26 pages • 52 minutes read
Isaac AsimovA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
In US English, the name Joe has a secondary meaning: “Joe” is just “a regular guy.” The expressions “Joe Shmo” and “Regular Joe” imply anonymity and generality. The name is both familiar and bland, synonymous with the idea of a face in the crowd. The irony here is that Asimov uses the name Joe in his short story “True Love” for a character who is anything but regular. Instead, Joe is the height of technology, a sentient program.
The name Charity Jones is also symbolic. “Charity” means giving and kindness. This name suggests the fantasy that Joe has in mind when he selects Charity as his ideal woman: that she will be his caretaker and nurturer, a parent figure to replace Milton in Joe’s life who will give her time and attention but, as Joe hopes, in a kind way. Moreover, the last name Jones implies the same thing as “Joe”—both anonymity and generality. Therefore, to name Charity this way points to her function not as a person but as a placeholder—Milton’s replacement.
By Isaac Asimov
Foundation
Isaac Asimov
Foundation and Empire
Isaac Asimov
I, Robot
Isaac Asimov
Nightfall
Isaac Asimov, Robert Silverberg
Rain, Rain, Go Away
Isaac Asimov
Robot Dreams
Isaac Asimov
Someday
Isaac Asimov
The Caves of Steel
Isaac Asimov
The Fun They Had
Isaac Asimov
The Gods Themselves
Isaac Asimov
The Last Question
Isaac Asimov
The Ugly Little Boy
Isaac Asimov