This short story is about Carol Lang, a house cleaner who is falsely accused of stealing and fired—while still being asked to go back and clean for free until her replacement can be found—and her son, who can't understand his mother's pacifistic approach to being falsely branded a criminal.

Themes in this story include pride, dignity, and class, as well as right and wrong. It is due to a sense of pride that Carol agrees to go back and continue to clean her former boss's house. Dignity is immensely important to Carol, and she is determined to hold her head up high; continuing to work after being fired is part of that. While Carol, as a cleaning lady, is clearly not from the same social stratum as her boss, she unfailingly displays the type of social behavior that would be expected of a high-class lady. The theme of right and wrong is introduced by the notions of theft and false accusations.

The symbolism of the title lies in the two-fold meaning of the phrase "on her knees." In the literal sense, it refers to the position often adopted when cleaning a house. Figuratively, it refers to the helpless position in which Carol finds herself, and the stance of begging for the forgiveness which she does not need.

The mood of this sort story is despair and helplessness, blended with an unfaltering sense of dignity.