Harvey Butcher is supposed to be a funny boy but he is merely obnoxious the most despicable of high school personalities "the class clown" who doesn't care about learning and wants everyone else to be as stupid as he is! I knew quite a few of them when I was in high school. Harvey tries the patience of everyone even though he does a good comedy skit involving Benjamin Franklin that even had me laughing. Good old Pete shows his usual patience and leniency with this lout giving him a good grade and getting him a job on the school paper. Harvey is one of those that is insecure and sad on the inside but acts like a dummy on the outside to cover it up. He has a breakdown scene at the end but I really can't feel sorry for him.
