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Brother Luke
Dr. Traylor is a sadistic psychiatrist who abducts, imprisons, and abuses Jude after Jude runs away from the boys’ home. Dr. Traylor is initially kind, if rather aloof: he gives Jude a comfortable place to stay in the basement of his home, and he feeds Jude and treats Jude’s STD. But Traylor also locks Jude in the basement and ignores Jude’s cries to let him out—and he begins starving Jude once Jude’s infection is gone. Jude’s time with Dr. Traylor also adds to the internalized shame Jude carries into adulthood; Traylor always acts disgusted when he’s around Jude, claiming that Jude is “diseased.” He also calls Jude a “prostitute,” even though it clearly upsets Jude. Traylor eventually begins sexually assaulting Jude, claiming that Jude needs to repay him for his “hospitality.” Traylor eventually tires of Jude, so he drives him to a remote field and forces Jude to run as he trails him in his car. When Jude falls down and can’t get up, Traylor runs Jude over with his car, inflicting the spine and back injuries that will affect Jude for the rest of his life. In passing, the novel reveals that Traylor is incarcerated for his crimes and later dies in prison. Jude keeps what happened with Dr. Traylor a secret from most people for his entire life—only Ana and Willem know about him while Jude is alive, and Harold only finds out after Jude’s suicide. To everyone else, Jude claims that his injuries came from a car accident. As an adult, Jude refuses to acknowledge his limited mobility or to identify as a person with disabilities, because he thinks doing so would mean that he’s surrendered to Traylor.
Dr. Traylor Quotes in A Little Life
The A Little Life quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Traylor or refer to Dr. Traylor. 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:
).
Part 2: The Postman: Chapter 1
Quotes
But the odd thing was this: by his story morphing into one about a car accident, he was being given an opportunity for reinvention; all he had to do was claim it. But he never could. He could never call it an accident, because it wasn’t. And so was it pride or stupidity to not take the escape route he’d been offered? He didn’t know.
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Part 3: Vanities: Chapter 2
Quotes
“But I’m not even in a wheelchair,” he’d said, dismayed.
“But Jude,” Malcolm had begun, and then stopped. He knew what Malcolm wanted to say: But you have been. And you will be again. But he didn’t.
“These are standard ADA guidelines,” he said instead.
“Mal,” he’d said, chagrined by how upset he was. “I understand. But I don’t want this to be some cripple’s apartment.”
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Part 4: The Axiom of Equality: Chapter 3
Quotes
He was careful never to say his name aloud, but sometimes he thought it, and no matter how old he got, no matter how many years had passed, there would appear Luke’s face, smiling, conjured in an instant. He thought of Luke when the two of them were falling in love, when he was being seduced and had been too much of a child, too naïve, too lonely and desperate for affection to know it. He was running to the greenhouse, he was opening the door, the heat and smell of flowers were surrounding him like a cape. It was the last time he had been so simply happy, the last time he had known such uncomplicated joy. “And here’s my beautiful boy!” Luke would cry. “Oh, Jude—I’m so happy to see you.”
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Dr. Traylor Quotes in A Little Life
The A Little Life quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Traylor or refer to Dr. Traylor. 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:
).
Part 2: The Postman: Chapter 1
Quotes
But the odd thing was this: by his story morphing into one about a car accident, he was being given an opportunity for reinvention; all he had to do was claim it. But he never could. He could never call it an accident, because it wasn’t. And so was it pride or stupidity to not take the escape route he’d been offered? He didn’t know.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 3: Vanities: Chapter 2
Quotes
“But I’m not even in a wheelchair,” he’d said, dismayed.
“But Jude,” Malcolm had begun, and then stopped. He knew what Malcolm wanted to say: But you have been. And you will be again. But he didn’t.
“These are standard ADA guidelines,” he said instead.
“Mal,” he’d said, chagrined by how upset he was. “I understand. But I don’t want this to be some cripple’s apartment.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 4: The Axiom of Equality: Chapter 3
Quotes
He was careful never to say his name aloud, but sometimes he thought it, and no matter how old he got, no matter how many years had passed, there would appear Luke’s face, smiling, conjured in an instant. He thought of Luke when the two of them were falling in love, when he was being seduced and had been too much of a child, too naïve, too lonely and desperate for affection to know it. He was running to the greenhouse, he was opening the door, the heat and smell of flowers were surrounding him like a cape. It was the last time he had been so simply happy, the last time he had known such uncomplicated joy. “And here’s my beautiful boy!” Luke would cry. “Oh, Jude—I’m so happy to see you.”
