John Morris
Diane vented her frustration in an essay she wrote for her composition class. Her teacher, John Morris, approached her one day after class and asked her to show him her paintings. He was a thin man in his early forties, balding, married. His son was still a toddler, and his wife was due to deliver their second child within the semester. Diane, being very impressed with John’s air of intelligence and worldliness, was flattered by his interest. When she brought some of her work to his office hours, he praised it enthusiastically, and asked her if she wanted to meet him somewhere off-campus to discuss it further. Though excited by the attention, Diane was a little uncomfortable when he suggested a bar, as she had never been to a bar with a man before. Still, she had fun, and agreed to meet him again the following week. She recalls feeling very mature and artistic.
During their second meeting, John touched her leg as he drove her home. Diane felt violated and confused, but continued to see John for several weeks, with John exerting more sexual pressure on each meeting. When she finally resisted, John cited her thin participation in his class. With this overture, it finally became clear to Diane that John was not at all interested in her or her art, but merely in having an affair, and this devastated her. She withdrew from her classes, quit her job, and moved into her parents’ basement.