True Love

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.