The character of Jesus in William Faulkner’s story is married to Nancy, who worked as a temporary domestic employee in the home of Quentin, the narrator. Both Nancy and Jesus are African American. The plot revolves around Nancy having learned that she is pregnant and her knowledge that the baby’s father is not Jesus, but a wealthy white man named Stovall. She is apparently also a part-time sex worker. She fears that her husband will kill her. Although Jesus may engage in physical violence himself, there is a question about whether Faulkner intends him to be the antagonist, as that role seems reserved for Stovall.

One ironic aspect to Faulkner’s choice of name is that the story concerns a complicated pregnancy by someone other than the mother’s husband. In this case, Jesus occupies the role of the biblical Joseph, Mary's husband, who was called upon to accept a child who was not his own. Nancy can be taken to represent Mary Magdalene, rather than the Virgin Mary. After Stovall beats Nancy and she is jailed, Jesus feels powerless to take action against his wife's abuser. This Jesus is also a victim of social misunderstanding, as was the historical Jesus. Faulkner seems to suggest that Christian compassion be extended to all powerless people, even those who engage in violence.