How does the author use language in the novel, All the Sinners Bleed?

Throughout All the Sinners Bleed, Cosby utilizes colloquial language to capture the unique culture of Charon County (as well as the American South more generally). In the novel, Cosby’s dialog often evokes a strong sense of place and familiarity. Characters frequently speak in informal, colloquial terms that suggest a deep, intimate sense of shared culture. In an early scene, Albert tells Titus, “Them rebbish boys don’t never let up, do they? Now they gonna have a goddamn parade for that statue. Them boys just mad somebody finally had the nerve to tell them they murdering traitor of a granddaddy won’t shit” (5). Here, Albert’s use of the slang term “rebbish boys” (5) to describe Ricky Sours and his band of fellow neo-Confederates suggests that Albert, Titus, and many of the other Black residents of Charon County have a shared cultural lexicon. Cosby’s use of colloquialism in All the Sinners Bleed allows him to communicate an authentic sense of place and community.