Paralysis and Stagnation Theme Analysis

Throughout “Clay,” Maria’s life remains remarkably stagnant. Her job at the laundry is monotonous, and Joyce suggests that she will never leave it—after all, she refuses to go live with her close friend Joe Donnelly, since she is “accustomed” to her life as it is. In addition to not making big changes in her life, Maria seems unable to make small ones. Although the people around her constantly make her uncomfortable, for instance, she never stands up for herself—instead, she simply allows these incidents to recur. Joyce implies that, even though Maria’s life is repetitive and dismal, she has become so paralyzed that she can do nothing to change her fate.

Throughout the story, Maria accepts the mockery and scrutiny that she faces as an unmarried middle-aged woman, rather than trying to improve her life by standing up for herself. For instance, when a woman at the laundry ridicules Maria by suggesting that she will find a ring (signifying an upcoming marriage) in her slice of cake, Maria laughs “with disappointed shyness.” This shows that, while she feels hurt, she cannot bring herself to tell the other women that they are upsetting her—even if that would make her life better. Similarly, while Maria is buying a slice of plum cake for the Donnellys, the woman behind the shop counter mockingly suggests that Maria might be buying a wedding cake. Instead of defending herself or pointing out the woman’s rudeness, Maria simply “blush[es] and smile[s]” and brushes it off. This shows an unchanging pattern of Maria’s simply accepting unpleasantness, rather than finding the courage to change the way others treat her.

While it is difficult to stand up to mockery or hostility, Maria’s paralysis is also apparent in the company of people who love and support her. This shows how entrenched her passivity and stagnation are. For example, at the beginning of the story, Maria notes that Joe Donnelly—her closest friend in the world, whom she cared for when he was a child—has “often” asked her to move in with him and his family. It is not totally clear why she refuses. While she suggests that she would be “in the way” at his house, she undermines her own reasoning by noting how nice Mrs. Donnelly, Joe’s wife, is to her. It is likely, actually, that Maria might be of help—she cared for Joe and his brother, after all, so she might be able to care for Joe’s children, too. Maria’s real reason for refusing, it seems, is that she is “too accustomed” to her present life to change it, even for the better.

Maria’s paralysis with the Donnellys is not only apparent in big life changes; she is also unable to ask for what she wants in minor, everyday situations. For instance, the Donnellys “insist” that she participate in the Hallow Eve game, which implies that Maria does not want to play. Her reaction is to laugh—a sign of her discomfort—and participate just as they wish. Similarly, at the very end of the story, the Donnellys ask Maria to sing in a way that makes her feel that she “had to.” Instead of expressing her discomfort or suggesting something else, she stands and sings “in a tiny quavering voice,” emphasizing her anxiety and discomfort. By the end of the story, then, Maria is so paralyzed that she cannot even laugh her discomfort away. Instead, she meekly does whatever everyone else wants her to do.

While Maria is playing the Hallow Eve party game (in spite of her desire not to), she selects a lump of clay, which symbolizes impending death. In the context of Maria’s life of passivity and stagnation, however, this might represent not literal death—it might simply suggest that her life will stay exactly the same until she dies (the ultimate stagnation). From her general inability to change her life in ways both small and large, it seems that this will inevitably be true, which is a tragedy, since Maria clearly wants change: she wants love, connection to others, more money, and an easier life. But by the end of the story, it is clear that Maria cannot even admit these desires to herself, let alone do anything to make them happen.