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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:
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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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"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Dr. Clay Character Timeline in Room
The timeline below shows where the character Dr. Clay appears in Room. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
After
...for them at the hospital’s entrance. The doctor greeting Ma and Jack introduces himself as Dr. Clay and explains to Jack that he’s wearing a mask to help keep Jack safe from...
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Inside the hospital, Dr. Clay tells Ma that she needs to be separated from Jack for a few minutes so...
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...Dr. Kendrick asks if she can give Jack a checkup—Ma insists he doesn’t need one. Dr. Clay says that in “other trauma situations,” patients are usually examined right away. Ma says that...
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...from the knives and forks inside Room, and he cannot stomach the pulpy orange juice. Dr. Clay comes over to say hello to Ma and Jack and notices that Jack seems overwhelmed—he...
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That afternoon, after a nap, Jack and Ma wake up to find Dr. Clay knocking on the door. He comes in to check on Ma and Jack. He prescribes...
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Dr. Clay reveals that he needs to give Jack several vaccines. Dr. Clay asks Jack to be...
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After the shots, Jack plays by himself while he listens to Ma and Dr. Clay talk. Dr. Clay discusses the challenges that surely lie ahead for Jack, including issues with...
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...a policeman into the room, and the two of them begin talking with Ma and Dr. Clay . Jack puts his fingers in his ears to blot out the noise. Ma soon...
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Dr. Clay asks Jack if Old Nick ever hurt him. Ma interjects, insisting she never let such...
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Ma and Jack meet with Dr. Clay for a therapy session, and after going over Ma’s feelings with her and discussing terms...
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...Jack it’s time for them to go outside and get some fresh air. Even though Dr. Clay helps Jack put on a mask and sunglasses, as soon as Jack steps outside, he...
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...the smaller bed with Ma. In the morning, Ma has caught Jack’s cold, and when Dr. Clay comes by to check on them, he gives Ma the okay for her and Jack...
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Later that day, Jack asks Ma what Dr. Clay meant when he called him “plastic.” Ma explains that Dr. Clay believes Jack might forget...
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...lie in bed counting the friends they have made in the world: they list Noreen, Dr. Clay , Dr. Kendrick, Pilar, and Ajeet, as well as Grandma, Paul, and Deana. Jack includes...
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...Jack that while he’s taking his afternoon nap, she is going to go downstairs to Dr. Clay ’s office to talk to some TV people, and later that night, she will be...
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Dr. Clay comes into the room at the sound of Jack’s screams. Ma holds Jack and strokes...
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Downstairs, Jack enters Dr. Clay ’s office to find it full of “persons and lights and machines.” Morris is there,...
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...asks if Ma misses being “behind a locked door.” Ma calls the question “stupid,” and Dr. Clay suggests ending the interview. Ma insists on getting it over with.
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Noreen brings Jack to visit Dr. Clay , who greets him happily and asks him if he’s okay going out to the...
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Living
...at Grandma and Steppa’s house. He has come to live with them in spite of Dr. Clay ’s recommendation that he stay on at the clinic—Grandma thinks it’s best for Jack to...
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...“Gone.” Grandma leaves the room but comes back a while later to tell him that Dr. Clay has called—Ma is stable. She asks Jack to come down for breakfast, but he stays...
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...where Jack is watching TV, and shuts the “goggle box” off. She tells Jack that Dr. Clay has just called—Ma is still in stable condition, but Dr. Clay doesn’t want Jack sitting...
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The next day, Dr. Clay comes by for a visit. He asks Jack all about his stay at Grandma and...
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...of his wardrobe after he hears the doorbell, followed by voices in the living room. Dr. Clay and Noreen have come for a visit, and they have brought with them some take-out...
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