Jerome, whose full name is Jerome Barberin, plays a pivotal role at the very beginning of the story as the catalyst for the young protagonist Remi's difficult journey. He is the husband of Mother Barberin and lives with her in the French village of Chavanon. The couple had taken in Remi as an adopted baby, raising him in their home for the first eight years of his life.

The character is defined by a pragmatic and unfeeling disposition, particularly regarding family and financial responsibility. The central event that reveals his true nature occurs when he returns home after having been injured while working in Paris. Upon his return, he decides to no longer care for Remi after revealing the truth that the boy is not his biological child and therefore, in his view, not a genuine member of the family. Unlike his wife, who is attached to the boy, Jerome is unwilling to continue providing for another mouth to feed when his own circumstances are strained. This harsh practicality is his primary motivation; he views Remi not as a son but as an economic burden.

His role in the narrative is therefore a crucial and antagonistic one, though he is not a villain in a traditional sense. He is the instrument of Remi’s abandonment, as he makes the cold decision to sell the young boy to the traveling performer Vitalis, who is passing through the village. This mercenary act casts Remi out of the only home he has ever known and directly sets the stage for the series of adventures, hardships, and relationships that define the rest of the story.

In terms of key relationships, Jerome is a significant negative figure in Remi’s life. He represents the rejection and instability that contrasts sharply with the kindness Remi later finds. His relationship with his wife is not central, but it is implied she does not share his extreme position, as she had raised Remi with affection. Jerome has no relationship with Vitalis beyond a transactional one, as he sells the boy to the old musician. Notably, while Jerome has a biological connection to none of the main characters, he is the very reason Remi is forced to forge his found family with Vitalis, the dog Capi, and the other performing animals.

Regarding character development, Jerome shows none. He appears early in the story, performs his cruel act of selling his adoptive son, and then exits the narrative. He does not experience a redemption arc or a change of heart; he remains a static representative of selfishness and blood relation over love and care. No notable abilities are ascribed to him in the narrative. He is not a performer or a fighter; his only significant action is the decision to sell a child, an act born of a desire for financial relief rather than any special skill or power.