- "I don't even know this woman."
"What are you talking about? It's Karen, you've known her for ten years."
"She doesn't even have Sega! She's such a troglodyte." - —Ian Malcolm and his daughter Kelly discussing Karen(src)
Karen was the person who was supposed to be babysitting Kelly Malcolm while Kelly's father, Ian Malcolm, left for Isla Sorna to study and photograph the cloned fauna on the island with fellow Gatherers Sarah Harding, Nick Van Owen and Eddie Carr. Kelly is shown to dislike Karen, and ventures to the island as a stowaway on one of the trailers.
History[]
The Lost World: Jurassic Park[]
We first hear of Karen when Ian Malcolm tells his daughter that he will be going away and that Kelly will have to stay with someone called Karen. Kelly makes the comment that she does not even know Karen, before Ian makes the point that Kelly has known Karen for ten years. Kelly then calls Karen a troglodyte (a person who is regarded as being deliberately ignorant or old-fashioned, or a "caveman"), and says that Karen doesn't have Sega. Ian mentions that Kelly's statement was cruel, but had "good word use". Kelly asks why she can't stay with Sarah Harding, and Ian responds with, "Sarah's out of town.". He tells Kelly that Karen is fantastic, and that she plans to go to the movies and go horseback riding with Kelly. As Kelly further argues with her father, Ian is called by Eddie. Karen is not mentioned again at all in the franchise.
Personality[]
Not much is known about Karen's personality, as she does not physically appear on screen. It can be assumed that she is a nice person, as she appeared to have planned fun activities for Kelly, such as horseback riding. She was likely older, as Kelly calls her a troglodyte, a term commonly used to describe someone who is old-fashioned, or a "caveman". Troglodyte can also describe someone who is deliberately ignorant, which may explain why Kelly does not like the person.
Trivia[]
- In the second film, Ian mentions that Kelly has known Karen for ten years. As Kelly is thirteen in the film, this suggests that Karen may have been an old family friend, or someone who had looked after Kelly when she was younger.
- Kelly's comment about Karen not having Sega likely refers to Karen not owning any Sega consoles.
