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Steppa/Leo
Dr. Clay is a psychiatrist at the Cumberland Clinic. He is Ma and Jack’s primary doctor there, and he is in charge of their medical and mental health alike. Extremely sensitive and empathetic, Dr. Clay is worried that Ma and Jack need a very slow adjustment to the world—a perspective which Ma pushes back against time and time again. Dr. Clay is well-read, thoughtful, and interested in helping Ma and Jack make sense of the separate but linked ordeals they’ve been through. He is protective of Ma and Jack as they navigate the media circus surrounding their case, and encourages them to take their feelings and boundaries seriously. Occasionally, Dr. Clay verges on being too protective, such as when he tries to discuss an “acceptable standard of care” with Grandma after Jack gets his first sunburn. In general, Dr. Clay underestimates what Ma and Jack can handle and is repeatedly surprised by their resilience and bravery. In spite of his occasional oversensitivity, which sometimes reads as a lack of confidence in Ma and Jack’s strength, Dr. Clay cares deeply about Ma and Jack and is invested seriously in their rehabilitation.
Dr. Clay Quotes in Room
The Room quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Clay or refer to Dr. Clay. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
After
Quotes
“The malnourished boy, unable to walk, is seen here lashing out convulsively at one of his rescuers.”
“Ma,” I shout.
She doesn’t come. I hear her calling, “Just a couple more minutes.”
“It’s us. It’s us in TV!”
But it’s gone blank. Pilar is standing up pointing at it with a remote and staring at me. Dr. Clay comes out, he says mad things to Pilar.
“On again,” I say. “It’s us, I want to see us.”
“I’m terribly, terribly sorry—,” says Pilar.
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“You keep talking about separation anxiety,” Ma’s saying to Dr. Clay, “but me and Jack are not going to be separated.”
“Still, it’s not just the two of you anymore, is it?”
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Get the entire Room LitChart as a printable PDF.
Dr. Clay Quotes in Room
The Room quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Clay or refer to Dr. Clay. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
After
Quotes
“The malnourished boy, unable to walk, is seen here lashing out convulsively at one of his rescuers.”
“Ma,” I shout.
She doesn’t come. I hear her calling, “Just a couple more minutes.”
“It’s us. It’s us in TV!”
But it’s gone blank. Pilar is standing up pointing at it with a remote and staring at me. Dr. Clay comes out, he says mad things to Pilar.
“On again,” I say. “It’s us, I want to see us.”
“I’m terribly, terribly sorry—,” says Pilar.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“You keep talking about separation anxiety,” Ma’s saying to Dr. Clay, “but me and Jack are not going to be separated.”
“Still, it’s not just the two of you anymore, is it?”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
