What is the island? It's a tricky question to answer. On its surface, the island is a magical place that contains a source of evil. It also houses two opposing forces of good and evil in The Man in Black, who wishes to unleash evil upon the world and stir chaos, Joker style, and Jacob, the main force of good. If the evil is left unchecked, it will spread throughout the world and contaminate humanity.
But that's just the surface. There are far more questions than answers, and we're looking to get to the bottom of it. These are ten unanswered questions we still have about the island from Lost.
What Evil Is Being Contained?
All we know about the supposed "evil" and the purpose of the island is what Jacob tells us. The Island is essentially a cork—and it contains a literal cork—that contains a malevolent force from escaping onto the world. When Desmond released the cork, the island began shifting and collapsing in upon itself, perhaps a physical manifestation of the evil escaping. But, what exactly is this evil? It's obviously not just metaphorical evil, as it is being contained, once again, by a literal cork.
Who Built The Cork?
And, for that matter, who built the cork? Was it humans, or one of the Protectors? If it was one of the Protectors, surely they could have built something a little sturdier and more "magical" than a little cork that a single man can displace? And, if it was made by humans, then how did they even find the Heart of the Island in the first place? It's the Protector's job to guard against humanity ever finding it. If it was built by humans, then how did they even stay down there long enough to install the cork?
What Is The Light?
Contained within The Heart of the Island is a brilliant yellow light. According to the Mother, this light is "inside every living thing." Taking the light can "put it out," and entering the light has dangerous consequences... and that's literally all we know about the light—vague, indefinite, and cliché platitudes. The problem with making metaphors literal is that they often don't make a whole lot of sense, as is the case with "the evil" and "the light."
Why Is The Light "Magic"?
Another thing we're forced to wonder about is the source of the light's magical properties. Supposedly, the light is the source of all the Island's supernatural mechanisms. It cures cancer, it allows disabled people to walk again, and it can move the island through time and space.
The best fantasy stories explain certain elements of their magic or at least give us something to go on, but Lost did not. It just left it all at "magic" and didn't bother to explain a single thing about its mechanisms or attributes.
How Did The Light Turn The Man In Black Into A Smoke Monster?
One of the most disappointing "answers" that Lost provided was the creation of the Smoke Monster. As it turns out, the Man in Black was thrown into the Heart by Jacob, perplexingly turning him into the Smoke Monster.
Why did that occur? What about the Heart turned him into a massive cloud of smoke? Why didn't Jack and Desmond get smoke-monstered when they entered the Heart and fiddled around with the light?
Where Did The Protectors Come From?
We learn that The Island employs "Protectors," and these protectors are used to guard the Light. The known protectors are Mother, Jacob, Jack, and eventually Hurley. But, where did these Protectors come from, and how did they learn about the Island's light? Who was the first Protector? We suppose it doesn't really matter, but it would be really interesting to find out.
Why Do Some People Turn Into Whispers?
Everybody Loves Hugo finally addressed the whispers of the jungle. It turns out that they were essentially the voices of ghosts.
If you die and cannot "move on," you become a whispering voice. It's yet another non-answer, a banal hand-waving of an intriguing mystery. Why can some people "move on," yet others don't? Why do they only speak at specific times—mostly in the jungle? And speaking of ghosts...
Why Do Some People See Ghosts?
Many characters encounter ghosts throughout their time on the Island. Both Eko and Locke interact with the ghost of Yemi. Michael sees Libby on two separate occasions, both off the Island and on the freighter. Ben sees his dead mother on the Island, and she even speaks to him on one occasion. Kate sees an apparition of a horse. We know The Man in Black inhabited Christian's body, so, did he do that with everyone? If so, how did he access the corpse of Ben's mother?
Why Are Some People Ghosts And Some People Whispers?
So, what exactly determines someone turning into a ghost and someone turning into disembodied whispers? Assuming the "ghosts" are actually just the Man in Black, that still doesn't explain Ben's mother. Why does she get to be a ghost? And, for that matter, how does her ghost even appear on the island in the first place? Why was she allowed to speak directly to Ben? Surely ghosts can't directly communicate with people through speech.
Why Does The Island Give People Visions?
If there's one thing Lost is full of, it's weird visions. Characters are constantly having bizarre dreams and visions, and some—mostly Locke—believe that this is the island's method of communicating. Even people without a "gift" of some kind encounter these visions, including Claire, Kate, Charlie, and Shannon. So, what was with these visions? Were they at all related to the island, or was that just misplaced interpretation? And, if so, how exactly does an island communicate through dreams?