Lewis Houghton Character Analysis

Joey and Peter’s father, Lacy’s husband, and a professor of economics at Sterling College. He is an expert on the economics of happiness and is the first person in the world to devise a formula for happiness, R/E (Reality divided by Expectations). Lewis is a somewhat distant father who always had an easier time connecting to Joey than he did to Peter. The one way in which he and Peter bond is over hunting, and Lewis has a firm belief that if he teaches Peter to “respect” guns, he will never misuse them. This obviously doesn’t end up being the case, and Lewis is forced to confront his failures as a parent. Unlike Lacy, he doesn’t visit Peter in prison after the shooting, citing the fact that the rage he feels at the drunk driver who killed Joey makes him understand the rage other parents feel toward Peter. Eventually, Lewis apologizes to Peter for being somewhat distant his whole life. After Peter’s trial, Lewis begins conducting academic research on school shootings.