The Nickel Boys

by

Colson Whitehead

Dr. Cooke Character Analysis

Dr. Cooke is the doctor at Nickel Academy, where he mostly tends to the wounds students get from being beaten by Spencer. In the aftermath of Elwood’s first beating, Dr. Cooke has to remove pieces of fabric from the backs of his legs, since bits of his pants have become embedded in his skin. When Turner joins Elwood in the infirmary, the boys joke that Dr. Cooke hardly ever does anything other than give people aspirin.
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Dr. Cooke Character Timeline in The Nickel Boys

The timeline below shows where the character Dr. Cooke appears in The Nickel Boys. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Seven
Trauma and Repression Theme Icon
Unity, Support, and Hope Theme Icon
Power, Fear, and Upward Mobility Theme Icon
...in the infirmary, but Elwood was too preoccupied by his wounds, enduring the pain as Dr. Cooke carefully picked the fabric of his pants out of his legs, since the material had... (full context)
Chapter Ten
Unity, Support, and Hope Theme Icon
Power, Fear, and Upward Mobility Theme Icon
...members find out about what Jaimie did to Earl, but the boys eventually hear that Dr. Cooke attributed the event to Earl’s bad health. In the end, Earl recovers, but he doesn’t... (full context)