After being married to Raymond for so long, Undine has lost some of her drive and decisiveness. Elmer encourages her to find it again. Unlike the deeply tradition-bound Raymond, Elmer is practical and makes decisions based on current results, not past ways of doing things. Elmer proves himself to be a good match for Undine, not necessarily because he brings out the best in her, but because the two of them have similar flaws related to their shared, materialistic worldviews.