Cotton's group also includes Sammy Shecker, an overweight, paranoid Jewish boy, whose father is a successful comedian who trades upon the Jewish stereotype. Sometimes to the annoyance of the other boys, Sammy mimics his father's routines, he compulsively bites his nails, and he is loud, nervous, and obnoxious. The designation "Bedwetters" applies especially well to Gerald Goodenow, the sixth member of the group, who often wets the bed at night – a behavior that had resulted in his having been ejected from two cabins before Cotton takes him in tow. Bedwetting, however, seems to be the least of Gerald's problems, as he suffers from a phobic reaction to school, which results in several unsuccessful sessions with a psychiatrist. Goodenow is also handicapped by a heavy-handed stepfather who is determined to make a man out of him, by physical force if necessary.