Quote:
Originally Posted by firebreathingfishies
I don't understand Ben, because if what he was doing really was for the greater good and all that jazz, then why doesn't he just explain himself. I mean, god he'll save himself a hell of a lot of trouble, and if he's not doing anything wrong then he won't have to worry about backlash.
I'm convinced he's just 80% selfish... I haven't decided on what the other 20% is yet  |
I think Season 4 has gone some way to answering why Ben doesn't tell all to all and sundry - both the fact that people are looking for the island and the time-travel element suggest the need for both secrecy and the
constant need to protect information from those who do not need to know..
until they need to know it..
It's a difficult premise to explain, but consider this island..a place where if you knew something
before you experienced it, it would change your path..perhaps even create a paradox and result in island course correction and death.
Now what if there are things which the losties are not "supposed" to know until the laws which govern fate deem it 'time'? A computer game operates under the same laws - the player will not meet it's challenge until it is on the corresponding 'level' - to experience future information and knowledge before that time would be..well.."cheating".
Whilst i'm not suggesting that this is the only reason for Ben to be so secret, the nature of the island and the ability to time-travel and potentially alter (if not 'change') the course of the future, is one which must surely be guarded against.
There's also the fact that the Losties do not understand the island and the game they are involved in (especially back in past seasons) - to even try to explain and rationalise such things to people who are not "connected" and who are not "capable" of understanding is surely futile, if not a very big gamble to take..
Then there's also the logical aspect - for Ben and the Others,
"this is our island", and no wonder they take this defensive attitude - they have the likes of Widmore's in hot pursuit to plunder and abuse this special place..this hub of time and space. Their desire to protect the island is one which is fully understandable..they feel a responsibility for the island..just like John Locke now does:
"I'm the one responsible for the well-being of this island.."
If John can feel this way after 3 months..imagine how protective Ben and the Others feel after 25+ years (and longer, in the case of the Alpert's of this world)..
The Losties are
wild-cards in the game of
Chess and
Battleships - their presence on this island (however 'destined') can and probabaly will change the course of the game and for Ben it's absolutely paramount that he keeps his cards close to his chest until they are ready to make a
"commitment to the island".
(IMHO)
