Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Clay, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Loneliness and Estrangement
Sadness and Repression
Paralysis and Stagnation
Summary
Analysis
Excited to finish work and go out for the evening, Maria prepares for the women’s tea at the charitable laundry where she works. She has scrubbed the kitchen, stoked the fire, and sliced the barmbrack cakes; everything looks wonderful now. A small and calming presence, Maria is known as a “peace-maker” at the laundry. When the women argue, well-liked Maria is the one to resolve the issue.
On the surface, Maria’s life seems positive: she does good work at the laundry and is a source of positivity for the women there. However, her excitement to get away from the laundry for the evening suggests that her positive exterior and persona as a “peace-maker” may not tell the whole story.
Themes
Maria plans to leave for the evening around seven. She calculates her route, including shopping time, and figures she’ll be at her destination by eight. After her tram fare, she’ll have a little money left over, and she thinks what a lovely evening she’ll have, as long as her friend Joe doesn’t come in drunk.
While Maria’s planning suggests excitement about going out, her concerns about Joe’s drunkenness imply an underlying anxiety about the evening ahead. These concerns lay the groundwork for Maria’s consistent discomfort with alcohol throughout the story, a discomfort that she tries to repress. It is also clear that Maria just barely has enough money to get through the evening, suggesting the difficulty of supporting herself as a single woman.
Themes
Joe often asks Maria to come live with his family, but Maria—feeling that she would be “in the way”—has declined. Despite how kind Joe’s wife is to her, Maria is “accustomed to the life of the laundry” now. When Joe and his brother Alphy were children, Maria cared for them, and Joe has always seen Maria as a mother figure.
Joe and his wife clearly have a lot of affection for Maria, and there’s no reason to doubt that she would be more than welcome in Joe’s home, so her repeated refusal to live there seems to be rooted in insecurity and stagnation. Joyce makes this especially clear when he notes that she was “accustomed to […] the laundry,” suggesting that big life changes would be too much for Maria, even if they might change her life for the better.
Themes
Joe and Alphy, in fact, got Maria the job at the laundry. Before working there, Maria had a “bad opinion” of Protestants, but now she thinks of them as “very nice people to live with,” even if she finds them a little “quiet and serious.” Besides, Maria likes caring for the plants in the conservatory, and even though she’s annoyed with the religious messages that hang on the walls, she thinks that the matron who runs the laundry is easy to get along with.
Maria may be repressing her true feelings about life at the laundry. While she claims to be comfortable as a Catholic woman working in a Protestant establishment, her claims are unconvincing. Her bland description of Protestants as “very nice” and her enjoyment of the conservatory, a trivial part of her daily life, are not very compelling reasons for her to be happy at the laundry. In contrast, her dislike of the religious messages on the walls is a convincing and specific indicator of her discomfort with aspects of her life. Nevertheless, she represses her discomfort and refuses to consider leaving the laundry, instead thinking of how nice her life is.
Themes
Literary Devices
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Since tea is ready, Maria rings a bell and the women begin to file in, all of them sweaty from work. Over mugs of tea and slices of barmbrack, the women joke and laugh together. One of them suggests that Maria will find a ring in her barmbrack, which she suggests every Hallow Eve. To this, Maria “ha[s] to laugh” and insist that she doesn’t want to get married, although her eyes show “disappointed shyness.” When they toast to Maria’s health, another woman says she wishes she had porter rather than tea, and Maria laughs uncomfortably, thinking that this woman means well, even if she has the “notions of a common woman.”
Maria repeatedly fails to defend herself when she is being mocked and instead shrugs off her own discomfort. After the first woman’s comment, Maria’s eyes reveal her sadness that she does not have a husband (despite the fact that she denies wanting one), but she laughs off these feelings. The fact that this woman makes this joke every year on Hallow Eve implies that Maria has never stood up for herself, demonstrating her lack of personal growth over the years. Maria reacts similarly to the second woman’s comment about wanting alcohol, laughing off her discomfort and trying to convince herself that the comment was said with good intentions, despite the fact that she knows deep down that it was not. This is the second instance of Maria implying her discomfort with alcohol. She clearly hates when people drink, but she refuses to say so.
Themes
Literary Devices
When tea ends, Maria is excited. She goes to her room to change and, remembering that she has mass in the morning, sets her alarm for an hour earlier than usual. Putting on her best clothes, she looks in the mirror, remembering what she used to wear to mass when she was a girl. Maria is still fond of her body, “in spite of its years.”
Maria’s setting her alarm clock back is another reminder of her isolation as a Catholic woman at the laundry. Given that it is Hallow Eve, the next morning will be All Saints’ Day, a holiday on which Maria presumably wants to go to mass. Evidently, since the laundry is run by Protestants, she must make time for mass outside of work hours, rather than being permitted to take time off work to go to mass. She does not acknowledge her isolation as a Catholic woman, though—another instance of repression. Maria’s nostalgia for her younger body and former clothes indicates a desire to return to a time when she felt more attractive and perhaps had the potential to marry. While she claims to be comfortable with her body now, she still finds “its years” somewhat troublesome and perhaps wishes that she could still be attractive to men and eligible for marriage.
Themes
It’s raining outside and the tram is full, so Maria sits uncomfortably on a stool at the end of the car. She reflects that it’s “better” that she is independent and has her own money, and she thinks the evening will be nice, even though Joe and Alphy—who were close as boys—are no longer speaking. She exits the tram and buys some cakes at a shop. Then, wanting “something really nice,” she heads to another cake shop, where she browses for a long time. This annoys the young woman who works there, and the woman asks Maria if she’s trying to buy a wedding cake. Maria “blush[es] and smile[s]” before choosing a slice of plum cake.
Maria’s travels are full of discomfort—she has to walk in the rain, and she barely finds a seat on the crowded tram—but she refuses to acknowledge these unfortunate conditions. She instead represses any negativity by telling herself that she prefers traveling independently, rather than acknowledging that she is lonely and wants a husband. She is also clearly bothered by the tension between Joe and Alphy, but she pushes those thoughts aside and focuses on how positive the evening will be. Maria’s “blush[ing] and smil[ing]” in response to the woman in the shop indicates both her discomfort with the woman’s remark and her underlying wish that she could be shopping for a wedding cake and getting married, but she leaves the shop without thinking or speaking about her true feelings.
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Literary Devices
As she gets back on the tram, Maria thinks she will have to stand because “none of the young men seem to notice her,” but an elderly man finally makes room for her to sit. The man is “colonel-looking” and Maria finds him more polite than the younger men. The man notices the cakes Maria is carrying, and the two make pleasant conversation about how children should enjoy their youth. When the tram reaches Maria’s destination, the two say goodbye to one another, and Maria goes out into the rain. She thinks of the man as “easy […] to know,” despite the fact that he was a little drunk (“he ha[d] a drop taken”).
Maria’s travels continue to be uncomfortable as she, once again, cannot find a seat on the tram, but she does not think about her discomfort. The fact that the “young men” do not pay any attention to her suggests that she is no longer attractive to men or eligible for marriage, though she does not think about this at all. Notably, the only man who makes room for her is “colonel-looking.” This description implies that he is British and Protestant and, therefore, someone who might make Maria uncomfortable, given her discomfort with the Protestant religious messages she sees at the laundry. He is also slightly drunk, which always makes Maria uneasy. Oddly, though, she does not express any discomfort with him, suggesting a deep repression of her true feelings.
Themes
Maria arrives at Joe’s house and receives an enthusiastic greeting from him, his wife, his children, and two girls from next door. She gives the bag of cakes to the children. Mrs. Donnelly finds it “too good” of Maria to bring the cakes.
The warm greeting Maria receives, coupled with Mrs. Donnelly’s clear gratitude for the cakes, suggests that Maria is welcome in the Donnellys’ home, reaffirming that her refusal to live there is due only to her own insecurities.
Themes
Maria then looks for the plum cake but cannot find it anywhere. She asks the children if they ate it; they deny having done so and are uncomfortable with the accusation. Mrs. Donnelly concludes that Maria left the cake behind on the tram. Maria recalls the “confus[ion]” she felt during her conversation on the tram with the elderly man and feels “shame and vexation and disappointment.” She is on the verge of tears as she reflects on her losing the cake and the money she wasted.
Maria’s inability to find the plum cake is the first indication in the story that her loneliness might never be resolved, even if she tries to make it better: she has attempted to make a real connection with the Donnellys by bringing them a special slice of cake, but she only ends up making the children uncomfortable and making herself look foolish, thereby reaffirming her own alienation and sadness. Importantly, while she attributes her loss of the cake to the “confus[ion]” she felt when talking to the man on the tram, she never implied that she was “confused” in the moment, instead claiming that her experience with him was pleasant. Evidently, she repressed her emotions deeply when she was on the tram, and those emotions are now coming to the surface.
Themes
Literary Devices
Joe reassures Maria that the plum cake is not important and “ma[kes] her” sit by the fire. He tells her about a witty retort he made to his boss and laughs. Maria does not understand why he is laughing but she tries to say the right thing.
The fact that Joe “ma[kes]” Maria sit by the fire indicates that she does not want to. This moment is the first of many over the course of the evening in which Maria is forced to do something she does not want to do, which makes her very uncomfortable. When Maria does not understand the humor in Joe’s remark, she does not ask him to explain it. Instead, she represses her confusion, just as she did with the man on the tram.
Themes
As the festivities continue, Joe “insist[s]” that Maria have a drink, even though she does not want to. Maria then tries to talk to Joe about Alphy, but Joe swears that he will never speak to his brother again. Maria apologizes for bringing up the subject. Mrs. Donnelly objects to the way Joe speaks about his brother, but Joe refuses even to consider Alphy his brother anymore. He does not want to get too angry on Hallow Eve, though, and he asks Mrs. Donnelly to get him another drink.
Joe exacerbates Maria’s discomfort with alcohol both by forcing her to drink and by wanting another drink himself, which makes Maria’s earlier fear of Joe’s drunkenness a reality. Joe also has no respect for Maria’s opinions about Alphy, despite the fact that Maria is making a true effort to change things for the better. Evidently, Joe’s home is not the safe haven Maria expected it to be; even with her closet friend, she feels uncomfortable, alienated, and unable to assert herself.
Themes
Literary Devices
The group’s mood improves as the next-door girls organize Hallow Eve games for everyone to play. Maria is glad that the group is in a good mood. The next-door girls blindfold each child and lead them up to a table with saucers on it. One of the next-door girls, during her turn in the game, selects a ring. The girls then “insist[]” that Maria participate. Maria laughs as they blindfold her. Once blindfolded, Maria places her hand on a “soft wet substance.” She is “surprised” that everyone is silent and that they have not taken off her blindfold. The group begins whispering uneasily. Maria figures that she should try again, this time placing her hand on a prayer book.
The group’s good mood allows Maria to repress all the negativity that Joe has been causing her to feel. The game depicted here involves blindfolded players placing their hands-on objects that symbolize their futures. The fact that the next-door girls organize the game and are excited about it suggests that, as young women who are eligible for marriage, they are optimistic about their futures. One of the girls, indeed, finds a ring, symbolizing upcoming marriage, which would grant her the social acceptance and belonging that Maria cannot have. Maria is not at all optimistic about her future, playing the game only after she is forced to. The “soft wet substance” that she selects is a lump of clay, symbolizing death in the game and perhaps total stagnation and perpetual loneliness for Maria. While Maria must be aware of the significance of her selection, she refuses to think about it, instead standing still and waiting for everyone else to speak. Her “surprise[]” that no one says anything suggests deep repression: if she allowed herself to acknowledge the clay and its meaning, she would know why everyone was silent and uncomfortable. The group’s silence also indicates that even they are in denial about Maria’s loneliness. The failure even of Maria’s closest friends to speak about her difficulties suggests that Maria’s life will never improve. Her second selection, a prayer book, symbolizes entrance into a convent, which reaffirms the idea that Maria will never marry.
Themes
Literary Devices
Once the game has ended, Joe again insists that Maria have a drink. Mrs. Donnelly says that Maria will enter a convent soon because she placed her hand on a prayer book in the game. Maria thinks that Joe has been nicer to her this evening than he has ever been, and she says that the whole group has been “very good to her.”
Joe, once again, makes Maria uncomfortable by forcing her to drink. Mrs. Donnelly mentions only the prayer book and not the clay, suggesting that she is in denial about the clay and its significance. When Maria thinks positively about how everyone has treated her, she is clearly repressing her true feelings: the fact that she cannot acknowledge the discomfort and coercion she has experienced over the course of the evening suggests, once again, a deep emotional repression.
Themes
The children are tired, and Joe and Mrs. Donnelly push Maria to sing an old song. With a “tiny quavering voice” and “blushing very much,” Maria sings a song called “I Dreamt that I Dwelt.” She sings the first verse—about dreaming of wealth and luxury—twice, which no one points out to her. Joe finds her performance moving and he expresses nostalgia for the past and for old music. He gets so teary-eyed that he has to ask Mrs. Donnelly for help finding the corkscrew.
Even in the final moments of the story, the Donnellys are forcing Maria to do something she does not want to do. Her voice and face clearly show her discomfort with performing for the group, but she performs anyway because they want her to. The song she sings is an aria from The Bohemian Girl, an opera by nineteenth-century Irish composer Michael William Balfe. Notably, the verse that Maria skips is about dreaming of love and suitors. Her omission of that verse signifies that she has resigned herself to never marrying. It may also indicate that her loneliness makes the subjects of marriage and love too painful to sing about. Joe is clearly moved by Maria’s performance. He claims that his emotional reaction is due to nostalgia, but he may also be perceiving how lonely Maria is as an aging single woman. By not pointing out her omission of the second verse, though, Joe and the rest of the group fail to acknowledge Maria’s sadness or try to improve her life, leaving Maria stuck in her loneliness.
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