# Joanna Marshall — There Is Confusion character guide > Joanna Marshall in There Is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Joanna, Miss Joanna Marshall, Queen Joanna, Darling Joanna **First appearance:** 0003-i ## Snapshot A singer of fierce discipline and fiercer ambition, she treats perfection as a debt owed to her own talent — and to everyone she loves. ## Who they are Joanna Marshall grows up in Philadelphia convinced that greatness is simply a matter of choosing it, and her voice seems to prove her right. Her single-mindedness wins her teachers, stages, and a suitor named Peter Bye — but it also makes her exacting with the people closest to her, mistaking faultfinding for devotion. When her certainty about love and art begins to crack, the novel's central question opens up: what does an ambitious woman owe her own heart? ## Relationships ### [Peter Bye](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/peter_bye) _romantic_ Joanna and Peter share a deep, complicated romantic bond marked by mutual ambition and societal obstacles. ### [Maggie Ellersley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/maggie_ellersley) _friendship_ Joanna and Maggie are close friends who support each other through personal and professional struggles. ### [Philip Marshall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/philip_marshall) _family_ Joanna and Philip are siblings, with a bond that includes both affection and rivalry over family expectations. ### [Sylvia Marshall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/sylvia_marshall) _family_ Joanna and Sylvia are sisters, with Sylvia often serving as a grounding influence on Joanna. ### [Ed Morgan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/ed_morgan) _professional_ Ed Morgan is a colleague and mentor figure to Joanna in her artistic career. ### [Vera Manning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/vera_manning) _friendship_ Joanna and Vera are close friends and allies in the social and artistic circles of Harlem. ### [Harry Portor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/harry_portor) _romantic_ Harry Portor is a persistent suitor of Joanna, though she does not reciprocate his feelings. ### [Joel Marshall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/joel_marshall) _family_ Joel is Joanna's father, a supportive but traditional figure who encourages her ambitions. ### [Brian Spencer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/brian_spencer) _professional_ Brian Spencer is a fellow artist and professional collaborator with Joanna. ### [Meriwether Bye](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/meriwether_bye) _social_ Joanna and Meriwether are acquaintances whose interactions are strained by class and racial politics. ### [Alexander Harley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/alexander_harley) _professional_ Alexander Harley is a patron and professional contact who helps advance Joanna's career. ### [Peter Bye](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/peter_bye) _romantic_ Joanna and Peter share a deep, complicated romantic bond marked by mutual ambition and societal obstacles. ## In the story ### [There Is Confusion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/there-is-confusion) Joanna is fiercely ambitious, pursuing a career in dance despite societal constraints, and struggles with her feelings for Peter. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/i) As a young child, Joanna shows an early ambition for greatness, demanding stories about great people and later demonstrating a remarkable singing voice. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/ii) A grave, ambitious child with a passion for dancing and singing, she is methodical, self-assured, and rejects artificial enhancements, driven by her father's belief in success and racial uplift. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/iii) Meets Peter Bye at school; her love for beauty and fixity of purpose lead her to dismiss him as someone who doesn't want to be anybody. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/vi) A confident and ambitious ten-year-old who excels in school and aspires to be a famous singer and dancer, undeterred by racial prejudice. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/vii) Demonstrates her magnetic passion for dance and performance, teaching the barn dance to friends and family. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/viii) Mentioned as Sylvia's sister; Maggie is assigned to Sylvia's class rather than Joanna's, as Joanna is described as an intellectual snob who would likely not have noticed Maggie. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/ix) Joanna observes the dynamics between Maggie and Sylvia, and later questions Philip's reaction to Henderson Neal. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/x) Joanna is eighteen, ambitious, and fiercely protective of her brother Philip's future. She is a soloist in the church choir and dreams of a stage career. ### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xi) Writes a cruel letter to Maggie, telling her she is not good enough for Philip and should stop seeing him. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xii) Joanna remains focused on her artistic career, discussing her plans to overcome racial prejudice through excellence in the arts. She allows herself a moment of vulnerability with Peter, resting her head on his shoulder and sharing a first kiss. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xiii) Joanna is deeply focused on her career, practicing trills and dancing, while also developing feelings for Peter. She struggles with loneliness and the impending separation from Peter, but remains committed to her work. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xiv) Mentioned as a mezzo-soprano performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra, causing Maggie a pang of pain. ### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xv) Thriving as a concert singer, she shares a romantic evening with Peter in Philadelphia, accepting a ring but struggling to express her love fully due to her career focus. ### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xvi) Struggles with her desire for Peter to achieve greatness while facing racial barriers in her dancing career. ### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xvii) Joanna is saddened by her own discouragement about her singing career and becomes furious with Peter for his defeatist attitude and his night at a cabaret, leading her to break their engagement. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xviii) Torn between her ambition and love for Peter; writes a stern letter then a passionate one; faces professional discouragement. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xix) Her harsh letter and indifference drive Peter away, though she later sends a loving poem that deepens his guilt. ### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xx) Devastated by Peter's letter ending their relationship; she writes him a long letter, finishes her engagement in the South, and returns home in deep sorrow. ### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxi) Suffers intense regret and heartbreak after Peter's departure; re-evaluates her priorities and turns to prayer and the Psalms. ### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxii) The person who inspired Peter's ambition; he reflects on her influence and resolves to prove himself to her. ### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxiii) Referenced as the one woman Peter truly loves; her memory haunts Peter's relationship with Maggie. ### [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxiv) Reflects on her loneliness after Peter's departure and experiences subtle racial discrimination while shopping and seeking a restaurant. ### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxv) Mentioned as the one who broke with Peter; Maggie resents her for interfering with Philip. ### [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxvi) Arrives at Maggie's apartment, discovers her stabbed, administers first aid, and falsely confesses to protect Peter. ### [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxvii) Resolves to give up dancing and Peter, but accepts an unexpected opportunity to dance at the District Line Theater. ### [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxviii) Achieves instant fame as a dancer, performs as 'America' without a mask, rejects a marriage proposal, and begins to question the meaning of her success. ### [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxix) Mentioned in Peter's reflections as the source of his earlier ideals and the one who 'messed up all our lives.' ### [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxxi) Referenced as the woman Peter truly loves and who has achieved success as a dancer. ### [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxxii) Referenced as having persistent ambition and achieving her goals; Maggie contrasts her own past foolishness with Joanna's clarity. ### [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxxiii) Performs tirelessly for returning soldiers, feels the emptiness of fame, and learns from Vera that Peter is back but has not contacted her. ### [XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxxiv) Reunites with Peter, agrees to marry him, and reflects on the burden of being Black in America. ### [XXXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxxv) Overwhelmed with remorse for the letter that caused Maggie's marriage, confesses to Philip, and learns from his wisdom. ### [XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/chapters/xxxvi) Marries Peter and moves into the family home; redirects her ambition from personal success to supporting Peter; finds joy in domestic life and begins studying harmony. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters/joanna_marshall - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/there_is_confusion_se/characters