Nineteen Minutes

by

Jodi Picoult

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.

Lewis Houghton Quotes in Nineteen Minutes

The Nineteen Minutes quotes below are all either spoken by Lewis Houghton or refer to Lewis Houghton. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Victims vs. Perpetrators Theme Icon
).
Part 1, Chapter 9: One Month After Quotes

Children didn’t make their own mistakes. They plunged into the pits they’d been led to by their parents. She and Lewis had truly believed they were headed the right way, but maybe they should have stopped to ask for directions.

Related Characters: Peter Houghton, Lacy Houghton, Lewis Houghton, Joey Houghton
Page Number: 286
Explanation and Analysis:
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Lewis Houghton Quotes in Nineteen Minutes

The Nineteen Minutes quotes below are all either spoken by Lewis Houghton or refer to Lewis Houghton. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Victims vs. Perpetrators Theme Icon
).
Part 1, Chapter 9: One Month After Quotes

Children didn’t make their own mistakes. They plunged into the pits they’d been led to by their parents. She and Lewis had truly believed they were headed the right way, but maybe they should have stopped to ask for directions.

Related Characters: Peter Houghton, Lacy Houghton, Lewis Houghton, Joey Houghton
Page Number: 286
Explanation and Analysis: