Symbolism In Cold Mountain

Cold Mountain is not only a love story, but also a great American tribute to the everlasting side effects the war had on its soldiers. Although the novel doesn’t tell a true story, it represents much more than just a quick read that happens to have a historic background. Like any other author, Charles Frazier uses the undertones and downfalls of a country divided in two to portray the lasting consequences both sides will eventually face. The story is told in the two main character’s points of view. The stories of each start off separate, but throughout the novel, are worked into one and will ultimately lead to one the main character’s death.
The first main character presented is a Confederate soldier Inman. Inman, as previously stated, is a Confederate soldier who in the opening chapter is introduced with a war wound and escapes from the hospital in order to travel from present day Virginia to North Carolina to ask his lover, Ada, for her hand in marriage. Throughout the book, Inman faces not only his own persecutions, but the perils of other souls that have also found themselves hardened by the efforts of the war. He
is surrounded by death, violence, and most of all, loneliness. Inman is the mirror between what is moral and what is wrong, and throughout the book, faces the challenge of trying to balance morality with reality. He is troubled by his war efforts, and while he doesn’t want to add to them, he is in a constant battle to return home, at no matter what the cost.
Ada, Inman’s lover, is the key to Inman’s success. Due to moving from high-class Charleston to country side Cold Mountain to care for her Father’s worthless farm, Ada is the character in the book that changes the most mentally. While Inman is facing the terrors of violence, Ada is facing the terrors of pain and everything else she was emotionally sheltered from as a child. Inman will throughout the novel build Ada as a foundation of his future, and even though she doesn’t have an immediate presence in his life, Ada is the only reason Inman finds to keep fighting through his troubles.
One of the major themes in the book is isolation and lonliness. Inman faces months, possibly years, with only the ghostly image of a girl he hopes he still has back home. Ada has just lost her father, and has to come to terms with a new way of life without having anyone to lean on. She too is facing the cold fact that at first she has no one to help her adjust to her new life. Eventually, a helping hand Ruby comes into the picture, and is there to guide Ada along her journey to emotional stabilization. Meanwhile, Inman has to do this all on his own and find his own motivation to keep going.
Symbolism plays a big part throughout the novel also.
The biggest symbolism is the crow. As reappearing character, is it symbolized in the beginning of the novel as a sign of sin and destruction. Inman strongly characterizes himself around the crow and even at one point, wishes to be one. He is envious of the freedom and independence the crow has, while he is stuck in a society burdened with painful memories that will only be resolved by death. Ada identifies with it though through the crow’s ability to survive and adapt in the wilderness. She can relate to the bird, as it too faces troubling times but manages to struggle through them and come out on top. The crow symbolizes all throughout the book, the choices Inman faces between reality and his conscience. The crow demonstrates the discerning troubles that man faces within his
soul.
Another repeating object is diverged paths and crossroads. For the majority, it is a symbol for Inman, as he faces the challenge of letting go of his past and moving on to the future. No matter how hard he tries though, he past will always follow him, and ultimately leads to his death. Inman eventually will face the imminent conclusion that the only way to be completely free is through dying. The crossroads though can also symbolize Inman’s fascination with an alternate world he believes is at the top of Cold Mountain. Through stories and fables passed down to him, Inman has a firm belief that a world he cannot explain nor travel to exists. The boundaries of rivers he refuses to cross or paths he must retake are symbols of the boundaries between his reality and the alternate world. As much as Inman can try, he will not find his path through these boundaries.
The last major symbolism is dark haired women. These appear more regularly as the novel continues. The women, of course, stand for Ada. The multiple and more frequent sightings of these women show that Inman ‘s love for her is growing stronger with each passing day. He comes to the conclusion in his mind that she is the key to bringing him out of his past and models her as his future, even though he is uncertain of her wishes. This can also be seen in Ada, as they both write letters to each other expressing their affections, but in the end are too scared of what the other might think to send them.
The book overall was a very intriguing book. The only problem I faced when reading this was at times it could be a very tedious reading. Charles Frazier uses a very different style of writing that at times I had to reread multiple times to understand. Another problem I faced with the novel was the intricate characterization presented. Frazier uses the past and present to explain how closely aligned the character’s stories are, and could be confusing at some times. I think this ultimately has to do with the fact that I generally do not like historical based books; this book is one of them.
While it was a very good book (as previously stated), it didn’t change my outlook on the Civil War. I became more aware of the side effects of war, and how it had an effect on everyone, especially when the war was right in your backyard. Every day was a game of hiding, and it must have been terrible, especially when one is constantly worrying about if someone they loved is going to return home safely.
I can’t say I would recommend this book to just anyone. I would most likely recommend it to someone I knew who had an interest in historical books, along with a touch of romance. I would however, recommend this book to future AP US History students, as this book was much better compared to the book I started (and failed) to read.