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"Mother's love, Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. It's bad luck."- Joshamee Gibbs, Curse of the Black Pearl |
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| What does Jack want then? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 14 2006, 09:20 AM (225 Views) | |
| Admin | Jul 14 2006, 09:20 AM Post #1 |
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unused account - do not PM
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OK, this has been mentioned in the movie more or less... but let's discuss it anyway.
Tia Dalma gives two options for why Jack's compass doesn't work: either he doesn't know what he wants, or he does but he is "loath to claim it" (I believe her words were). Elizabeth suggests that Jack wants to do good and get respect. Could this be what Jack is loath to claim then? He certainly knows how he could be good, but he may not want to be good. After all, it involves quite a few personal sacrifices to be good. Presuming for the moment that Elizabeth is right... Why would Jack want to be good all of a sudden? (Or rather: Why would he want to gain respect by being good?) Could it be that maybe Jack presumed that when he'd have the Pearl back, he'd finally get the respect again that he wanted? After all, there's little reason to respect a shipless pirate captain - but the captain of the Black Pearl, now... That's a different story. Or it should be. But that didn't quite turn out the way Jack hoped (if this particular theory floats, that is). Jack did not get respect. Was that only because the trouble with the Isla de Muerta and the navy? Or (brace yourself) was Jack maybe just not the person to be respected? He was doing remarkably well on his own, but he doesn't always seem to be able to make people love him... (I mentioned before that that may be why Jack was mutinied upon; he doesn't have the 'personal' touch that Barbossa has - the talent to get people behind him. When things go well, men will follow him willingly... but if things go wrong, maybe Jack can't handle the men well, being an accept-and-move-on kind of person himself, who for himself needs no excuses and promises about how things will go better from now on; he just waits what comes.) Dang, I had more to say, but I have to go... (Wipe that look of relief from your face! :P) Later then. |
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| RumsGone | Jul 15 2006, 04:19 AM Post #2 |
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Captain
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Yes!! Great thread! I've been wondering about a lot of this myself. My own thoughts are bound to be a bit scrambled, but you do raise some great points. Jack does want to be admired--he wants to know what that tastes like. To be admired for his own deeds, and not because he managed to make up a story that made him look better than whatever the reality was. Jack thrives on attention, and respect is certainly the form of attention that he most craves. It really makes me wonder about when he looks at his compass before returning to the Pearl at the end. Was it pointing to the Pearl, because she's his one true love? Or to Elizabeth (more on that below)? Or was it pointing back to the Pearl because being there was the right thing to do, and the thing that would earn him respect, even if it cost him his life? (And think of the stories!--Jack would absolutely love being a legend. ).I do wonder too about that 'loathe to claim it' remark. One would certainly think that Jack would most want to find a way to save his butt, by finding the chest. However, we see that for Liz, the compass at times points to Jack. On Isla Cruces, as Jack comes near Liz, the compass points to her. There's tons of sexual tension, etc. between them...I'm sure we are at least partially supposed to think that Jack does want Liz, but is loathe to claim her for many reasons (not least of which is that he knows he'd probably be in over his head with her, LOL). But given the fact that Jack was having trouble with that compass from the very beginning, I think it was that he himself was somehow torn. Like in the other thread I wonder...could it be that Jack somehow fears having such complete mastery over the sea? Because after all, that's what the possession of the chest would give him. Jack likes to be self-sufficient, but I somehow don't think that he cares much for having power over others--real power, not just a momentary advantage. He seems to be a very much live-and-let-live sort. This probably makes no sense at all....just stuff off the top of my head.
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| Admin | Jul 16 2006, 12:38 PM Post #3 |
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unused account - do not PM
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Hadn't thought about the stories vs. reality... Good point!
Oh! I didn't see it like that at all. Could be... I just figured it was the being a good man that he was afraid to do. After all, nothing's easier than following the rules and thereby becoming good - but the sacrifice, especially to a man who's been so used to doing whatever he wants, is enormous.
With great power comes great responsibility. (And here I was thinking Norrie could do a pretty Spiderman dance...) And who wants responsibility, really?
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| d-rose | Jul 17 2006, 06:43 PM Post #4 |
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Swabbie
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Certainly not Jack-like persons, like me First of all; he may nog have been aware of it, and it certainly was't why he did it... but Jack running off from the BP being attacked by the Kraken can be considered an act of heroism and selfsacrifice. Although the happy outcome wasn't very likely; it could have drawn the terrible beasty's attention and so he might have left the BP and its crew to be. All saved by Jack's act of heroism- okay, I know it was not. But still, Liz had her opinion rather quick for a person who claims to have faith in Jack. It probably made her realize afterwards that it actually was the only thing to do and therefor made him do it. For ten years what Jack wanted most had been getting his Pearl back and so his compass pointed to Isla de Muerta. What did it point at during that year after he had regained his ship? Did it point to the prison where he could find his drawing of the key? (Btw, just a little sidetrip; why exactly did he want to have that drawing in the first place?! Did he know what was on it? Why was it important to him, did he fear DJ already? I think it must be so, yet he seems so surprised when he is told his time is up, as if he hadn't really expected it) If the compass had helped him by pointing to that prison it must have been quite suprising that it didn't do what appears to be logical next; pointing to whatever that key belongs to. That makes one wonder... He should want that chest, because it will save him. This may sound weird, but perhaps it is the pressure. Untill now Jack didn't have much to lose, but now his life is at stake. He now faces the biggest challenge of all and this time he is not able to talk himself out of it. This will not become a legend, but true history. That knowledge may have laid pressure on him and maybe -unaware of that himself- he didn't have much faith in what to do next. Perhaps faith is what the compass reacts to as well. Remember how Tia Dalma makes Jack believe in his jar of dirt? And how Elizabeth asks him "Ow Jack is that true" when he shows her his compass? The compass is special to people because it's praised as special. Since Jack gets into this terrible situation of wich he knows that certainly is not what he wants, his heart (or just his common sense if you want) tells him going after that chest is nuts (haha, couldn't resist) and therefor the compass shows him everywhere but the place of the chest. So he starts doubting and voilá, the compass seems to be unique as in the matter of being broken. As for Liz -with all the reactions from others about her and Jack, she gets confused about the compass too and by loosing her faith in it, it actually starts to fail on her. While Jack gets faith in it again when Liz is holding it. Therefor it works for him again and actually points to the chest, and not to Liz as many think. End of my rambling... Just a theory, I'm not sure it entirely works for me either
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"Mother's love, Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. It's bad luck."



).
(And here I was thinking Norrie could do a pretty Spiderman dance...) And who wants responsibility, really?
8:33 AM Jul 11