What was Richard's role on the Black Rock?

[kristen1230]

What do you think? Will we ever find out specifically? Or is it not that important to the story any more?

[julerfan]

I think he was in chains below deck and was going to be used as a slave on the island for whom ever was captain of the ship.

[spinaltumor]

Haha, traveling Gap salesman....

I actually most like the idea of him being a prisoner as opposed to slave. But out of those choices, I'd say slave.

Magnus Hanso was the captain, so Richard being the captain is highly unlikely.

[kath713]

What if he was a prisoner heading to a penal colony in Australia? Wouldn't it be more likely that a slave ship would be in the Atlantic? As far as we know, the island is in the Pacific Ocean?

What do you think?

[faradaystie]

Why does everyone think it was a slave ship exactly?? Was it mentioned before as such? Could have been a pirate ship..shiver me timbers!!!arggg!

[markedman]

Mar 12, 2010 20:08:55 GMT -5 faradaystie said:

Why does everyone think it was a slave ship exactly?? Was it mentioned before as such? Could have been a pirate ship..shiver me timbers!!!arggg!

(From Lostpedia) Locke speculated it was a slave ship with slaves from Madagascar. In The Lost Experience we learned that the Hanso shipping empire included slave ships and the Black Rock was one of their ships, so it might have been one of the slave ships.

On the other hand, with an Australia connection and if a very white Richard was in chains, it could have been en route to a penal colony.

[cucumberjones]

I've always thought of it as a prisoner ship and Alpert was a prisoner. He definitely was on the Black Rock, and definitely not the captain though.

[bobdole369]

Maybe its more like:

Richard was in chains so that he might be brought to the island (against his will? or maybe its more metaphoric) to be the next "Jacob"? Some event prevented that, thus he is stuck in Jacob's entourage.