeniously detailed writing. Every name, image and spoken word in the show has deeper implications underneath its surface meaning.

The fan site LOSTpedia.com brings forth another theory using the seven deadly sins, one that incorporates the seven animals that are theologically linked with each sin.

Six out of the seven have already appeared on the island: The black horse, Pride, that Kate stumbles upon; Walt's dog, Vincent, which embodies envy; the polar bears from the first season, which represent anger; Sawyer's irritating tree frog, symbolizing greed; the wild pigs that the survivors hunt, standing in for gluttony; and the cows that appear outside the Russian Mikhail Bakunin's station, the Flame, which represent lust. The only animal that hasn't appeared yet is the goat, the symbol for sloth - so sharp-eyed viewers should be on the lookout.

Through the magnetic interweaving of personal flashbacks and intense explorations of the mysterious isle, each inhabitant of the island reflects pieces of our own human condition.

Source: Dailyemerald