Watch Out for the Quiet Ones

      Today, I will compare Emma Swan from Once Upon a Time to Kate Austen from Lost. Both of these women are very quiet but have proved that they have a surprising strength, calm under pressure, and a dangerous side. Emma and Kate both have criminal records. Emma was arrested after participating in the theft of expensive watches, while Kate killed her abusive father and went on a crime spree while on the run.

      Emma and Kate both had troubling childhoods. After Emma was sent through a magical portal, she was picked up on the side of the road and raised in foster care. Kate was physically abused by her alcoholic father.

      Both of these women were non-traditional mothers. Emma gave birth to her son Henry in jail, gave him up for adoption, and then was found by him. Kate, after finally leaving the Island, acted as a mother for Claire's son Aaron when Claire was not able to escape.

      These women were also distrustful fighters. Emma constantly had to fight the villains of the show because she was the Savior, the person meant to break the curse placed upon the town of Storybrooke. Emma was distrustful of the fairytale naivety of her parents because she was raised in the harsh world of foster care. Kate constantly fought her way out of being arrested, helped with many dangerous missions on the Island, and helped kill "the man in black." Due to Kate's extensive criminal past, she often could not reveal herself to people she loved.

      Both women also viewed Tallahassee as a place of escape. When Emma and her thief boyfriend decided to settle down, Emma randomly picked Tallahassee on a map. After trying to flee to Tallahassee, Kate was arrested by a U.S. Marshal.