Soapy is the story’s protagonist: a formerly incarcerated man now struggling to survive in New York City. His name is essential to his characterization. It is a mere nickname, and a comical one at that, which highlights his invisibility to society; he is at best a pathetic figure, not dignified enough to merit scrutiny into his real identity. “Soapy” also sounds like a prison nickname, highlighting his status as a nonviolent but repeat offender. The name is also ironic given that Soapy avoids forced bathing at the shelter—a greater insult, in his eyes, than living in jail for several months.

The implication that Soapy intentionally gets himself incarcerated every winter suggests that he has found ways to game the system. However, he is not a scheming or malicious character, and his goals—protection from the cold, guaranteed food, etc.—are human necessities. He doesn’t assault anyone or commit any act of violence, even in his increasing desperation to attract the police’s attention: His only act of vandalism is the breaking of one window, and his only acts of theft are stealing a restaurant meal and an umbrella. His quest to be rearrested (and therefore housed, fed, etc.) is an indictment of Social Class and the Cycle of Poverty and Crime, but it is also a symbol of his deeper desire to be seen and treated as a fellow human.