Claire Lives!

May 6, 2008

 

Lately, I’ve been reading comments on the Lost blogs involving the life (or death) of Claire. Claire’s life has been in question since episode four of this current season, when we learned that Kate was raising Claire’s son, Aaron. That revelation set forum discussion boards blazing. Claire is one of the most popular characters on this show, and the idea of her death made everyone double check The Smoking Gun website to make sure she wasn’t recently arrested on a DUI charge.

 

The current theory is that Claire is a member of the walking dead. In episode 4.09, “The Shape of Things to Come,” Claire is inside her house when one of Keamy’s men fires a rocket and blows it to smithereens. When Sawyer finds her, she appears to be unscathed by the blast, and momentarily confuses Sawyer with Charlie. Then, adding to the theory, we saw in the most recent episode, “Something Nice Back Home,” Claire woke from sleep to see the ghost of her dead father, Christian Shephard, holding Aaron. She left the campsite with him and abandoned Aaron under a tree in the jungle where Sawyer recovered him. Another piece of evidence also came from the mouth of Hurley, who, in the future, insists to Jack that all of the Oceanic Six are dead. If Hurley’s right, and they are all dead, what about those left on the island?

 

I’m not so sure I can buy into Claire being dead. Going all the way back to the first season, Claire’s visit to a psychic revealed that only she should raise Aaron, otherwise bad things would happen. This prognostication caused Claire to give up on adoption procedures for the then unborn Aaron. When the psychic gave Claire the Oceanic 815 tickets to Los Angeles with directions to give the child to a childless couple waiting there, Claire was confused. Was she supposed to give Aaron up or raise him alone? When Claire shared this story with Charlie, he felt perhaps the psychic knew that the plane would crash and made sure Claire was on it so she would be forced to raise Aaron by herself.

 

Now that time travel is a part of the Lost universe, I have no trouble believing the psychic was acting to ensure Claire raised Aaron. Because of the “hot spots” we learned exist in Australia, it is not a stretch to think he was able to somehow foresee events, much like Desmond (whether that means the psychic is on the island, or is able to gather information in the future remains to be seen).

 

If the psychic was telling the truth, Claire’s survival is essential to the resolution of this story. Since Kate eventually takes Aaron to raise as her own, we know bad things are bound to happen, events that will perhaps force the Oceanic Six to return to the island. In order to resolve the catastrophic events awaiting either the survivors or the island itself, Aaron will need to be returned to his mother. The restoration of this relationship is one of the keys to the entire Lost story.

 

One of Lost’s grandest themes is that of divided families. The Shepherds are a fractured group, both in terms of relationships and the family tree. Sun and Jin have been a divided couple. Kate has been separated from her mother. Sawyer’s family was divided by a con man. Hurley’s father abandoned him. Ben’s mother died and his father blamed him for her death. Locke’s dad used him to con him out of a kidney. Michael and Walt were separated by the Others. Now they are separated emotionally. Broken families have defined this show. Now Claire and Aaron are broken, too. Restoring their relationship will bring healing to everyone, because, whether intended or not, Claire has not raised Aaron alone. He is a product of a community who have poured their love into him. In season one, Aaron symbolized hope. Hope will be restored when he reunites with his mother.

 

So, the question is: is Claire dead? If she is, all hell breaks loose.

 

Check out Mr. Dollins’ LOST Blog at DocArzt.com!