Elaine is one of Oriel and Lester Lamb’s three daughters. Throughout the novel, Elaine is consistently glum and lonely, always pining for a husband of her own. She becomes jealous when Hattie is the first Lamb daughter to marry, and Elaine always seems to be engaged to someone, but never married herself. This situation doesn’t change over the course of the novel, and Elaine’s yearnings are portrayed as a bit melodramatic,.
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Elaine Lamb Character Timeline in Cloudstreet
The timeline below shows where the character Elaine Lamb appears in Cloudstreet. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...children: three boys named Mason, Samson, and Lon; and three girls named Hattie, Red, and Elaine. Mason is eleven years old and everyone calls him Quick, because he’s “as unquick as...
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Chapter 3
...grows as people see them working in the shop. Hattie seems to grow up quickly, Elaine tries to look mature around boys, and Red lets herself become the boyish rascal of...
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...bombed, Quick is sure that the war is almost over. As Christmas approaches, Hattie and Elaine finish school and grow old enough to earn a wage. Quick performs poorly at school,...
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Chapter 5
...to see Hattie, his girlfriend. Red is disgusted by the idea of their union, while Elaine is sad and jealous, as she wants a husband herself and knows that she’ll miss...
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Chapter 7
As they set up the shop that morning, Beryl and Elaine talk about Lester’s absence, which Beryl noticed by looking into his room earlier. Elaine is...
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Chapter 8
...the floor in surprise. Red congratulates Quick and tells him he doesn’t deserve Rose, while Elaine looks angry and jealous as usual. Oriel storms in and tells everyone to be sensible...
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Chapter 9
...she soon disappears. Fish tells Sam that “she won’t let him play,” and Sam fetches Elaine to try and calm her brother down.
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Chapter 10
...and the other Lambs pack up the truck for the shop’s deliveries for the day, Elaine hears Lon’s baby crying upstairs. Oriel goes to investigate, and when she opens Lon’s door,...
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...laughing in the backseat. When they arrive, Quick jumps out of the car and surprises Elaine, who’s beginning to open up the shop for the day. Quick and Rose stir up...
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