Character Analysis
Brother Jacobs doesn't show up in the book too much, but unfortunately when he does, he makes a lasting impact. This is the deacon from Abby's church who rapes her when she's only ten years old, setting in motion a serious rough patch in her life.
How rough? She stops speaking… for months. She stops getting out of bed… for months. And she loses her faith in God, refusing to sing any longer since her voice is a gift God gave her:
That day Abyssinia gave God's gift back to Him. They had told her that her singing was a "gift from God."
She did not trust any of His gifts, she thought. She did not want His gifts for she could not tolerate His punishments. She did not want His presence in her life for the absence of His grace was awful. (13.42-43)
In her understanding of God, being raped can only be punishment for her own bad behavior. As she says, "I felt like I was being spit on by God. […] I must have tempted Brother Jacobs" (13.33-35). So she's done with God—she doesn't want his good because she can't handle his bad. The church has played a huge part in Abby's life up until now, and it's central to the community in Ponca City, so this isn't a small decision for Abby to make. Refusing to sing is about as high stakes as things get, and in a sad irony, it's a member of the church who brings her to this crisis of faith.
Needless to say, we're thrilled that Brother Jacobs never returns to town again. Good riddance.