Lovely Creek

Lovely Creek is the creek bordering Frankfort, Nebraska, the town where Claude grows up. Throughout the first three books of the novel, Claude struggles with his desire to go beyond Lovely Creek (to visit the Erlichs, to go to the state university, etc.) and his fidelity to his home by Lovely Creek. In this way, Lovely Creek functions as a symbolic border for Claude, entrapping him within the space of his familial inheritance.

The Timber Claim

The timber claim is where Claude goes to seek refuge from his lifeless marriage with Enid. Only in the timber claim does Claude "let his imagination play with life," and remind himself of a time when he "had not tied himself up with compromises" (96). In this way, the timber claim is the only place where Claude can maintain his integrity during his marriage with Enid. By maintaining his integrity there, Claude...