I believe the little girl, Annie, who befriends Ben when he is a little boy, grows up to be Harper, the psychiatrist who was married to Goodwin.
First, she resembles Annie.
Secondly, Harper does not seem to be a first name.
Thirdly, in "The Other Woman" when she confronts Juliet about ending the relationship with Goodwin, she mentions that Ben is interested in Juliet because she resembles his mother. Ben first tells Locke that he was one of the people "who was born on the island," yet recants this when he explains the mass murder of the Dharma initiative and of course we see the flashback to his birth which was not on the island. However, he must maintain the idea that he was born on the island so his followers see him as a true leader. The fact that Harper is aware about Ben's mother and her appearance reifies the idea that Ben may have told her about this when she was a child or she saw the picture of her when they would play at his house.
This is the ONLY possible way for Harper to know what Ben's mother looks like unless she was alive. Were Ben to tell anyone about his mother if would lead to questions about her whereabouts and that he wasn't really born on the island. Even though Ben saw his mother on the island when he was a child does not mean that she is alive on the island. This would not affirm Ben's psychology in anyway. These below reasons elaborate on why Ben's mother is not on the island.
1. He is defined an a villain first and foremost by the death of his mother and him being the supposed cause of it.
2. He is unable to show love and establish meaningful relationships with people on the island. All of his true familial relationships he destroys. The love he has for Alex is trumped by the fact that he kidnapped her and deprived her of a maternal relationship in the same way he was deprived of his. This is also established by the mean words he said to her right before her death. I give a nod to the gentleman who wrote that Ben has been in these situations before (the whispers signal events that have already happened)and the fact that the killing of his daughter was unexpected and these are the only words he can muster establish his inability to understand and express love.
3. Had his mother been alive on the island, Alex at the very least would have a grandmother. We know the only familial relationship tie she has to anyone before meeting Danielle is Ben.
4. Like Locke, Ben has to sever all familial ties before he can become the leader of the island through patricide. We can imagine that Richard told Ben the same speech about killing his father that Ben told Locke.
None of these things would have happened had Ben's mother been on the island. Even Freud would agree that the loss of Ben's mother and his longing for attachment would force him to recreate her in relationships. This is why Ben does anything he can to keep Juliet on the island, even having Goodwin killed indirectly. By forcing her to stay he is maintaining the illusion that a woman does love him in his twisted mind. As I mentioned before, the only way for Harper to know about Ben's mother and what she looked like would have been for her to be the one who befriends Ben when he was a child.
Possibly, Harper/Annie may also have had a love interest in him at some time that was unfulfilled because Ben needs a woman to play the maternal role he was deprived of. She alludes to Juliet the way Ben behaves when he is interested in a woman. How else would she know yet Goodwin does not? Juliet mentions to Goodwin is worried that their affair will affect Ben and Goodwin is unaware that Ben would have a reaction. He also does not mention that Juliet looks like Ben's mother so he does not know. Ben also keeps the doll Annie gives him when he was a child and when he was older we see it right before he lets out the poisonous gas for the Dharma team. Some may argue that this was a symbol of their friendship he wanted to keep before she died in the gassing. However, the only person we see Ben lament for in "The Man Behind the Curtain" is Horace Goodspeed.
It is also important to note (and I give a nod to Francisco's theory on Libby and spies for the others/Widmore) that Horace also may have intended Ben to be on the island and at one point was with the others. He built Jacob's cabin, he helps Locke find Jacob's cabin, and "but for" his intervention Ben may not have been born or been taken to the island for his father's job.
I appreciate your questions/comments.
Theory by Selah
First, she resembles Annie.
Secondly, Harper does not seem to be a first name.
Thirdly, in "The Other Woman" when she confronts Juliet about ending the relationship with Goodwin, she mentions that Ben is interested in Juliet because she resembles his mother. Ben first tells Locke that he was one of the people "who was born on the island," yet recants this when he explains the mass murder of the Dharma initiative and of course we see the flashback to his birth which was not on the island. However, he must maintain the idea that he was born on the island so his followers see him as a true leader. The fact that Harper is aware about Ben's mother and her appearance reifies the idea that Ben may have told her about this when she was a child or she saw the picture of her when they would play at his house.
This is the ONLY possible way for Harper to know what Ben's mother looks like unless she was alive. Were Ben to tell anyone about his mother if would lead to questions about her whereabouts and that he wasn't really born on the island. Even though Ben saw his mother on the island when he was a child does not mean that she is alive on the island. This would not affirm Ben's psychology in anyway. These below reasons elaborate on why Ben's mother is not on the island.
1. He is defined an a villain first and foremost by the death of his mother and him being the supposed cause of it.
2. He is unable to show love and establish meaningful relationships with people on the island. All of his true familial relationships he destroys. The love he has for Alex is trumped by the fact that he kidnapped her and deprived her of a maternal relationship in the same way he was deprived of his. This is also established by the mean words he said to her right before her death. I give a nod to the gentleman who wrote that Ben has been in these situations before (the whispers signal events that have already happened)and the fact that the killing of his daughter was unexpected and these are the only words he can muster establish his inability to understand and express love.
3. Had his mother been alive on the island, Alex at the very least would have a grandmother. We know the only familial relationship tie she has to anyone before meeting Danielle is Ben.
4. Like Locke, Ben has to sever all familial ties before he can become the leader of the island through patricide. We can imagine that Richard told Ben the same speech about killing his father that Ben told Locke.
None of these things would have happened had Ben's mother been on the island. Even Freud would agree that the loss of Ben's mother and his longing for attachment would force him to recreate her in relationships. This is why Ben does anything he can to keep Juliet on the island, even having Goodwin killed indirectly. By forcing her to stay he is maintaining the illusion that a woman does love him in his twisted mind. As I mentioned before, the only way for Harper to know about Ben's mother and what she looked like would have been for her to be the one who befriends Ben when he was a child.
Possibly, Harper/Annie may also have had a love interest in him at some time that was unfulfilled because Ben needs a woman to play the maternal role he was deprived of. She alludes to Juliet the way Ben behaves when he is interested in a woman. How else would she know yet Goodwin does not? Juliet mentions to Goodwin is worried that their affair will affect Ben and Goodwin is unaware that Ben would have a reaction. He also does not mention that Juliet looks like Ben's mother so he does not know. Ben also keeps the doll Annie gives him when he was a child and when he was older we see it right before he lets out the poisonous gas for the Dharma team. Some may argue that this was a symbol of their friendship he wanted to keep before she died in the gassing. However, the only person we see Ben lament for in "The Man Behind the Curtain" is Horace Goodspeed.
It is also important to note (and I give a nod to Francisco's theory on Libby and spies for the others/Widmore) that Horace also may have intended Ben to be on the island and at one point was with the others. He built Jacob's cabin, he helps Locke find Jacob's cabin, and "but for" his intervention Ben may not have been born or been taken to the island for his father's job.
I appreciate your questions/comments.
Theory by Selah
