United States

FOR JOHN THE LIVING COULD NEVER BE EASY. John Singer is a deaf mute in living in the Southern United States. His only friend is Spiros Antonapoulos, also a deaf mute, but whose condition is complicated to the extent that he has to be admitted to a mental hospital. To help overcome his loneliness Singer moves to a larger town, where he finds a job and rents a room with Mr and Mrs Kelly, who can use the extra money. Singer manages to make tentative relationships with Blount, a semi-alcoholic drifter, and with Copeland, a negro doctor. Mick the Kelly's 14-year-old daughter is initially hostile to Singer but gradually a friendship is formed when she talks to him about music. Singer and Mick visit an amusement park where Blount works. A fight develops involving Willie Hamilton, husband of Portia, Dr Copeland's daughter, and he is subsequently sent to prison. Portia is antagonistic to her father, believing he could have helped. Singer helps to reconcile them, but the news concerning his friend Antonapoulos is more than he can bear.