Bayard is Billie Jo's father. He stands tall, has "blondy-red hair and . . . high cheeks rugged with wind." (Billie Jo closely resembles him.) Although Hesse does not directly reveal his thoughts and feelings throughout the novel, she portrays Bayard's character through the observances of Billie Jo. Bayard is an uncommunicative man. He was a dutiful husband and never falters in his role as a dutiful father to Billie Jo.
Bayard is a wheat farmer. He continues to work the farm despite the fact that he hasn't had a profitable crop in years. He never gives up hope that it will rain and the ground will become fertile again. In this way, Bayard is like Job, who is written about in the Old Testament of the Bible. Job was stripped of all his earthly possessions — his farm, his house, and his family. Even though he had nothing, Job never turned his back on God or blamed God for his misfortune. He maintained his faith and received great rewards. Like Job, Bayard is slowly losing his farm and has lost his wife and son, but he never loses faith that the rain will come again and his farm will prosper. He will never leave the Dust Bowl. Billie Jo understands that "he and the land have a hold on each other."
When Billie Jo returns home after running away, Bayard's relationship with her changes. He begins to pay attention to her and they work at becoming a family again. They begin to talk to each other and Bayard goes to Doc Rice to have the cancer removed from his skin, evidence that he is not giving up hope. Bayard meets Louise, a teacher at the night school where he was taking classes (just in case he needed something to fall back on), and he and Billie Jo include her in their family. He teaches Billie Jo that "you can stay in one place and still grow."
