Point of View

Joan is Okay is told from first-person perspective, from Joan’s point of view. This gives the reader an inside look into Joan’s thoughts and feelings—something especially useful given how Joan rarely communicates these verbally. This type of narration remains consistent throughout the novel.

Joan’s narration is characterized by an ironic tone. When a patient tells her she looks “mousy,” Joan reflects on the importance of looks to society: “My twenties were spent in school, and a girl in her twenties is said to be in her prime. After that decade, all is lost. They must mean looks, because what could a female brain be worth, and how long could one last?” (7). In this instance, Joan pokes fun at sexist people’s shallow perception of women. Generally speaking, Joan uses her life experiences to comment on broader trends within society. She is...