The narrative transparency of "Clay" is deceptive because so many uncertainties are embedded that the reader`s interpretation is frequently frustrated. Starting from textual indeterminacy, I try to fill the narrative gaps in "Clay" with attention to irony, contingency and the reader`s role, which I hope makes my reading of "Clay" creative. Most irony in "Clay" happens when the narrator reports about Maria falsely. Irony can also occur when Maria fails to understand or suspect what other characters say about her, or when Maria herself represses her desire detected by the reader. Contingency is a philosophical term employed when we try to describe the unexpected and uncontrollable situation chance brings. With contingency the overriding principle, I analyze abrupt events that happen in "Clay," which I argue efficiently explains speeches, behaviors, and motivations of such main characters as Maria, Joe and Mrs. Donnelly. Finally, readers, in their interpretive role, should use their imaginations, consistent with the "written" text. Otherwise, a reading can be idiosyncratic or irresponsibly relative.