Jessup is described as a small, lean man with a friendly smile and a sun-kissed complexion, complemented by a neatly kept gray mustache and beard. In his community, having a beard is typically associated with farmers, Civil War veterans, or Seventh Day Adventists, suggesting that Jessup's grooming choices set him apart from the norm.

Some of Doremus's critics argue that he maintains his beard to appear intellectual and unique, suggesting that he may be trying too hard to project an artistic image. This perception of him hints at the tensions between conformity and individuality in the society portrayed in the book "It Can't Happen Here" by Sinclair Lewis.