Arthur Owens is the book’s protagonist. At the outset of the story, Arthur reels from his dad’s death three months ago and is “slender, pale, and moody-looking” (5). Over the course of the story, Arthur’s emotional journey turns him from a brooding kid to someone poised on the cusp of young adulthood. Arthur’s greatest flaw is letting his emotions dictate his actions, which gets him in trouble more than once. With the help of the list of important things, Arthur learns to take control of his feelings, finds the missing pieces of his life, and completes his character arc.

At the book’s opening, Arthur has gotten in trouble for throwing a brick at Mr. Hampton. In terms of his emotions, Arthur let his anger get the better of him and acted without thinking. Arthur recognizes how out-of-character his action was after the fact and spends a good amount of the story wondering what possessed him to injure another person. It’s not until later that Arthur realizes he acted out of anger and grief. Arthur reacts in a similar way when he saves Squeak from the bullies in Chapter 22. Anger blinds Arthur to how poorly he handles the situation, and he ends up getting in trouble for trying to help someone.