Ol’ Rebel Joe

The Confederate statue in Charon County—known colloquially as Ol’ Rebel Joe—symbolizes the continuing legacy of racism and intolerance in the American South. The statue (funded by the United Daughters of the Confederacy) pays homage to the soldiers who fought on behalf of the Confederate States of America—an unrecognized breakaway republic intent on maintaining slavery. The presence of the statue in Charon shows that, despite the decades that separate the main events of the novel from the Civil War, many county residents continue to believe, to various degrees, in the moral soundness of the Confederacy. In this way, Cosby shows that the legacy of racism and violence in the American South remains ever-present.

Titus' Closet

Titus Crown’s closet acts as a physical manifestation of his need for order, structure, and control. In a notable early scene, Titus describes his closet and...