Throughout the novel Joseph is really caring. Joseph walked seven miles everyday to see the only person that cared for and loved him. Joseph also helped his Physical Education teacher by taking the lead teaching the class since their teacher had no legs.

Another thing about the novel is Joseph is really determined. One way he is determined is because he never stopped looking for his daughter throughout the whole story. Joseph walked to a whole other city in the freezing snow just to find his daughter.

Joseph is also an intelligent young man in the story. Joseph was about one of the only ones who knew how to do geometry in the novel the rest of the class were studying algebra one. Joseph also was reading a very challenging book in the novel Called The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing without even being asked. When Joseph got into a fight at school his teachers came to his house everyday just to work with him and so he couldn't get behind. Joseph didn't even know he had the ability to go to college but his teachers told him he would be a fool if he didn't go to college.

Joseph was abused in his life. When Joseph was prosecuted into Stone Mountain for trying to kill his teacher some really bad things happened to him after that he wouldn't let anyone get near him. Joseph was also abused by his father, when he first met Madeline she asked why his face was so scarred up but he didn't tell her because he wasn't there to carry the tools anymore.