# Clif Clawson — Arrowsmith character guide > Clif Clawson in Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Clif, Clawson, Good old Clif **First appearance:** 0003-i ## Snapshot Martin's boisterous medical school friend, a self-described roughneck who mocks his pal's literary ambitions and dubs him Martykins. ## Who they are Clif drags Martin to parties, calls him Martykins, and warns him that Madeline Fox will set him at tonsil-snatching once she gets her hooks in. He is crude, loyal, and allergic to pretension, and his opposition to Madeline stirs Martin to consider marriage with a dramatic conviction. Clif represents the unvarnished, unambitious life Martin keeps half-longing for and half-fleeing. ## Relationships ### [Martin Arrowsmith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/characters/martin_arrowsmith) _friendship_ Clif Clawson is Martin's boisterous, loyal friend from medical school who provides comic relief and unwavering camaraderie. ### [Martin Arrowsmith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/characters/martin_arrowsmith) _friendship_ Clif Clawson is Martin's boisterous, loyal friend from medical school who provides comic relief and unwavering camaraderie. ### [Martin Arrowsmith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/characters/martin_arrowsmith) _friendship_ Clif Clawson is Martin's boisterous, loyal friend from medical school who provides comic relief and unwavering camaraderie. ## In the story ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iv) Class jester working at the next table, enjoys Ira's teasing of Martin. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/v) Class jester and huckster who sells Fatty Pfaff a History of Medicine and participates in pranks. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/vi) Clif is the fraternity clown, loud and raucous, but Martin sees him as solid and real. He boxes with Martin, goes on walks, and throws baked beans at Ira Hinkley. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iii) Clif is a boisterous fellow student who befriends Martin and represents a more casual attitude toward medical education. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/i) A hell-raising student who disrupts Dr. Robertshaw's lectures with pranks. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/ii) Class president who orchestrates the pancreas prank and then pretends to condemn it. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iii) Martin's safest companion for debauches; shares Martin's disdain for commercialism and bunk; drinks beer and talks with Martin in a backroom. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/v) Participates in the cramming session and suggests feeding Fatty a potassium bromide tablet. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/vi) Mocks Martin's reverence for Gottlieb and represents the raucous, pragmatic attitude Martin opposes. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/vii) His bawdy singing and noisy antics provoke a feud with Duer; he eventually leaves the fraternity, and Martin resigns with him. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/ii) Shouts boisterously about the pig's reaction to Gottlieb's injection. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iv) Fades from existence in Martin's mind during Gottlieb's conversation. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/v) Clif provides comic relief and camaraderie for Martin during his time at medical school. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/i) Martin's roommate, humorous and occasionally irritating, but with a charm that Martin appreciates. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iv) Dragged to the literary party by Martin; mocks Madeline and the gatherings, calling it a 'zoo of sparrows'; spreads the nickname 'Martykins'. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/v) Mentioned by Madeline as someone who thinks poorly of her, reflecting the social tensions among Martin's friends. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/vi) Astounded and profane at the spectacle of Martin attending church. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/vii) Plans a summer working as a waiter in a Canadian hotel with Martin. ### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/vi) Has been expelled from medical school, leaving Martin without his close friend. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/i) Mentioned as an object of Madeline's sneering. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iv) Martin's roommate; he tries to cheer Martin up with drinks and crude humor. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/vii) Clif is Martin's friend, embodying a more cynical and pragmatic view of the medical world. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iv) Waits for Martin and Leora at the cafeteria; after initial hostility, he grows fond of Leora and expresses his approval. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/viii) Reappears as Martin's friend, representing a more cynical and pragmatic view of the medical profession. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/ii) Mentioned as Martin's friend, characterized as boorish. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iii) Martin's refuge; they drink together during the vacation. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iv) Resigns from medical school after the Benoni Carr incident. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/i) Former medical student now a successful car salesman, flashy and confident. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/ii) Lends Martin a hundred dollars and helps him in Zenith. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/x) Clif is a fellow student who embodies a more cynical and pragmatic approach to medicine. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/i) Mentioned in Martin's apology, indicating a past incident involving him. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iv) Mentioned in contrast to Leora's quiet support; Martin studies better without Clif's distracting company. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/v) Provides entertainment and companionship but eventually leaves for a new motor agency in New York. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iii) Recalled in Martin's memory as a vulgar, pretentious friend from Mohalis. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iv) Briefly mentioned by Martin as a past acquaintance, wondering what became of him. ### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iii) Mentioned briefly by Martin as one of the few people who stand by him, along with Gottlieb and Sondelius. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/i) Reappears after fourteen years, now a gross, crude, and boastful man; his visit ends in a bitter quarrel with Martin. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/chapters/iii) Mentioned in Martin's guilty thoughts about betraying their friendship. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/characters/clif_clawson - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/arrowsmith_se/characters