Re:The Prisoner And Religion.

I tend to agree with your thoughts on this — he struggles because he has nothing else, and to make matters worse, it’s all in vain. A supreme paranoid introvert (with some of the typical qualities of the extrovert, makes for better TV). As evidenced by the final scene in the Lotus which is the same as the initial one we can surmise that he has gained nothing. He will always be a prisoner to [i]himself[/i] (No. 1~No. 6) All a bit … pointless — I wonder what McGoohan was trying to say, I’m sure he scoffs at the fans (read fanatics) who try so hard to interpret everything (they did deliberately leave things open to individual interpretation) and take it all so darned seriously, but he was saying something.

“All that is left is recognition of a man.” Isn’t that what we all want, to be recognised as individuals? But at the same time without belief in something bigger and greater than ourselves, and commitment to something, religion, family (The Prisoner was really only commited to his struggle, and his ego) that is of more permanence, and is outside ourseves we are perhaps destined to despair. In the end Llike No. 6 that battle really becomes with ourselves (call it the id and superego) whether we recognise it, or not.

Sad about your “prisoner” acquaintance, he fought and won, but it was only a pyrrhic victory of sorts. I guess to be simplistic, what’s important is love “All you need is love.” If you can love and be loved you become less introverted, your world becomes much bigger than yourself — in a way you cease to be JUST individual, you’re part of something greater. Isn’t that special? 😛