Even in the rare moments when people show young Jude acceptance, they do not show him love or compassion. Here, for instance, the Learys cite all the practical reasons they’ve selected Jude: he’s calm, well-mannered, and supposedly, a hard worker. With this, the Learys suggest that Jude must earn his keep. Their “devotion” to him, if one can call it this, is conditional: they want him if he can prove his usefulness to them, otherwise, they have little interest in him. Gradually, the novel reveals the many experiences that have given Jude intimacy issues and taught him to undervalue himself.