The first complication with Sonny’s redemption arc is that he fails to completely recognize that he, and his lust for power and sexual conquest, are the source of his sin. He attributes his separation from his wife and children to “the devil [driving] a wedge between me and my family,” instead of attributing it to his violent temper. By blaming the devil, he turns a blind eye to the true source of this separation—himself. In Pentecostalism, sin is forgiven once a person has been “reborn” in the name of the Holy Spirit. Sonny baptizes himself (emerging as the Apostle E.F.), believing that God will now forgive his sins; however, the fact the Sonny believed he had such a close relationship with God that he could baptize himself shows that he still has the same superiority complex and “southern manhood” that originally led to his sin. Sonny continues to exhibit his previous pattern of behavior (although, to a lesser extent) in his interactions with his love interest, Toosie. His repeated attempts and forcefulness to come into her house after their date (no doubt to satisfy his sexual desires) exemplify the hollowness of his redemption. Many of Sonny’s old characteristics remain intact after his “rebirth.” Sonny still has a need to be idolized, as seen when he desperately attempts to rebuild the old church and gain a new, devoted following.