The Characteristics of Joe Manetti, a hopeless victim Joe Manetti, a confused young man, has lost his son in a tragic accident and is dealing with the loss of his wife who has left him. In Dan Ross's story "Always a Motive", the protagonist, Joe Manetti, portrays a hopeless victim struggling to survive. Dan Ross depicts the struggle of Joe Manetti through Joe's state of mind, his demeanour, and through the gentle return of the Miller boy. Each example allows the reader to follow and empathize with Joe and his internal struggle. Joe Manetti has experienced a great depth...
eyes [search] the startled face…….to see the face of a father who lost his kid and then got it back"107,112. These carefully chosen words used by Ross show the emotional state of a desperate victim not a villain.

Through Ross' description of Joe's aimless unaccountable driving habits presenting his state of mind, his weary conduct and the gentle returning of the Miller child, the story "Always a Motive" shows the deep personal anguish of Joe Manetti. Joe Manetti is a man in whom readers empathize with and can understand his struggle. Like his child, Joe is a hopeless victim.