The Stories of John Cheever | Characters & Character Analysis

The Stories of John Cheever Characters

Joan Harrisappears in Torch Song

Joan Harris is a woman from the Midwest who moved to New York City in the mid-1930s. About the same time, Jack moved from the same city to New York where he met Joan. Eventually, Jack began to refer to Joan as the Widow, because she was always dressed in black and carried an air of grief. The friends often meet after work for drinks, and it seems that Joan is always looking for something unattainable. Joan intends to become a model but soon realizes that she does not photograph well and takes a job as a hostess. The narrator describes Joan as a "big, handsome girl with a wonderful voice" whose face had a gentle beauty. Despite the goings-on in Joan's world, the woman was always innocent and convivial. After Joan is promoted to an executive job, she and Jack hardly see one another.

Joan begins to associate with...
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