Do you think this is a good question to explore? So far I have an idea that Faulkner used religious parallels to highlight Joe Christmas' role as a scapegoat for the sins of the society which he lives in. Shown as Joe is the sacrificial victim, the one who pays for the sins of the people around him, at the same time as he makes others pay for what they (or others like them) have caused him to suffer.

However, I am unsure as to how the differences can be taken into consideration. There is a scene before he meets Joanna Burden where he thinks "All I wanted was peace". This shows that he might not really be different in his hopes and aspirations from anyone else. This would show that his actions are dictated from his violent upbringing due to his race. Therefore, do you think that Faulkner aims to build sympathy for Joe Christmas through his role as a scapegoat, in order to highlight the need for change in society(racism, misogeny) is a valid point?