In the novel Light of August, Joe Christmas and Joanna Burden are extremely damaged individuals. Both characters grew up in turbulent environments with an emphasis on religion. The sins they committed had a profound impact on them. They knew their behavior was wrong but they were forced to continue. Religion became a mental prison for them. A prison that they created but from which they would never emerge alive. Although Joe and Joanna viewed religion in completely different ways, they both lacked the ability to forgive themselves due to their upbringings. For Joanna, religion was a source of comfort that was imposed on her by her father. Joanna was raised by Puritans and lives her life with a constant subconscious fear of hell. She also lacked a mother figure. Joanna never learned what it meant to be a woman because she needed a proper teacher. When she was introduced to Joe Christmas, she experienced her first sexual encounter. The pleasure she felt was a shock to her and Joanna became a nymphomaniac. “Within six months it was completely corrupt. It cannot be said that he corrupted her.” (Faulkner 260) Joe Christmas was simply a catalyst for Joanna's descent into sin. He knew his actions were sinful but saw no other alternative. “Don't make me pray again. Dear God, let me be damned a little longer, a little while. She was blinded by a lust that eventually blossomed into love. Joe freed her from her life of isolation and loneliness and she fell in love with him despite his obvious flaws. She was isolated from the city due to her Nordic origins. At Christmas, religion was a source of shame and suffering. Under Mr. McEachern's cruel reign, Christmas was subjected to constant blows... middle of paper... in Joe's arms and his death. Both characters longed for peace and freedom, but could not escape the prisons of their past. Works Cited Faulkner, William. Light in August. New York: Vintage International, 1991. Lackey, Michael. "The Ideological Function of the Concept of God in the Light of Faulkner in August." Faulkner Journal 21.1/2 (2005): 66-90. Littleton, Heather and Carmen Radecki Breitkopf. “Dealing with the Experience of Rape.” Women's Psychology Quarterly 30.1 (2006): 106-116. Shapero, Benjamin G., et al. “Stressful life events and symptoms of depression: The effect of childhood emotional abuse on stress reactivity.” Journal of Clinical Psychology 70.3 (2014): 209-223.Stayton, Jeffrey. “Southern Expressionism: Apocalyptic Hillscapes, Racial Panoramas, and “Lustmord” in “Light of August..” by William Faulkner Southern Literary Journal 42.1 (2009): 32-56.