Cold Sassy Tree Character Analysis

Cold Sassy Tree is a historical novel by Olive Ann Burns located in the small town of Cold Sassy, Georgia, in the year 1906. It is narrated by the main character, Will Tweedy, who is twenty-two but is fourteen when the events in the story take place. Will’s grandfather, Rucker Blakeslee, has gotten married to a woman, Miss Love Simpson, who is much younger than him. Will is basically caught in the middle of the marriage as it is opposed by almost everyone in the town of Cold Sassy, and Will is the only one who actually understands his grandfather’s marriage to Miss Love.

Will Tweedy is very much like his grandfather in the way that they both share a love for fighting—Rucker was said to be "the best knuckle-knocker in school" (387)—practical jokes, and occasionally rebelling against the rules. While Will wants to do what is right for the most part, Will is fun-loving and still enjoys partaking in various practical jokes. He takes the punishment with little remorse as he believes that enjoying himself is worth it. When it comes to Rucker, it seems as if he is determined to defy the status quo with a love of practical jokes and wit. While Cold Sassy
While they have their similarities. Will learns to be more bold and courageous, while Rucker learns to be happier and to exhibit a sort of gentleness and generosity that he had lost due to the trials he went through while still being married to Mattie Lou. Will's experiences help him better understand subjects such as death and prejudice, helping him grow up. Rucker, however, reaches a sort of renaissance. He allows Miss Love Simpson to change him by cutting his hair to appear younger and more modern in outlook. As the novel progresses, it is clear that in many ways, both Rucker and Will are moving along the same arc but in different directions. In the end, they both move towards a sort of middle