Clutch was a Gillikinese woman who served the Arduenna family as Galinda's Ama (governess), a personal attendant who ensured the well-being, social standing, and responsibility of Galinda’s needs, including social duties and academic tasks throughout her girlhood.
She appears exclusively in the first novel of the Wicked Years.
Background Information[]
Clutch has been Galinda's ama for her whole life and is sent by Galinda's parents to chaperone her at Shiz University’s Crage Hall, where most of the girls in attendance have amas with accompanying them. However, Clutch had accidentally stepped on a nail at the train station and requested medical leave to get treatment for lockjaw, leaving Galinda initially unrepresented at school, causing her to have to room with Elphaba Thropp, the only other girl without a chaperone.
After Clutch returns from leave, she notes that doesn't mind Elphaba's green skin and happily agrees to chaperone both girls. In an attempt to get Elphaba away, Galinda claims Clutch has a brain injury that causes her to think inanimate objects are real; This would later come back to haunt her.
One night, Clutch notices something while looking out of a window and goes to investigate. She then witnesses Grommetik killing Dr. Dillamond at Madame Morrible's orders. To prevent Clutch from telling anyone what she saw, Morrible casts a spell on her which gives her the disease Glinda had initially made-up, leaving her unable to perform her ama duties. However, Glinda is able to break the spell and learn the truth of Dillamond's death, but afterwords Clutch would tragically die and is buried after a small ceremony.
