Understandably, all literature, especially novels, is written to in some way allude to real life. Charles Frazier sets his novel, Cold Mountain, one hundred and forty years ago, yet the characters bear very close resemblance to real people of today. This novel teaches the reader many lessons about his own life. The characters show the reader that there are types of intelligence other that the easily measured book smarts and one should not judge someone by his looks or occupation. Also Inman shows the importance of ethics and morality when he is dealing with Veasley.
Finally, the book teaches the reader the significance of having a parent. Ruby is a very rustic character. She proves to be a very intelligent woman, although she was never able to attend school or learn to read. She was never given the opportunity to have the same kind of intelligence as Ada, the knowledge of classical literature and proper manners. However, Ruby’s knowledge of “farming, cookery, wild lore” absolutely fascinated Ada (106).
This fascination is to the extents that even the well read Ada “envied her knowledge of how the world runs” (106).
Also seemingly intelligent characters make very stupid decisions. One would normally assume, especially in the south at this time, that the priesthood would produce the most intelligent people around. This prediction does not hold true in the case of Veasley. Caught about to kill his lover, the married preacher, Veasley, is not a very smart person.
The Term Paper on The Tempest Plot Summary Character Analysis And Theme
The Tempest by William Shakespeare Plot Summary The Tempest takes place on an enthralled island somewhere between Africa and Italy, that has been inhabited by a benevolent magician named Prospero, his daughter, Miranda, a misshapen monster who is a servant of theirs, Caliban, an airy spirit, Ariel, and several other spirits and nymphs. Prospero was the Duke of Milan, until his traitor brother, ...
Furthermore he makes other stupid decisions, for example, he sleeps with a prostitute and then gets himself killed and Inman shot by Teague and the “Home Guard.” Charles Frazier teaches the reader not to judge a person by their appearance. A white collar or a dirty look is not parallel to that person’s intelligence. Inman is a very ethical man who always does what is right in his mind. One of his big conundrums in this story is the way in which he thinks he should deal with Veasley.
Veasley is clearly not an ethical man neither is he a smart one. The injured Inman could have easily left Veasley alone to kill the girl, but instead he took precious time away from his journey to help Veasley and the girl. She was “exposed to every danger and guarded by the rare goodwill of” Inman (93).
The girl, Laura, is helpless.
She is not even conscious and has no way at all to defend herself. Her life is owed to the completely selfless Inman. When Inman meets up with Veasley again, Veasley even thanks him. Inman “saved [him] from mortal sin” (117).
Inman stands by his ethics; even though he “wanted no part in this” preacher’s life, he had to take the time and effort to help an innocent girl and therefore a guilty man (94).
Frazier tells the reader to always think over matters of ethics, for “it is still a cloudy matter to [Inman] if [he] did the right thing” (117).
Inman “wished not to be smirched with the mess of other people,” but still he abide by a moral code of ethics and saved the two lives (95).
Frazier goes on in depth about the relationship between Ruby and her father, Stobrod.
From as early as Ruby can remember it was very bad. Stobrod never takes an active part in Ruby’s life and leaves her often. The way Ruby sees the situation, she has no parents. When Ruby was young, Stobrod never kept a tidy home, for “if it was not for the inconvenience of having a daughter, he might happily have taken up a dwelling in a hollow tree” (82).
Ruby is neglected by her father, who often disappears for days to party. The absence of parent was not all bad for Ruby, however. She was forced to learn how to forage for food, and eventually “she knew all features of the mountains for twenty-five miles in any direction as intimately as a gardener would his bean rows” (85).
The Essay on Steps To A Better Life
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However, without Stobrod working as a real father for her, Frazier portrays her life as being much harsher than anyone’s should be.
Ruby holds a grudge against Stobrod and his laziness and apparently wishes that he were more involved in her upbringing. When he comes back after escaping from the war, Ruby wants little to do with him because of how he never really cared for her. Furthermore Ruby had found Ada, who cared for her much better than Stobrod ever did or ever will. Ruby remembers the bad times Stobrod created for her, if Stobrod is “alive or dead, he’s of little matter to” Ruby now. This father-daughter relationship makes the reader feel pity on Ruby and emphasizes the importance of a good parent. A book written about characters that had qualities with no parallels to modern life or human nature would be a worthless piece of literature.
Books are read to gain insight into one’s own psyche and to better comprehend one’s own life and life of others. Cold Mountain teaches its reader many lessons in life such as, people may be very different to what one would at first expect. Ruby, although, never having attending school is a very intelligent woman who knows almost everything about her surroundings. Also, the reader should expect a preacher to be righteous and ethical, but Veasley hardly fits that description. Additionally, Inman, who has more that his own share of worries takes time to do what is right and selfless in his dealings with Veasley and the many problems that he gets himself into. Finally the Frazier reinforces the importance of fatherhood to a child.
For without parents Ruby lacks in emotion and hates her neglecting father. In many ways the reader benefits from the insight provided by Frazier, he has subsequently learned more about himself and in turn other around him. Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier.
