# Dr. Raymond — Short Fiction character guide

> Dr. Raymond in Short Fiction by Arthur Machen.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Raymond

**First appearance:** 0000-the-great-god-pan

## Snapshot

A scientist who invites a cautious witness to watch him conduct a dangerous experiment on the brain, convinced he can summon the god Pan.

## Who they are

Dr. Raymond moves among theories that his friend Clarke privately dismisses as the wildest nonsense, yet he commands enough gravity to draw a reluctant observer into his dreary laboratory. His confidence in experiment as a route to the recondite is both his genius and his flaw, and the horror he unleashes leaves Clarke clinging to the commonplace for years. Raymond matters because his invitation sets the whole arc in motion, turning curiosity into consequence before the reader has time to look away.

## In the story

### [The Great God Pan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/the-great-god-pan)

Conducts the experiment on Mary to open her mind to the god Pan.

### [The Experiment](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/i-the-experiment)

Conducts the experiment; claims Mary has seen the Great God Pan.

### [II: Mr. Clarke's Memoirs](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/ii-mr-clarke-s-memoirs)

The scientist who performed the experiment on Mary; Clarke attended as a witness and remains haunted by the event.

### [The Fragments](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/viii-the-fragments)

The recipient of Clarke's letter; his experiment is revealed as the origin of Helen Vaughan.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/characters/raymond
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/characters