“‘Well, maybe I will,’ Louis said, not intending to at all. The next thing would be an informal (and free) diagnosis of Norma’s arthritis on the porch. He liked Crandall, liked his crooked grin, his offhand way of talking, his Yankee accent, which was not hard-edged at all but so soft it was almost a drawl. A good man, Lois thought, but doctors became leery of people fast. It was unfortunate, but sooner or later even your best friends wanted medical advice. And with old people there was no end to it. ‘But don’t look for me, or stay up—we’ve had a hell of a day.’”

This quotation serves to characterize Louis, demonstrating his innate suspicion of other people. In his arrogance, he believes he possesses something that other people want: namely, his medical knowledge. Therefore, he becomes suspicious that other people are plying his friendship in the hopes that he will provide this information. In reality, of course, Jud is not trying to be anything more than neighborly to the Creeds, as he suspects they are unfamiliar with other people in Ludlow.

Louis looks to Jud to be a father figure, guiding Louis on a path for his future like the father Louis never had. When he meets Jud, he immediately expects this of him, seeing the potential to use him as a mentor and guide instead of purely valuing Jud’s friendship. In this way, it becomes clearer why Louis does not think twice when Jud suggests burying Church in the MicMac ground. Part of the consequences of Louis’s desire for a father lie in his implicit trust of Jud; he does not use his judgment and the rational thinking he so highly values in order to decide whether he should follow Jud, even though he notes that Jud seems to be acting strangely.