Claire Littleton is one of the middle section survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. On the Island, she has entered a relationship with fellow survivor, Charlie Pace.
Before the crash
Claire, checking the pregnancy test instructions
Born and raised in Australia, Claire Littleton was raised by a single mother after her father left her when she was young. Working at the Fish & Fry restaurant at $5 an hour, Claire's path seemed to be dead end and predictable. However, her life would change when she and her boyfriend Thomas realized they were to become parents. Though Claire has her doubts, Thomas convinces her that a baby could be "the best thing ever" and give their lives hope once more. However, Thomas comes to the decision that being a young father is too much to handle, and he leaves Claire. Now on her own, Claire decides to give her baby up for adoption when it's born.
Not long after, Claire's friend Rachel brought her to Richard Malkin, who claimed to be a psychic. As Claire is interested in astrology and horoscopes, Rachel believes it would cheer her up. However, when reading her palm, Malkin sees something terrible, and insists that Claire has to raise the child herself as "danger surrounds this baby!" Claire, however, does not believe him, and tells him to leave her alone.
Meeting with the adoption parents, Arlene and Joseph Stewart, Claire prepares to sign away rights to her unborn child. She requests that the Stewarts sing the lullaby "Catch a Falling Star", as it was the song her father used to sing to her. However, as Claire is about to sign, two of the pens given to her do not work, and Claire's doubts at relinquishing her child (due to Malkin's warning) get the better of her, and she runs out of the room.
Claire returns to Richard Malkin, who tells her that the baby will be safe if she gives it to a couple in Los Angeles, who are "good people". Giving her a ticket for Oceanic Flight 815, Claire leaves for what she believes is her new life in America.
On the Island
Season 1
Pregnant Claire, acting as a bait to lure Ethan
Surviving the plane crash, Claire immediately worried about the state of her baby. Jack saved her as a wing from the plane almost crashed on her and Hurley, and Claire was relieved to later feel her baby kick, after it hadn't for a worrying amount of time. Claire soon became good friends with Charlie, and confided in him that she thought Richard Malkin knew the plane was going to crash (thereby meaning Claire would raise the baby herself). Later, Charlie convinced Claire to move her belongings to the caves. At the caves, Claire began to believe that someone was out to hurt her and her baby, through a number of visions. However, as no-one believed her, including Charlie, she decided to move back to the beach. On her way, Charlie caught up with her, before she started to have contractions. When Charlie went for help, he found Ethan Rom, whom he told to get Jack, who came to them instead of going back to get Jack and he kidnapped them both. It was later discovered that Ethan was in fact an Other, who after leaving Charlie hanging in a tree for dead, took Claire, in whom he was only interested for reasons that were later revealed.
Days later, Locke and Boone found Claire in the jungle, unable, however, to remember anything that of what happened to her during her kidnapping, or even since the crash. With parts of her memory still a blur, a panicking Claire stayed with the survivors, and re-formed her bond with Charlie. Not long after, Claire gave birth to a son, whom she named Aaron. Claire's bond with Charlie was reinforced, when he rescued Aaron from Danielle Rousseau, who kidnapped the baby believing she could use him in an exchange with the Others for her own daughter, Alex.
Season 2
Claire began to experience terrifying visions, which were actually her memories, and revealed what happened to her when she was kidnapped by Ethan. We learnt that he took her to the Staff, another DHARMA station on the Island. It appeared to be a medical station of some kind, and, while there, Claire was drugged, and given injections of some kind of vaccination. The drugs had a profound effect on Claire, who began to believe that Ethan and the Others should actually raise her baby. Fortunately for Claire, one of the Others, named Alex, saved her. Alex knew of the Other's plans - to cut the baby out of Claire, without regard for the mother's safety - and was determined to stop it. However, Claire did not believe Alex's words, and fought so hard that Alex had to use chloroform to make Claire unconscious. Alex left her out in the jungle, and, when she awoke, she shouted for Ethan. Before he could reach her, however, Danielle Rousseau found her, and, knowing what would happen if Claire went back to the Others, knocked her out with the blunt end of her rifle. In this proceeding struggle, Claire scratched Danielle badly, on the left arm Rousseau then carried Claire back to camp, to be picked up by the other survivors.
Back at the camp, Claire begins to distrust Charlie as she realizes he has been taking drugs on the Island. After Charlie twice takes Aaron without her permission, Claire tells him she wants him to have nothing to do with her or her baby anymore. Despite this, she decides to do what Charlie had asked, and requests that Eko baptizes her and her son, so that if anything were to happen, they would be together in heaven.
Back at the camp, Claire discovered that Charlie had been secretly hiding drugs in the Virgin Mary statues, and began to distrust him because of that, believing that he had betrayed her trust. She told him that he was to have nothing to do with her or her baby any longer. Despite this, she followed his advice, and requested that Eko baptized her and Aaron, so that if anything were to happen to them both, they would be together in heaven.
As Claire began to piece together the missing parts of memory, she and Kate headed into jungle to find the station that Claire had been held in. Rousseau accompanied them; she had just entered the camp once again to warn Claire about Aaron's sickness, and tagged along on the mission, to find medicine to help Aaron. However, they did not find any medicine; the whole facility was empty. But, the location acted as a trigger for Claire, who remembered fully what happened. She apologized to Danielle for scratching her, and for believing that she was somehow involved in the kidnapping, recognising that Danielle had actually helped save her life.
Claire remained wary of Charlie for a while, but, eventually, she began to re-evaluate her relationship with him. He gave her some vaccine from the supply drop, which helped to put her mind at rest about the sickness that Ethan and Danielle had mentioned. She held his hand at the burial of Ana-Lucia and Libby, which showed how their relationship had been repaired. After the events pf the discharge, Claire kissed Charlie in front of the camp fire.
Season 3
Her relationship with Charlie continued to blossom, and it seemed as though the two had carried on their relationship. (Through deleted scenes, the two were shown kissing and holding hands. In "Every Man for Himself", Desmond attempted to persuade Claire to move down by the beach (using his seemingly clairvoyant abilities). Claire did not, and so, Desmond built a lightning rod with a golf club, which diverted lightning which soon struck very close to Claire's tent.
Unanswered questions
- Who are her parents?
- Is Jack her half brother?
- Why did she lose her memory of being taken by Ethan? Was it a psychological response to a traumatic experience, a result of Rousseau knocking her out, or the drugs Ethan gave her? ("Maternity Leave")
- Why hasn't she told anyone (including Kate who was also at the Staff with her) about her reconstructed memories, particularly if she wants to protect Aaron from future kidnappings or harm from the Others? Her motive is unclear, particularly when telling everyone else might have spared many people a lot of harm.
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