And I’m like: son,

Is this an inappropriate thing to share with the farmer? Maybe. But if he won't talk about it with his own wife, who else is he going to tell in a place as small and gossipy as Pelican Town? Who knows how long he's been sitting on this anxiety? That's a hell of a thing to keep bottled up. Look at his expression. The idea that he might not be Abigail's father distresses him.

It'd be easy to investigate this on his own. Most paternity tests are done with cheek swabs, are over 99% accurate, and will give you results in days. There are even home paternity tests you can pick up at some drugstores.

We can only assume he hasn't tried for a test. He even urges you not to say anything to Caroline.

Why? Because he's afraid. Of the questions it will open up. Of potential ridicule from his peers. Most of all, of losing his family either way. That he hasn't sought a paternity test by now implies to me he's trying either to convince himself he's wrong or to make peace with the idea. Indeed, there are several hints in the game that suggest his fear may not be unfounded (link to article embedded).

Quoting Caroline, when you get to at least 8 Hearts with her:

I'm not going to argue Pierre doesn't have a problem with jealousy. My problem is that so much of the fandom takes Caroline's word at face value (while willfully ignoring anything positive she has to say about him at other times), painting in their heads a picture of a jealous, controlling, misogynistic man.

As someone whose own father is all those things and has been for as long as I've known him, I can say--at least from personal experience--that Pierre is extraordinarily tame by comparison! Abigail and Caroline are shown to come and go as they please, while Pierre says behind the store counter most days. He's not tracking their movements every hour of the day. At least in front of us, he never asks where they've been.

Neither Caroline nor Abigail talk about him or interact with him with a trace of apprehension. Indeed, Abigail is comfortable enough with him to occasionally post for help with pulling pranks on him! On the community board in front of his store where he's bound to see, no less!

Occasionally, they'll even have nice things to say about him. From Caroline:

From Abigail:

Can't we suppose there may be some other reason Caroline would rather not have Pierre know about her walks around the Wizard's Tower? Seriously, what could Caroline have gotten up to there that would warrant Pierre's jealousy (/rhetorical)?

You know, come to think of it, it's Caroline that delivers the bulk of criticisms toward Abigail's habits and self-expression. The most we get from Pierre in this regard is, from Abigail's 6-Heart Event:

Then again, most people don't like the idea of their kids hanging out in graveyards at night, anyway--whether they're conservative or progressive.

Abigail, true to form, has no trouble telling him off:

Pierre's response:

No violence. No degradation. Just plain ineffectual shock. We get no indication of him chasing after her to force her home. Chances are, he resigns to let Abigail come home on her own.

Notice, also, how he doesn't say, "I want you to come home to make dinner." He says: "Your mother wants you to come home and help with dinner."

Abigail's their only child. It's not unreasonable to ask your child for help with household chores, no matter what their gender.

Is Pierre traditional? Perhaps, a little bit. But not virulently so.

He is, after all, paying for Abigail's college tuition out of his own pocket. If he fusses over money, or Abigail's lifestyle, that much...wouldn't he just stop supporting her?

He also cooks dinner on occasion even though he tells you himself that he hates doing it. He does it to please Caroline.

He builds a snow-goon with Abigail during the Festival of Ice on odd years and on even years shares that he'd gotten the family matching sweaters (and laments how Abigail refuses to wear hers...though if you talk to Abigail at the same event, she reveals she is in fact wearing her sweater beneath her jacket. "Don't tell Dad!")

If you choose "Let's be reasonable" at the ending cutscene for the Community Center route, Pierre will give a speech praising the community and encourage the others to boycott JojaMart. Call me a sap, but I like this cutscene better! Pierre, of course, would have a strong personal interest in driving Morris out of town, but his speech proves he does in fact pay attention to the community and the people in it when he wants to. Or else his call to boycott would not be nearly as effective!

All of this is to say...Pierre is not as terrible a father, and a general person, as I've too often seen him made out to be. He's flawed and complex! Like everyone else in this game.

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