Karen Weston Character Analysis in August: Osage County

The youngest of the Weston sisters. Karen is flighty and false; she seems to have a checkered past marked by many failed relationships and unspeakable mistakes. Karen is guarded about her personal history but eager to use the family reunion that takes place around Beverly’s funeral to prove to everyone how happy, fulfilled, and loved she is now that she has found her fiancé, Steve.

Karen Weston Quotes in August: Osage County

The August: Osage County quotes below are all either spoken by Karen Weston or refer to Karen Weston. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Parents, Children, and Inheritance Theme Icon

KAREN: I guess what I’m telling you is that I’m finally happy. I’ve been really unhappy for most of my life, my adult life. I doubt you’ve been aware of that. I know our lives have led us apart, you, me and Ivy, and maybe we’re not as close as we … as close as some families—

BARBARA: Yeah, we really need to talk about Mom, what to do about Mom—

KAREN:—but I think at least one reason for that is that I haven’t wanted to live my unhappiness in full view of my family. But now I’m … well, I’m just really happy. And I’d really like us to maybe get to know each other a little better.

Related Characters: Barbara Fordham (speaker), Karen Weston (speaker), Violet Weston, Steve Heidebrecht, Ivy Weston

Page Number and Citation: 48

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Karen and Barbara are setting the table for dinner following Beverly’s funeral. Karen narcissistically rambles on about what a difficult time she has had finding love and happiness throughout her life, and lauding her fiancé, Steve, for being the first emotionally attentive man she’s ever encountered. Barbara keeps trying to get a word in edgewise, but Karen is very clearly aiming to paint a convincing picture of her own bliss, and doesn’t let Barbara speak. Karen does eventually turn the conversation to her desire to reconnect with her family, but when Barbara brings up a serious problem Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam conse

BARBARA: Okay. Pill raid. Johnna, help me in the kitchen. Bill, take Ivy and Jean upstairs. (To Ivy.) You remember how to do this, right?

IVY: Yeah…

BARBARA: (To Jean) Everything. Go through everything, every counter, every drawer, every shoe box. Nothing’s too personal. Anything even looks suspicious, throw it in a box and we can sort it out later. You understand?

CHARLIE: What should we do?

BARBARA: Get Mom some black coffee and a wet towel and listen to her bullshit. Karen, call Dr. Burke.

KAREN: What do you want me to say?

BARBARA: Tell him we got a sick woman here.

VIOLET: You can’t do this! This is my house! This is my house!

BARBARA: You don’t get it, do you? (With a burst of adrenaline, she strides to Violet, towers over her.) I’M RUNNING THINGS NOW!

Related Characters: Barbara Fordham (speaker), Violet Weston (speaker), Ivy Weston (speaker), Charlie Aiken (speaker), Karen Weston (speaker), Jean Fordham

Page Number and Citation: 73

Explanation and Analysis:

After successfully wrestling her mother’s pills away, Barbara orders her family around as she begins a “pill raid.” It is clear that this is familiar territory not just to Barbara, but to many other members of the family. Even as she militaristically doles out assignments, it’s clear that she is conflicted—she refers to her mother as a “sick woman,” a phrase that could, depending on the line reading any given actress delivers, be imbued with tenderness and fear or irony and disdain for Violet’s choices in making herself sick. As Violet weakly protests that Barbara cannot take over “her” house, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Expli

BARBARA: You might have told us [about the cancer].

IVY: You weren’t going to tell us about you and Bill.

BARBARA: That’s different.

IVY: Why? Because it’s you, and not me?

BARBARA: No, because divorce is an embarrassing public admission of defeat. Cancer’s fucking cancer, you can’t help that. We’re your sisters. We might have given you some comfort.

IVY: I just don’t feel that connection very keenly.

KAREN: I feel very connected, to both of you.

IVY: (Amused) We never see you, you’re never around, you haven’t been around for—

KAREN: But I still feel that connection!

IVY: You think if you tether yourself to this place in mind only, you don’t need to actually appear.

KAREN: You know me that well.

IVY: No, and that’s my point. I can’t perpetuate these myths of family or sisterhood anymore. We’re all just people, some of us accidentally connected by genetics, a random selection of cells. Nothing more.

Related Characters: Karen Weston (speaker), Ivy Weston (speaker), Barbara Fordham (speaker), Bill Fordham

Page Number and Citation: 76-77

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Ivy has just revealed to her sisters that she struggled with cancer the previous year and had a hysterectomy as a result. Barbara and Karen are shocked and hurt that Ivy hadn’t told them at the time, and sad that they were denied the chance to comfort her. When Ivy points out that the three of them are not even remotely close, and have not been in a very long time—if ever—Karen is quick to state that she feels connected to her sisters despite the vast physical and emotional distances between them. Ivy calls Karen’s bluff, pointing Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque o

BARBARA: Aren’t you angry with him?

IVY: No. He’s accountable to no one but himself. If he’s better off now, and I don’t doubt he is, who are we to begrudge him that?

BARBARA: His daughters.

KAREN: Yeah—

BARBARA: And I’m fucking furious. The selfish son-of-a-bitch, his silence, his melancholy … he could have, for me, for us, for all of us, he could have helped us, included us, talked to us.

IVY: You might not have liked what you heard. What if the truth of the matter is that Beverly Weston never liked you? That he never liked any of us, never had any special feeling of any kind for his children?

Related Characters: Barbara Fordham (speaker), Karen Weston (speaker), Ivy Weston (speaker), Beverly Weston

Page Number and Citation: 78

Explanation and Analysis:

In this scene, Barbara, Karen, and Ivy discuss their anger—or lack of it—with their father for taking his own life. Ivy, whose ideas about family and familial responsibility are warped through years of abuse and isolation, believes that Beverly’s choice was valid—and perhaps even noble. Ivy is willing to admit that perhaps her father never liked her—never liked anything about his life—and had every right to take control of it and leave. Barbara doesn’t buy into this philosophy, but Ivy—whose whole life has been lived in service to her toxic parents—sees Beverly’s death as an escape or a release, and Dolorem et quae. Exercitation

Karen Weston Character Timeline in August: Osage County

The timeline below shows where the character Karen Weston appears in August: Osage County. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Ivy tells Violet she has called Karen—another sister—as well, and that Karen is going to try to come to Oklahoma. Violet takes... (full context)

In the dining room, Barbara and her sister Karen fold napkins and place them on the table. Karen babbles on and on about her... (full context)

...iced tea from the kitchen. Barbara is grateful for it—she is having a hot flash. Karen brings the conversation back to her own impending trip to Belize. She asks Barbara what... (full context)

In the kitchen, Bill, Jean, and Karen’s boyfriend Steve are returning from a grocery run. Jean runs into the house and goes... (full context)

Karen enters the room and asks Steve if he remembered to get cigarettes—he laments the fact... (full context)

...the entire family makes their way to the dining room. Their conversations overlap with one another—Karen tells Barbara about how she just showed Steve their old fort, Little Charles attempts to... (full context)

When Karen reminds Violet that Steve is her fiancé, Violet remarks that it is “peculiar” of Karen... (full context)

Karen attempts to change the subject, telling Violet about how she took Steve out to see... (full context)

Patriarchy and American Memory Theme Icon

...that he found out the Beverly appeared to be working on some new poems. Though Karen is interested in hearing more, Violet steers the conversation to Beverly’s will. She tells her... (full context)

...Ivy and Bill to go upstairs and start going through “everything” Violet owns. She orders Karen to call Dr. Burke and tell him that they have a “sick woman” on their... (full context)

It is nighttime—the window shades have all been un-taped and removed. Karen, Barbara, and Ivy sit in the study, drinking a bottle of whiskey. Charlie, Mattie Fae,... (full context)

Karen asks why one doctor would write so many prescriptions, but Ivy cuts her off, telling... (full context)

Karen tells Barbara that she’s sorry to hear about her marital strife—she asks Barbara if she... (full context)

...anyway—she had a hysterectomy last year after she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Barbara and Karen are both shocked by the revelation—Ivy says she told no one at the time but... (full context)

Barbara says that if Ivy had told them, she and Karen might have been able to offer her some comfort, but Ivy says she doesn’t feel... (full context)

...not true—Ivy herself was Beverly’s favorite, and Barbara is Violet’s favorite. Barbara is shocked, and Karen is disgruntled to not be anyone’s favorite. Barbara counters that Violet told her that Beverly... (full context)

Karen, taking a stab at Ivy, tells Ivy that she must be taking Beverly’s suicide “kind... (full context)

...was a mean woman, and she supposes that’s where she gets her own meanness from. Karen tells Violet she isn’t mean and kisses her on the cheek. (full context)

Barbara asks Ivy and Karen to leave the room so that she can talk to Violet alone for a moment,... (full context)

...the kitchen into the dining room. They are sharing a joint and both wearing pajamas. Karen is asleep in the living room on the hide-a-bed, and Bill is asleep on an... (full context)

Karen rushes into the room, alarmed, and goes straight to Steve. She asks him what happened,... (full context)

Barbara lunges for Steve, trying to attack him and threatening to murder him. Bill tells Karen to get Steve out of the house. Steve insists he didn’t do anything, and Jean... (full context)

Barbara goes into the living room, where Karen is alone, putting the hide-a-bed away. Steve is already outside. Karen tells Barbara to spare... (full context)

Barbara attempts to say something to Karen, but Karen interrupts her. She says she’s not defending Steve—she knows he’s not perfect, but... (full context)

Karen Weston Character Analysis

Karen Weston Quotes in August: Osage County

Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

Act 3, Scene 1 Quotes

Karen Weston Character Timeline in August: Osage County