Locke, abandoned at birth by his fifteen year old mother, and later conned out of his kidney and later pushed out an 8 story window by his own father Anthony Cooper, has two central life stories that drive his actions. Both are arguably first line descendants of being an orphan.
First, he has always been attempting to find a home for himself, and often can be heard to say, "Don't tell me what I can't do." This response began cropping up as he was tested as a young orphan, even by Richard of the Others, and later in school when his classmates heckled and denigrated him for being a geek and an outsider. Arguably he ventured off on many questionable treks in his life in an effort to fit in.
His second life story is connected to the first. If his father was a first class con man, Locke is a first class pigeon. In an effort to find a home he often naively opens himself to others who eventually take advantage him. Beginning with the school children, and then on to his foray with a commune, people use and abuse him without ever giving him the respect he so dearly desires.
The two worst episodes, though, were dire. In middle age his father contacted him and convinced him to donate a kidney, after which he promptly abandoned him again. Rather than seek restitution, Locke often waited forlornly on the street outside his father's house, hoping to meet him again. Eventually, Cooper threw him out a window to his death in order to have done with him. Remarkably, Locke lived, although as a paraplegic. The tragic story of Cooper's cold hearted use of Locke is in many ways a fitting emblem of his totally unremarkable life up to that time.
But the latest manipulation in his life is by far the worst. When he landed on the island, Locke felt he had finally found his spiritual destiny. First, his legs were miraculously healed, and after spending a couple days pondering this strange turn of events, he decided he had become a "Man of Faith", and believed that it was his destiny to be on the Island, and that everything was happening for a reason. ("Pilot, Part 1")("Exodus, Part 2")
And clearly the island was communicating with him. He could sense when it was about to rain, and he was not only the first person to see the Smoke Monster, but one of the few to survive it. He survived accidents which would have maimed or killed another man, and his faith lent him a calm and self-assurance he never possessed.
Unfortunately his blind faith eventually led him down his life long path of the coerced. So sure that the island was a source of the benevolent spiritual kinship he always wanted, awash in the sense of destiny of his newfound condition and growing influence and power, Locke failed to consider that not all influences are positive. Eventually he fell prey to Dark, Jacob's adversary, and after multiple meetings he became the island's biggest patsy, literally used body and soul by the Dark forces in
the manner from which he's run all his life.While Locked thought he found his destiny, it turned out it was the same tired story he'd been victim to all his life. He was used and coerced to accomplish the exact opposite of what he would have wanted, if given the eyes to see.
But we have a feeling that not all is finished regarding the story of John Locke. As sometimes friend Jack says, "I wouldn't count him out." Neither would we. We have two reasons to hope; first, we have a time traveling Locke, and second, don't ever tell him what he can't do. We're hoping that's exactly what Dark did the last time they met.
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