Joey Character Analysis

A timid young boy whose father committed suicide by taking rat poison. When Joey’s friend Willard tries to provoke him—wanting, for some reason, to get in a fight—Joey kindly dodges each insult, swallowing his pride and listening to Willard speak badly about his father. In this way, Joey avoids getting into a fight with his friend, though a dispute over a penny eventually threatens to turn into a physical altercation. However, the vignette about Joey and Willard ends before it’s clear whether or not they will actually come to blows.