Kate Austin



Kate Austin was one of hundreds of people traveling from Australia to Los Angeles on flight 815. Kate was one of forty-three survivors who banded togethr in Jack's group.

Background
Kate was born in 1978 and raised in Iowa by diner worker Diane and Army Ranger Sam. They split up when Austin was a toddler and Diane went to marry her lover, Wayne Janssen. Wayne was very abusive

The Horse
When Austin went into theforest to pick fruit, she was drawn deeper into the forest, where she finds a black stallion. It is then discovered that Austin once tried to buy a bus ticket to Tallhassee, FL, but was caught by the Marshall. When driving to Tallahassee, the same black stallion stepped into the middle of the road, causing the Marshall to swerve into a tree, and allowing Austin to escape. The horse most likely represents Austin's longing to be free from her crimes, as the horse can run wild, but she cannot ever goback.

The Handcuffs
When Walt goes into the forest to look for his dog, Vincent, he instead finds a pair of handcuffs. Later, we find that they were on Austin. Her first crime was tocause a gas leak in her mothers house, and then blowing up her drunk stepfather. Her reasoning was sound, because he beat her mom, but Diane won't hear of it. Later, Austin goes to see her mother in the hospital, who is dying of cancer. Austin ends up running out of the hospital, and gets the help of a friend, Tome Brennan, a doctor and her childhood sweetheart. Unfortuantly, Tom is shot when Austin and him were being chased by the police, and Austin must leave his body behind to escape.

The Airplane
Kate had one true possesion as an adult, and that was a toy airplane that she had aquired as a child. This plane held a lot of sentimental value. It was a souvenir that her childhood sweetheart Tom Brennan had aquired when he flew by himself (without parent supervision) on an airplane. It is a model Douglas DC-3 propeller plane. It has come into and left Austin's ownership numerous. Obviously, the plane is a symbol of her relationship with Tom, but also, of course, Oceanic flight 815 itself.