Why is it that everyone who is seeking some big Answer to Life heads West?
Throughout history, people have headed west. The west has always held a social significance, for its massive, expansive quantities of opportunity. West is often where people go when they have no hope, nothing left, or a big question to have answered. Humanity raged across Europe, in every direction. However, once the continent was filled and explored, it was time to expand further. The word not only represents opportunity, but sophistication as well in some cases. For instance the term "Western." This term seems to be used synonymously with 'best,' 'normal,' 'familiar,' and 'white,' and is used as such. 'Western' civilization, once done with Europe, soon made the great leap across the Atlantic Ocean. A new chapter in world history had been opened, for better or for worse. This was a new type of west. One of complete unfamiliarity, one of total unknowing. No member of Western culture had ever been so far west before. The average person, when imagining the West, thinks of complete lack of society, a lack of structure or rules. Vast, virgin land that stretched on seemingly forever. The people who made the travel often embarked to escape structure and rules, and so a new breed of Western society was formed. The 'Wild West' is a nostalgic thing for humans now. It represents what happens when growth is prioritized over all. Nowadays it is simply nonexistent. There is no more west in this world, all of it has been filled with people and the same rules and structures that the settlers of the region had tried so desperately to escape. The move west has always been an amazing statement to the world. It has always been an action of great meaning, and is almost always provoked or caused by something. In Jack's case, it is a movement away from the stress and rigor of his work with Talos. A movement away from his growing cynicism and deceit. This emigration from Jack's known world, despite the lack of rules or structure, still represented the same values found in the first settlers. Jack looked for opportunity and freedom in the West; a new start.
Finn, I really enjoyed your analysis of how the idea of moving West has evolved as civilization grows. I think this is a concept that Jack really understood when he made the decision to go West because he said "when you don't like it where you are you always go West. We have always gone West. That was why I drowned West" (p431). This quote really illustrates your idea that Jack went West to escape his world and the stress if his situation at home, like many of the first migrants.
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