Petey Corbin is the primary protagonist of Petey, and the novel follows the course of his life. Petey is sent to Warm Springs Insane Asylum at two years old and resides in institutions for the duration of his 70 years. Petey was born with cerebral palsy, but he does not receive a correct diagnosis of his condition until he is transferred out of Warm Springs. Due to the severity of his particular presentation of cerebral palsy, Petey is profoundly physically disabled, capable of only minimal physical movement on his own and incapable of developing his coordination over time. Petey requires constant hands-on care for all aspects of his daily needs. As a child, he is presumed to be intellectually disabled but manages to develop into a neurotypical adult despite the neglect in education and individualized attention most children require during their formative years. Petey can speak one to three words at a time. The impact of his disability on the muscles of his tongue prevents him from stringing together longer sentences and pronouncing words with the typical diction associated with verbal language. Speech requires effort for Petey, and his lack of fine motor control also presents significant obstacles for him in chewing and swallowing if he is not fed carefully.