Andrea has started a thread (http://www.thefuselage.com/threaded/index.php?topic=14303.0) to critique Shannon.* Please direct posts there that cannot be added to the list below.* Also, this is a perfect opportunity to discover new things to add to this list and maybe even use some things found here!* I encourage all to join the topic!


Shannon fans, gather 'round!* We all have experienced situations in which Shannon is bashed.* We all need to stand up for our gal, but some of us aren't brazen enough to do so because we're afraid we don't have a good enough defense.* I've begun to compile a list of ways to argue that Shannon isn't as she appears.* Please add your thoughts and your own defenses!

Boone/Shannon:*

Conning Boone was wrong, plain and simple, but we don't know Shannon's side of the story.* Let's look at some examples:*

1) Remember when "House of the Rising Sun" aired and most people thought Jin was a murderer?* When the episode "...In Translation" aired we found out that Jin actually saved a man's life.
2) Lots of people thought Michael had abandoned Walt, while this was not the case.* It took a Michael POV flashback to find out that Michael truly wanted to be Walt's father.

Also, most of the castaways have conned people and murdered.* Shannon conning Boone out of money hardly compares to murder.* While we don't know if the story about Boone's mother ripping off Shannon is true, we do know that Boone did not object to that statement.

On sex:* It takes two to tango.* To lay the blame on Shannon is completely unfair and wrong.* Shannon was drunk.* Don't try to argue that she wasn't drunk.* Boone stated several times that she was drunk.

On Shallowness:

Boone mentioned that Shannon was/is bulimic.* Many teenage girls turn to bulimia because they feel they have no control.* The only way to gain control is by controlling their appearance.* Shannon deals with her emotions and problems by altering her appearance--that's her coping mechanism.* Everyone copes with traumas (i.e. your plane crashing on a not-so-deserted island) differently.* Shannon is going to deal with this trauma by giving herself a pedicure and tanning.* Well, how about after the crash?* Boone and Shannon grew up together.* Siblings know how to cause each other the most pain.* Boone quite frequently calls Shannon "useless."* I think this is something Shannon is used to being told, and now she believes it herself.* She's going to cope by controlling her looks.

The Defense Mechanism:* By not being the nicest person in the world, Shannon doesn't have to get close to people.* Obviously, something has had to happen in Shannon's past to make her distrust people.* She pushes people away with insults and negative actions so she doesn't have to worry about how they'll treat her.* She doesn't have to trust anyone.

On Being Unintelligent:

Shannon is intelligent.* She speaks French, albeit not perfectly, and can tie knots (which is useful when stranded on Mystery Frickin' Craphole Island).* To con Boone out of money implies that Shannon is smart.* In one episode, I believe she was reading a science and technology magazine.

On Being Self-Centered:

Shannon being self-centered is clearly a front put up to protect herself (from what, I don't know).* She has shown concern for Boone.* In WtCMB when Boone and Locke hadn't returned, she expressed her concern to Kate.* In "Numbers", Shannon also seemed genuinely worried about Sayid.

Even in the Pilot we saw that Shannon felt badly about being mean to the man at the gate whose dead body she found on the beach.

Also occuring in the Pilot, Charlie asks if anyone has any sunblock.* Shannon gives a bottle of it to him.

The Low Self-Esteem Aspect:

Shannon has self-esteem issues.* She was/is bulimic.* People with a good level of self-esteem do not usually become bulimic.

When Shannon and Sayid were working on translating the maps, Sayid got frustrated because the translations did not make sense.* Shannon immediately took personal offense to the statement, and jumped to defend herself with "It's not my nonsense."



These are just a few things I've gathered on the board and from my own thoughts.* Please add your own here as well!'

ETA:* Other people's comments.

Those are all really good points. Next time I see someone bashing our girl, I'll bring that up. Thanks, theG!

Very nice points TheG!* I've said from the beginning that Shannon was going to be a fascinating character to see develop, and I think we're starting to see that.* Every character on this show is complex....what we see on the surface is not all there is.* You can tell from Shannon's reactions to various situations that she actually is a caring person, that she wants to contribute in some way, but she is emotionally damaged (as most of the characters are...Shannon just manifests hers differently than some...her attitude is her defense mechanism).* * What we know of her conning Boone is from his side of the story....we have yet to hear Shannon's actual view of things.* *Now that she is estranged from Boone, she is starting to show more of who she really is as a person.

*applauds* Good job, Yoda. ;D

Go G! Your rule! ;D and for those who hate Shannon, Your All Just Jealous because shes prettier than you -sticks tongue out at BASHers-

Yup, I agree, nice work. *I don't think it will change many peoples mind about her though. *Opinions seem to have been formed and are hard to shift. *Honestly, I really dont see what she has done that is so bad that people hate her. *I would say it was how she was portrayed in H&M, but most of the negative opinions were formed way before then. *So she doesn't do much to help - if anything, but then neither does Sawyer and people love him! *At least Shannon doesn't hoard necessary stuff and make people trade with him to get it.

I'm probably just biased though as I have liked her since the first episode. *She's very much like me in a lot of ways. *I hide the fact that I am lacking in confidence behind a tough exterior, and people are always really surprised when they get to know me properly and realise that I am very shy and unsure of myself. *The fish example is a good one too. *Boone was belittling her yet again, and Shannon was determined to prove him wrong, so she persuaded Charlie to catch her a fish. *Good on her girl is all I can say, Charlie was giving all the macho posturing trying to point out for the zillionth time that he was a Rock star and she was like 'yeah whatever, can you catch me a fish' *

To me that showed resourcefulness, she didn't know how to actually do it herself so she did the next best thing and flattered the guy with the huge need for everyone to know that he is 'somebody famous' into doing it for her. *She was just playing the game and it worked! *We've all done it to some extent with parents, boyfriends, husbands etc, flattered them into giving us what we want.

I think the Charlie-fish thing was blown out of proportion as well. She merely asked to go for a walk. She didn't offer him anything. We all know now that Charlie's done his own bit of using people. He should hardly been seen as a "victim."

Especially considering that Charlie dearest didn't catch the fish, he roped Hurley into doing it. If anyone should be pitied for being used it Hurley.

I've noticed that Shannon only gets manipulative after something I call *Boone Attack*. When Boone attacks her she retaliates. Now who knows who started the antagonism between Shannon and Boone but they seem to feed off the bad vibes between each other. It would do Shannon good to get away from him for awhile.

Especially considering that Charlie dearest didn't catch the fish, he roped Hurley into doing it. If anyone should be pitied for being used it Hurley.

I've noticed that Shannon only gets manipulative after something I call *Boone Attack*. When Boone attacks her she retaliates. Now who knows who started the antagonism between Shannon and Boone but they seem to feed off the bad vibes between each other. It would do Shannon good to get away from him for awhile.




You're right, and I think we are seeing now exactly how much good it's doing Shannon spending time away from Boone. She is blossoming and smiling instead of frowning and making catty remarks

Especially considering that Charlie dearest didn't catch the fish, he roped Hurley into doing it. If anyone should be pitied for being used it Hurley.

I've noticed that Shannon only gets manipulative after something I call *Boone Attack*. When Boone attacks her she retaliates. Now who knows who started the antagonism between Shannon and Boone but they seem to feed off the bad vibes between each other. It would do Shannon good to get away from him for awhile.




My real life friends and I have talked about this before......Shannon is very different when she's not around Boone, and Boone says very cruel things to her at times. It does seem the only time she acts really bratty (for lack of a better word at the moment), is in reaction to some hurtful thing Boone said to her or about her. We've seen a totally different side of her around Sayid. I agree that getting away from Boone for a while is really good for her.....I actually think she has more to contribute than Boone does. Not that I don't like Boone, but he has seriously failed at just about everything he's tried to do. I think of him as the island's Barney Fife.

You all make brilliant points!

*realizes she forgot to put in Shannon's knot-tying abilities*

Boone calls Shannon useless and worthless, when it's really HE who feels useless, like no one takes him seriously, and have we really seen him doing anything successfully? He failed to do CPR correctly, he didn't rescue the drowning girl, he made major enemies with the little water fiasco. To make himself look/feel better, he brings Shannon down lower than himself -- at least that way, he's not the worst person on the island. He's probably always felt intimidated by her, somewhat, and treated her this way, thus Shannon believes the lies he's fed her about herself.

Excellent points, tatertot.

I just went back and watched a scene from the Pilot. Shannon felt badly about being mean to the dead guy on the beach.

Boone calls Shannon useless and worthless, when it's really HE* who feels useless, like no one takes him seriously, and have we really seen him doing anything successfully?* He failed to do CPR correctly, he didn't rescue the drowning girl, he made major enemies with the little water fiasco.* To make himself look/feel better, he brings Shannon down lower than himself -- at least that way, he's not the worst person on the island.* He's probably always felt intimidated by her, somewhat, and treated her this way, thus Shannon believes the lies he's fed her about herself.*



I never thought about it from that angle before, but the view from there is soo much clearer! Boone displacing his negative emotions and fears onto Shannon are a method of dominance and of control over her, almost as a way of relatiation not only from what happened in Australia but because he always looked after her.

In Hearts and Minds he wanted to tell Shannon about the hatch, because he beleived that she was "smart and special", which is odd because the way he treated her did not signify that he thought of her as either smart or special. Locke was the one who hit the hammer on the head when he suggested that Boone "hates the way [Shannon] makes [him] feel."

So it could be that Boone is either transforming his violent emotions of love into a method of belittlement, or he is masquing his own inability to survive by belittlment.

Let's look at what Shannon has done on the island
1- translating the transmission
2- translating the maps
3- told Claire about Ethan (this is another controversial topic)
4- Helped out with the raft using her nautical skills
5- In Special, she particpated in a rather important group discussion with Sayid, Jack and Micheal ... possibly signifying her elevation in the group

When one looks at what she's accomplished she done alot more than other surivivor, lest we forget that there are 46 (?) other castaways on the island. Shannon does not have to go Xena Warrior Princess to prove that she's worthwhile.

Guys, I could write a kickin essay on this. ;)

I definitely encourage you to write an essay about it. I think it would be excellent.

The problem is that because one could go indepth with the character of Shannon, teh it would become a Theses. However, I accept the challenge so long as I have willing Beta's to pick at thoughts with. I think it will probably be something along the lines of Shannon's insecurity and how it relates to Boone and her role on the island. Dude, that still needs to be a bit more focused.

Give me a week.

Ms. Bossypants, the Grammar Nazi, will edit anything you need edited. ;D

It is almost scary how addictive grammar can be when given a chance.

By the way, I'm almost 100% postive that in Whatever the Case May Be, Shannon was reading a technical magazine when Sayid approached her. Whether this means that she is expanding her knowledge base or that she ran out of fluff reading material would be interesting to learn.

As it was stated earlier, Shannon does have to be smart to scam her brother so many times. However a thought has no struck me.

It does not seem that Shannon had pulled the 'abusive' boyfriends before Australia. Boone was clearly uneasy with the police and was not sure how to deal with them or what they would do, and Shannon clearly wasn't fully prepared for Boone's actions. I beleive, that when Shannon learned about Boone paying off her lovers she became incensed and used that as a method to turn the tables.

The fact that Shannon seemed unprepared for Boone to arrive so earlier on the second day and that he would brawl with Bryan seems that she truly did not expect for her venture to 'go down' that way.

I don't know what this thought means, but it's just been bothering me for awhile.

It does not seem that Shannon had pulled the 'abusive' boyfriends before Australia. Boone was clearly uneasy with the police and was not sure how to deal with them or what they would do, and Shannon clearly wasn't fully prepared for Boone's actions. I beleive, that when Shannon learned about Boone paying off her lovers she became incensed and used that as a method to turn the tables.


I'd been considering that, but I don't feel it's something you can bring up with a HOTS (as we call them in NAILS now) and have them understand the POV. I agree with the statement, though.

I keep forgetting about this.

in the pilot, Hurley asks if anyone has sun block, and immediately, Shannon says she has some, and gives him a whole bottle. Another good thing Shannon has done!

Are we 100% about this, Taylor!? If so, I'll post it in the first post.

I'd retract it but I think it's something that the public needs to consider... *:lol2:

I find it interesting that Shannon is considered to be the main female villian of the show considering that Kate has killed someone, and held up a bank to get a friggin plane. I'm not against Kate, I like her very much, but I don't understand how Shannon is more of a villian than Kate. Danielle who kiiled off her entire team *is considered more tragic than Shannon.

I just don't get it.

Silly people, tricks are for kids


Taylor: Welcome to the section! By the by, it was Charlie who asked for sunblock, but good point. I'm not being picky, I just wrote a fanfic about Shannon's first days on the island so I am now intimately knowledgable of the Pilots.

We haven't heard Shannon's side of the story yet, so people are going to act like she's the villainous female.* I think it's pure crap, but...eh.* I definitely think there's also some animosity towards Shannon because of her looks.* Sawyer and Shannon seem to have very much in common, yet people swoon for Sawyer and insult Shannon.

Edited because aye kaynt spiel.

And why is that? Becasue our society is so ingrained to believe that a woman must be demure, sweet, and virginal that when she strays from the hallowed path she is villified.

Kate, Sun and Claire appear to be the girl next door, who constantly needs affection, attention and most of all, a helping hand. This isn't a bad thing at all, but it is easy to see how Shannon can be targeted when compared to them.

Quite simply, Shannon stands out. What with her (as I once heard mentioned) "cheerleader" genes, expensive clothes, and dare I say it?... attitude how can she not be noticed.

I realize that this is more a comment on the fans of the show than the character of Shannon, but this is something that needs to be investigated. Shannon can only be truly understood when her fans, and anti-fans, are understood as well.

I think that in a way, JJ and the other writer were right to leave the background of Shannon's story alone. This not only creates discussion about her character, but there is also a shadowed focus on her. The down side of this is, that people perceptions of her will take awhile to change.

???

Because all of the things you say are true, I feel I really relate to Shannon.

Goddardly post, Lepeka. Just lovely.

That... Is truly... A Compliment... :o

Thanks..

I find it ironic that though that it is the media who was expounded the ideals of feminity and stereotypes, I am able to indentify and negate these media ideals with a character who is created by the media... I don't know, but this sort of boggles the mind.

G- everytime I'm read to log off, thinking that no one will respond... There you are with a beacon of hope... Gush. :angel:

;D* My life is disecting characters (EDIT: Mainly the characters I'm intrigued by...).* I'm fascinated by what makes these people tick.* I couldn't care less about numbers and the supernatural and sci-fi--those are just sort of the catalyst.

I've been amazed at how people who have in the past bashed Jin and Michael and Sawyer BEFORE they learned their whole story..then we find out that Jin is not a hired killer, Michael didn't just abandon Walt and Sawyer has a heavy guilt burden to deal with...

But even knowing all that and having been burned they refuse to wait and give Shannon the same benefit of the doubt. We don't know why she is the way she is.

Reserve judgement people.

Hear, hear, elfdream! Do you mind if I use your Michael example?

No...go ahead. Feel free. ;)

I'm the same, but only about characters that are seldom reflected on. I always discover something new about myself by disecting a character. I mean with the exception of my hardheadedness, I have nothing in common with Shannon at all; in fact, I was teased my entire life who girls who resembled her *-- yet, I can't help but identify and understand Shannon.

I get Shannon way more than I get Kate.

Elfdream: Interesting you mention that, didn't Harold Perreinu (sp?) state that he believed that Micheal had kidnapped Walt and that he was surprised when he received Special.

He may have...I don't know anything about that one. I just remember people were assuming all kinds of negative stuff about Michael..and Jin.

I'm glad people like this thread. I hope it can come in handy. I'd like to thank everyone for their comments. I'm going to try to sum some of them up to put into the first post for easy access, but I'll ask for permission first.

*is also enjoying the feminism as she rarely sees it in RL*

I love this thread, love the feminism. Very cool defenses of and insights into Shannon and the double standards she faces in the fandom. I've used many of them myself here. It is so interesting and telling how Shannon is treated in comparison to the other characters, especially Sawyer. It's just another example of how far society has to go in treating females fairly and not rushing to judgment of people they hardly know. The vast majority of the criticism I see of her reeks of sexism, presumption and harsh, superficial judgmentalism.

I think it's a totally valid opinion to not like Shannon or any character, and the disliking doesn't bother me, but the sexism is sad to see because of what it reflects of the real world we are living in.



By all means people can hate Shannon, so long as they do it with accurate knowledge and with grace (aka not constantly flashing it in my face..irk)

It's interesting that Shannon has done many things on the island yet is villified, yet Sawyer does almost nothing and he is glorfied because *boohoo* he's misunderstood.

People hate Shannon because her first few hours on the island were spent doing a pedicure, yet Sawyer's first few hours were spent rifling through the belongings of the living and of the dead... Hmm... Who is greater villian in this scenario?

I don't dislike Sawyer, infact I pretty much adore most of the characters. But to see Sawyer rose to such level of admiration while we NAILS have to constantly defend Shannon irks me.

I really like the point about Shannon giving Charlie sunblock. I don't know why, I just think it was a very sweet thing for her to do. If I was stranded on an island, one thing I would definately want to have is sunblock and I would be very reluctant to give it away....

I don't know if my defense of Shannon has anything to do with feminism or not. Its just about fairness. I try to be fair and I also will point out to others when they are NOT being fair....but sometimes they honestly don't see it and need a little ..ahem..push.

I don't care if they wind up liking a character or not. I just want them to admit their own bias. ;D

Whoever said this, has hit the nail right on the head I think, Boone knows that Shannon is far more competent than he could ever hope to be, so he dispels his own feelings of inadequacy (sp?) away by pushing them on to Shannon. By constantly telling her how useless and stupid she is, he is in fact doing what a lot of abusive partners do, its called mental abuse, and if you hear something enough times you end up believing it.

Maybe to a certain degree he also wanted Shannon to feel that she needed to rely on him for everything, that she wasn't capable of doing anything herself. That could very easily explain the pedicure bit too. If Shannon has spent her entire formative years feeling that she is incapable of looking after herself and needs Boone then why would she even think of doing anything remotely helpful or useful, she would simply sit and wait for Boone to either do it for her or tell her what she should be doing.

A lot of the time, people who use that form of mental abuse end up despising the person they have forced the abused to become and so will ridicule or humiliate them for acting and reacting in the way they have in fact trained them to do - case in point is the fish incident. Boone was ridiculing Shannon for not being able to provide for herself food wise, when she has never had to do so before, or even has never probably been 'allowed' to do so, so Shannon set off to prove to Boone in the only way she knew how, that she could do it. Of course, her way of doing it is to once again rely on somebody else.

If Shannon was guilty of 'using' Charlie at that point, then Charlie was just as guilty of macho posturing, and in turn used Hurley to catch it for him so he could impress Shannon - note he didn't admit that he hadn't caught it himself.

Boones comments about Shannon being special were made to somebody else, he knows she is clever, beyond anything he could hope to be, but he won't admit it to Shannon as the knowledge might set her free from his need to possess her. It has taken the attention of the most unlikeliest of people to show Shannon that she is capable of looking after herself and contributing to the group as a whole, and that can only be a good thing.

Lastly, I just wanted to adress the Shannon telling Claire about Ethan thing. I realyy didn't get the feeling at all that she was being bitchy or nasty when she told her. I think she just saw Claire's need to know what was going on, and as somebody who has been 'protected' all her life, she felt that Claire deserved that honesty. I really dont think it was a clever idea on the part of the others to try and hide it from Claire anyway. You cannot face up to situations and work them through in your head(or even just get your memory back) unless you are given triggers or the facts as they are known to work with. I say YAY SHANNON for being the only person prepared to tell the girl the truth she wanted to know!

::ends essay:: ;)

EDIT: Excellent post, Nic. ;D


I don't know if my defense of Shannon has anything to do with feminism or not. Its just about fairness. I try to be fair and I also will point out to others when they are NOT being fair....but sometimes they honestly don't see it and need a little ..ahem..push.

I don't care if they wind up liking a character or not. I just want them to admit their own bias. ;D




Feminism is the radical notion that women are people and deserve equal and fair treatment--the same treatment as their male counterparts.* It may not have been intended to be taken as "feminist-y", but I think any issue regarding the sexism Shannon faces will give off feminist-y vibes.

So, why does Shannon act so defensive?

We have yet to determine that. If you had read my first post, you would have seen that ::) . I've quoted it for you.


The Defense Mechanism:* By not being the nicest person in the world, Shannon doesn't have to get close to people.* Obviously, something has had to happen in Shannon's past to make her distrust people.* She pushes people away with insults and negative actions so she doesn't have to worry about how they'll treat her.* She doesn't have to trust anyone.

Why is Sawyer so defensive? Why didn't Sun let anyone know she spoke English for such a long time? Why does Charlie babble and hang onto Claire? Why is Kate so deceptive?

Because they ALL have past issues! Shannon has issues..we just don't know what they are yet.

Yes.* And we're faced with a prime example of how Shannon is getting singled out with her actions.* People only question why she does things.* How are we supposed to know?* We don't know the answer, but we will find out--of that I'm sure.* I don't understand why people can't just scratch the surface.* Nothing on LOST is ever as it seems.

I think another reason people are so hard on Shannon is because of what I like to call the "I Was a Loser/a Nerd/Ugly/Fat/Awkward/Etc. in High School Aspect."* In high school, the girl males wanted to be with was Shannon.* Shannon was the girl the females wanted to be like or be in Shannon's "inner circle."* The high school aspect has some painful memories tied to it and causes people to form unfair preconceptions about Shannon.

"I knew a girl just like Shannon in high school and she *insert painful memory*.* She was spoiled, mean, self-centered, and shallow.* She's still the same now and..."* The thing is, if you hadn't been in the inner circle with this attractive, popular person how do you know what she was really like?* How do you know this person was spoiled, or self-centered, or shallow, or truly mean?* How do you know it's not just a front?* It's more likely to be insecurity than anything else.

This is usually the time I quote Atticus from To Kill a Mocking Bird, but I don't know the exact quote so I'll say this: You never truly know a person or understand his or her actions until you experience things from that person's POV.

Fortunately for us LOST fans, we get a chance to do that every week.

i think he said something about "you have to walk around in their shoes".
I love that book ;D

i think the death will most likely be Sayid (or Boone), which will probaly unravel some of Shannon's past. Just when she meets someone that can actually help her change, they die, and she falls back on Boone.

Hearts and Mind aired again tonight and I tried to take a critcal look at our girl Shannon.

the problem? I am now, even more, sure that Shannon is mis-represented in Boone's memory

She looked guilty and sad when Boone figured out the plot, she was frightened when Bryan started beating on Boone and she seemed geuininly worried about Boone in the hallucination and the actual episode.

I don't know, but I'm still a firm beleiver in Shannon

Hearts and Mind aired again tonight and I tried to take a critcal look at our girl Shannon.

the problem? I am now, even more, sure that Shannon is mis-represented in Boone's memory

She looked guilty and sad when Boone figured out the plot, she was frightened when Bryan started beating on Boone and she seemed geuininly worried about Boone in the hallucination and the actual episode.

I don't know, but I'm still a firm beleiver in Shannon


Look at how everyone misrepresented Jin because of what they saw in Sun's flashback! Oh no..he's a hired killer for the Korean Mafia!

Give Shannon the same break.

Hey, don't get me wrong, she made a great dead body in last night's repeat....

;)

Please, if you don't have anything to add to this thread, don't post here.

New Shannon defenses:

"Well, Javi likes Shannon!* :P"

"Raggs likes Shannon* :P."

Haha! G...You are so proud of them coming to the NAILs thread, aren't you?

I totally agree with what Lepeka said. It's not as if Shannon totally didn't care about Boone. I felt she genuinely cared from him from what I saw in H&M. I mean....sure she blackmailed him, and slept with him...but it was the little looks she gave him...and even in All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues...she was worried when he went out on the search.

I'm quite proud of them coming to the NAILS thread.* Nicholee pimps our group like no other, and Nic mentioned it (with a link) in a question to Ian Somerhalder.* VIP members rock.

I think Nicholee rocks! :-*

Shannon may have seemed kinda like a snob at the beginning of the show, but heck, I loved her then!!!!!

I think her character has grown so much on the show, and she is one of the most genuine people now. I can't wait to see her character progress and grow more and more as the show goes on.

I LOVE SHANNON!!!!!!!!!

NOTE:* Before you post in this thread, ask yourself this question:* Do I have anything nice or helpful to add?* If the answer is "no" then I ask that you please not post in this thread.* Thanks* :)* .


It's great that you love Shannon, but you haven't really added anything. I really want this to be a thread that isn't jam-packed with Shannon defend-y goodness.

Well you know what, theG? I think the art of defending Shannon is saying that she is great, how she is one of the most genuine people, how much she has changed. I was DEFENDING HER.

And if you don't want it jam-packed with defend-y goodness, then why does the thread have DEFENDING in it?

I don't care. I'll post what I want, and I LOVE SHANNON!

So Take That! ::)

You need to read the FAQ and lurk on the board some more. Saying you like Shannon is not defending her--it's stating your opinion.

I came here because G gave me the link a few days back when I was defending Shannon on a board (Speaking of which, TheG, the fanfic about Sayid and Sawyer (you know which one I'm talking about ;)) is coming along nicely. ) Anyway, hes something I thought I should point out. For all those bashers who still think shes a self centered litle brat- SHE IS 20 ?YEARS OLD!!!!! First of all, it is a proven fact that the mind is not fully developed until 25. Secondly, shes bound to have made big mistakes recently; shes so young. How many people, at 20, made really bad mistakes, or were still insecure about themselves? Shes can't be more than 3 years out of high school (unless she skipped a grade, which would then be coming to her defence by proving she was smart). And three years out of high school, most people still don't have a steady boyfriend, alot of them are still living in dorms, plenty of people don't have a real job yet (working in Burger King doesn't count... sorry if that offended anyone.... :() and most of all, they still don't know who they are yet. Hows that for defense? ;) ;D

Personally, I'm only 19 and I'm no where near as rational as Shannon can sometimes be. Shannon has clearly had many issues to deal with in her life which made her grow up too fast. Shannon is still very much a insecure girl in a woman's body. How many times as she simply broken down when the pressure was on her. She's not used to being the person who people look to, or at, in desperate times. On the island she has been repeatedly asked to step up and prove herself and each time she has. She may have teared up, or freaked out before doing so, but regardless, she still did it. It's like a Newton law or something, every action has an equal reaction.

Shannon freaks out after the plane crash (her screaming) and then she recoperates by painting her nails.
Shannon feels worthless so she participates in the hike
Shannon freaks out once again but eventually translates the french transmission
Shannon is once agian told that she cannot fend for herself so she retaliates the only way she knows how, enter Charlie and the fish *coughandHurleywhocaughtthefishcough*

People who call Shannon worthless or stupid clearly are watching the show with one eye closed.

I ask all of you to not respond to any posts that may stir up debate concerning people's speculation about Shannon.* It would be nice if that could be a separate thread.* Thanks.

I believe Andrea wanted to debate whether Shannon was a well-developed character or not. She contends no, but I would like to argue yes. (Though I will say up-front, I'm not as eloquent a debator as you, Andrea.)

Why does Shannon's lack of a flashback episode make her "less developed" than some of the other characters? We don't have per POV on life yet, but as a writer who has studied screenwriting, it's not a mark of bad writing that she hasn't had her own episode; there are other characters who have had their own flashbacks about whom we know as little as we do about Shannon. But to stay on the topic of Shannon, her character has developed pretty far without a flashback -- and IMO, that's almost more impressivethat she's been changing more subtly than say, Charlie very predictably tossing his heroin in the fire.

Like almost everyone else in the world, I didn't pay much attention to Shannon at the start of the series, other than to think she was a lazy, unfeeling **BEEP** for sitting around painting her nails, refusing to eat, and tanning. (Others have contended that the nail-painting is a coping mechanism, with which I agree, but for now, let's stick to character development.) Her early scenes in the pilot tell us 1, Shannon is self-absorbed; 2, Shannon and Boone have a hostile relationship (or, at least, Shannon is hostile to Boone).

But we do get another side of Shannon later in the Pilot, when she's staring at the bodies. She and Boone have another tiff, we see that Boone's frustrated with her, we learn that Shannon threw a hissy fit on the plane about not getting to sit in first class (this is kind of a flashback). But this is the first glimmer we get of Shannon being somewhat human: she acknowledges that in not giving them the first class seats, the flight attendant unwittingly saved her life. She is remorseful for treating him so badly -- especially since he died and she did not. I'm not going into what really moves Shannon here, because it could be argued that she doesn't want to deal with guilt . But this is character development: Shannon isn't entirely without pity or remorse for her own actions.

In this same scene, Shannon gets so fed up with Boone pushing her that she decides to go "on the hike" through the jungle with Kate and Sayid. Whether she knew what they were doing or really wanted to be help is also debatable, but to get up and do a strenuous activity is another bit of characterization: she's not totally lazy, and she feels a need to prove that to Boone and to others.

As it turns out, it's fortunate she goes along, since she speaks French. And here we get more background info about her, another "flashback" if you will, that Shannon spent a year in Paris, presumably a study abroad program, which turned into partying. Already we've learned more about Shannon's past than most of the other characters, except possibly Sayid, whom we've already learned was in the RG.

I could go on and on with an episode-by-episode analysis of Shannon, but I don't have that kind of time. I will summarize by saying that in many of the following episodes, we learn a lot about Shannon by how she reacts to people, especially Boone. I can think of several instances when Boone insults her where Shannon tears up and actually looks very hurt by his words. Perhaps Boone is justified in saying these things, and perhaps he doesn't mean them, but is merely extremely frustrated with Shannon, but she obviously takes them to heart .

I think specifically of their interaction in "Whatever the Case May Be," in which Boone calls her useless, says they're a joke, and she looks very upset. Immediately after this, Sayid asks Shannon to help him translate. She gets defensive with him, because she thinks he's making fun of her. But once he assures her he really needs her help, and that he believes she can do it, Shannon becomes more civil. She displays her lack of confidence again and again in the following scenes with the map translations, finally blowing up at Sayid when she thinks he's personally attacking her. "It's not MY nonsense," she says, and leaves. But what is interesting to me about Shannon in this episode is that SHE goes back to Sayid. She might easily have never spoken to him again, thinking he owes her an apology, but she goes to him and explains herself. She even tells him about a personal experience. She makes herself vulnerable to him, even though earlier he hurt her. That it was unintentional doesn't matter -- the fact is, Shannon goe her feelings hurt , yet she was the one to patch things up with Sayid. No, she didn't actually say "I'm sorry," but she made enough of an impression on Sayid that he comes to her the next day or the day after with a present for her.

And it looks as though she and Sayid spend most, if not all, of that day together: at the end of "Hearts and Minds," they are talking amiably, laughing. Even though it's subtle, it counts as character development. If Sayid can stand to spend a whole day with Shannon, she must not be entirely disagreeable. (After all, he tends to avoid other disagreeable people, like Sawyer -- or fights with them.) They must have found something to talk about. And it's one of the first times we've ever seen Shannon laugh, except the golf game, when she was laughing at a situation.

Also, I have to say, I hated Shannon the first time I watched H&M because I considered it completely from Boone's POV. The next time I watched it, I tried to be more unbiased. What Shannon did to Boone was inexcusable, but there were hints that she did feel badly about it. When Boone discovered she'd used him -- and connected the dots with the previous two times he'd paid guys off -- a pang of guilt crossed Shannon's expression. Maybe she was just sorry she got caught; but the second time, it occurred to me that Shannon, being only 20 years old, might honestly have thought, what Boone doesn't know won't hurt him. As long as he thought he was just paying off her scuzzy boyfriends, he only thought she had serious judgment issues and was selfish. But now that he knows she scammed him -- she knows she hurt him. Shannon does start crying in the scene -- and she gets upset at Brian for hitting Boone. No, she's not sorry ENOUGH. But I think it's obvious she's somewhat sorry. She does go get smashed (granted, after Brian scams HER). But at least there is empathy. Her cold treatment of Boone the next day can indicate she's callous, but it can also indicate she's ashamed of herself and hiding it with a hard mask.

I believe the next -- and last -- interaction we get with Shannon and Boone is in "Special". Shannon tells Boone she wants to start helping out with the projects. I have to believe this was true, since in the previous scene she was with Sayid, Jack, and Michael discussing the maps. Even t hough her comments were trivial ("the fish song", "I get really seasick"), she's still participating. And in screenplay, you don't get the entire conversation. It's likely she said other things that were more helpful, but they don't have time on screen for everything. The conversation she has with Boone is strange; I'm not quite sure what to make of it, because he is trying to get over her, and she tries to sweet-talk him when she sees he doesn't believe her. But still, we do see she is becoming more helpful, as Sayid has boosted her confidence. I will also add that maybe she was trying to manipulate Boone again, and that could be taken as either a regression or a sign that she hasn't relaly changed much; but how can we expect her to have totally changed her view of Boone or the way she treats him? Locke didn't smear a hallucinogen on her head and tell her she needs to let go. Just kidding. Seriously, she isn't quite as hostile to him -- I think her acceptance from the others has changed how she speaks to him, she's trying to be nice, but when he doesn't take the bait, she resorts to the old manipulativeness. We also can't really blame her for being slightly hostile about him not bringing food back. And Boone's tacky comment about her bulimia is really low, I think the worst thing he's ever said to her. Remarkably, Shannon doesn't insult him back. (Remember, this is "I'll eat on the rescue boat" girl.) I think the whole scene shows she is a 3-D character. She has that old side, but she also has the more friendly, funny, helpful side we just saw with Jack and Sayid -- and she's learning to hold her tongue.

Which brings me to my final point, "In Translation." We see her old hostile side again when Sayid breaks things off with her because of Boone's warning. 1, because Boone has told the truth about her, and 2, because she's embarrassed for Sayid to know that side of her. She's genuinely upset, and as we see in her exchange with Locke, she genuinely likes Sayid. It's the first time she realizes the past CAN be put behind her.

Anyway, this post has gone on long enough. I don't have time to analyze Shannon's character development scene-by-scene, though I wish I did.


-This quote, from mrstter, is from the topic 'Critiquing Shannon Rutherford'. I think it may be the best analysis of Shannon so far, with specific examples, etc etc. I don't know if someone else has posted this, or something, but I felt the need to quote it here where it will def. be appreciated.

Thanks, Alden :) . It will definitely be helpful. I'll be sure to update the first post soon, with mrstarter's permission, when I have the time.

TheG - I defended her by talking about how much she's grown.

Okay, well, if you feel you've said something that hasn't been said her go back and edit your post with what you said; I'll try to work it in the guide. Also, it's not really the nicest thing to talk about other posters, so it would be cool if you could remove your comment.

:)

gogi told me he/she would delete that post* :( .* I PMed gogi.* Nicholee, could you please delete your post?

She. I'm a she :P ;)

I think Shannon may have needed the money - either blackmail, or for something really important. I had a theory she eneded the money for a high-class PI to find out who murdered her father (if, indeed, that's how he died). There will be a reason, I know it.