The Complex Narrative Structures of Lost


Lost was one of the first television series of its kind that introduced viewers to a non-linear narrative through flashbacks and character-focalization. The nonlinear narrative is a storytelling technique that Lost uses well to introduce the characters and their individual stories, specifically in the two-part pilot episodes. Throughout the pilot, the narrative shifts between characters through flashbacks and focalizers. 

 The first few minutes of the Pilot episode show a chaotic scene in which Jack is the focalizer. Jack wakes up dazed and confused in the middle of the jungle with visible wounds and sounds of screaming in the background. He runs out of the forest and sees the wreckage from the plane crash. The camera follows him as he runs towards the crash victims in order to help them. With Jack as the focalizer, the viewer feels the same confusion he does when he wakes up. Jack tries to help as many people as he can and he is seen as a stabilizing force in the middle of the chaos. Jack being the focalizer in the introductory scene establishes him as a "hero" and a "good guy" to the viewers because he is helping others even though he is hurt. 

 The second episode of the pilot switches perspective and shows the characters before the plane crash. Certain parts of the episode reveal new information about Kate, one of the survivors who meets Jack at the beginning of the pilot episode. With Jack as the focalizer, Kate is depicted as a strong, innocent woman that helps Jack sew his wound in the first episode. When the focalizer shifts to Kate in a flashback, the audience learns that she is a criminal who was being transported back to the U. S. in handcuffs. With Jack as the focalizer, Kate is seen as a "good" person and a strong woman but the fact that she is a criminal makes the viewer wonder if she is being sincere about her motives. 
The intrigue of Lost stems from the mystery surrounding the island and the characters. The story-telling technique of written-in clues and easter eggs of future episodes keep viewers at the edge of their seats, ready to watch the next episode.

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