Without school and the farm keeping him busy, William remains self-disciplined enough to challenge himself with the windmill project. He also manages to persuade his father to believe in his dream, giving William the emotional and material support he needs to keep going. William becomes obsessed with the windmill, to the point where almost all of his waking time is spent pursuing pieces for it – displaying a common trait among engineers of keeping any piece that looks remotely useful. Despite his unorthodox beginning, William fits in easily with the life of an inventor.