Character Analysis
Joe Spooner is Evie's idea of a perfect dad—he's all-American, provides for the family, and accepts Evie as though she's his very own daughter. She tells us:
If I could choose a father, I would have chosen someone exactly like Joe. I fell for him, same as her. I was a pushover. I dressed up when he was coming. I laughed at his jokes and made sure we had beer in the fridge, even if we had to do without milk to buy it. (9.3)
But Joe's got a few faults of his own, which become increasingly apparent to Evie as she grows up and starts recognizing that the adults around her are pretty flawed. Joe is incredibly jealous when it comes to Bev (he's always paranoid that she's having an affair), and he is so desperate for success that he's willing to steal money and maybe even commit murder. And that, Shmoopsters, is what we call no good.