We are also given information about Inman’s wound through the fact that people thought he was going to die because of it – “his two nearest companions…looked at his neck…said him a solemn farewell”. This effectively shows the severity of the wound, as people did not believe he would survive and so gives the reader an idea of how much people value human life. This is more clearly shown by the opinion and actions of the doctor. “He was classed among the dying and was left to do so”. This is effective as it shows the reader not only the living conditions of injured soldiers, but their treatment. The fact that Frazier uses the phrase “he failed at it [dying]” is particularly effective as it appears as though Inman was expected to die, and it was his duty to do so, but instead of dying he survived. Instead of this being a good thing we are shown that is it negative which again effectively helps the reader to form an idea of how people were treated.
Frazier opens the novel by introducing Inman, the brave but disturbed haunted main character – a wounded Confederate soldier. We are introduced to Inman straight away and what has happened to him i.e. that he is seriously wounded. We are familiarized to his feelings about being where he is straight away “yet one more day”. This demonstrates that he has been in the hospital for a long time and that each day is like the last – there is no change. This is also reflected by the fact that Inman counts a weather change as being an exciting thing – he tells us that he counts to see how long it is before something of “significance” happens, and weather changes count as this. This is effective as it shows that nothing changes in the hospital, and Inman observes all the “events” that stay the same. For example Inman knows the daily routines of everyone else – “As he did every morning”. This allows us to see, again without simply being told directly, that Inman has nothing to do everyday, and occupies his mind by watching other people.
We are also shown this by how Inman is aware of exactly what the blind man does everyday.
In the same way that we are immediately introduced to Inman and his “physical disability” Frazier instantly shows the reader how Ada is living and what her disability is – i.e. that she does not know how to look after herself QUOTE. Although she is highly educated and literate, she is not used to manual labour and lacks the practical skills necessary to run a farm and is therefore suffering as she does not even know how to cook a meal for herself. This is effective as we can see the links between Inman and Ada although they appear to be two completely different people i.e. that they are both suffering in different ways, and miss the company of others.
They are also linked by their love of Cold Mountain. Each of the links between Inman and Ada perhaps help the reader to see their love for each other, as we are allowed to see all the similarities between the two characters and see how they share their love of certain things. For example, each of them sees Cold Mountain as a place of safety. Inman shows this by the fact that he wants to return to Cold Mountain to get away from the war, and Ada when she hides within the boxwood and reads beside the wall in the upper pasture – even in the middle of night she feels safe. QUOTE
The links between Ada and Inman develop to an almost psychic level in that Ada is drawn to stay at the farm, because she believes Inman to perhaps be returning there due to her vision in the well also encourages her to stay at the farm; it suggests she is awaiting someone’s arrival. Although she dreams of Monroe calling to her, Ada seems more affected by the vision she sees in the well and perhaps this is a way to effectively show the reader that Ada and Inman are linked on a spiritual level, and can sense through deep love, each other’s movements. QUOTE
This visualization foreshadows Inman’s return. However, it also represents journeying or pilgrimage, an idea to which characters in the novel frequently return. This idea is reinforced by the hymn “Wayfaring Stranger” that haunts Ada’s mind.
The war is effectively described with both graphic language to show the horrors of the war, but also with different tones, to show the effect the war has had on Inman.
We are also introduced to the setting via structural devices – i.e. the window. The window is an effective way of Inman describing what he can see outside, to give the reader an idea of the weather, and the view, but also it allows Inman to remember the past.
The blind man also works as both a structural and narrative device in that he prompts Inman to talk about the war specifically a battle that he wishes most he had not seen i.e. the battle at Fredericksburg. QUOTE This is effective as due to Inman talking to the blind man, the reader can see what went on during the war rather than simply describing a battle as it went on. This means that the chapter does not focus on the Civil War generally but instead Inman’s personal experiences of war which allows us to build up a picture of how he feels about the war and how he is affected.
The blind man also allows Inman to show more clearly his preoccupation with war. “Who put out your pair of eyes?” Inman assumes that anyone who has a physical disability must have been caused by someone during a conflict or battle. This is very effective as it allows us to see into Inman’s thoughts and see the psychological affect the war as had on Inman, again without being directly told that he is mentally affected by war in terms of his obsession with humans harming other humans rather than accidents occurring naturally, because that is perhaps all he has seen for months. Although he tells the blind man some of his war experiences, he does not share details of the recurring dream in which piles of human limbs reform themselves into “monstrous bodies of mismatched parts.” This enables us to see how Inman feels he cannot discuss certain aspects of the war with other people – he cannot say them aloud but is troubled by them in his mind.
The letters written by each character work as narrative devices in that they allow the reader to see into both Inman and Ada’s minds into both how they feel about each other and the situation. With Inman, we can see how he is haunted by the war and the deaths. The point that Inman cannot discuss the carnage of the civil war with other people is shown in Inman’s first attempt of a letter to Ada. He begins to write about the horrors of the war, perhaps letting out all his inner feelings, but cannot send it, which shows again his unwillingness to share what really happened in the war and how he still can imagine it. QUOTE. This is effective in giving the reader a clear picture of how the war has affected Inman. The inclusion of the fact that Inman “wadded up his efforts” perhaps is a metaphor for the fact that Inman wants to forget that any of the horrible things he wrote down on the letter, ever happened. By physically destroying the letter with the words describing such horrible things of war, we can see his wish to rid himself of all the terrible memories. This echoes what Inman says to the blind man, about wishing he never saw all the death QUOTE
He includes details of famous Confederate generals such as Lee and Longstreet to introduce the historical background to the story so that the reader is aware of how Inman came to be in the hospital.
Inman is in need of absolution from his past but does not know how to find relief. Inman cannot forget the atrocities that he has witnessed, particularly those that occurred in battle at Fredericksburg. Although he tells the blind man some of his war experiences, he does not share details of a recurring dream in which piles of human limbs reform themselves into “monstrous bodies of mismatched parts.” Inman dreads the stare of a cadaver who speaks his name, leaving him to wake up “in a mood as dark as the blackest crow.” In this chapter, the crow symbolizes Inman’s independence, when he throws his hat out of the window as a boy, and it also symbolizes his internal disorder, when it is used as a simile for his dark mood. The crow reappears many times in the novel as an omen of doom, a symbol of independence, and a portent of change.
Inman is a man constantly on the move, a man who wishes to be reunited with his lover and who searches for the solace of human company. Despite his aversion to the “metal face of the age,” Inman battles his own despair. He moves from his bed to the outside world, goes into town, returns to the hospital, and finally passes beyond its confines by stepping through the window. Frazier returns to this theme of crossing boundaries throughout the novel as Inman enters and exits different earthly and spiritual realms. Inman’s flights of imagination and memories of a happier past are powerful tools that he uses to distance himself from the anguish he feels. Inman’s love of Bartram’s Travels, a book that he opens at random and gains comfort from, indicates his profound affinity for the natural world and for the movements of his book’s “lone wanderer” author.
Frazier’s contrasting descriptions of bloody battles and summer vistas underscore Inman’s troubled and divided worldview. Despite his horrific experiences, Inman hopes for a better future. Inman abhors the idea that the soul is weak and mortal since he learned it by “sermon and hymn.” This viewpoint juxtaposes Christian doctrine with a belief system formed from an individual’s own experiences and desires. Inman assimilates or rejects other people’s beliefs—be they the blindman’s, Swimmer’s, or Balis’s—on the basis of whether or not they accord with his personal philosophy. The individual’s evaluation of an idea’s truth is important throughout the novel, as questions of religious and philosophical truth resonate with Inman as he searches for his own spiritual conclusions.
The first chapter is an aggregate of Inman’s memories and experiences. It focuses on Inman’s past, his search for answers, his yearning for a better life. Hope, or the tentative search for hope, is forcefully conveyed in this chapter and will emerge as one of the most powerful themes within the novel.
Analysis
The point of view in the second chapter shifts from Inman’s to Ada’s. Ada’s perspective is notably calmer than Inman’s. She ponders commanding mountainous scenery instead of the horrors of battle. However, like Inman, Ada must fight off despair. Although highly educated and literate, she is not used to manual labor and lacks the practical skills necessary to run a farm. In addition, the acute physical hunger Ada feels corresponds with her psychological yearning for the solace of human company.
Ada is filled with a desire to return home, or at least to discover where home might be. Like Inman, Ada is setting out on a journey, although she has little sense of identity or purpose. Ada surveys her land three times in this chapter, suggesting a budding relationship between her and the landscape. She recognizes that there is something rooting her to the farm. Her friendship with the Swangers, the memories of her father’s happiness at Cold Mountain, and her own sense of security on the farm (which she feels when she hides within the boxwood and reads beside the wall in the upper pasture) make a strong impact on Ada. Frazier suggests that his female protagonist has a special connection to “her woods, her ridges, her creek.”
Ada’s vision in the well also encourages her to stay at the farm; it suggests she is awaiting someone’s arrival. Although she dreams of Monroe calling to her, Ada seems more affected by the vision she sees in the well. This visualization foreshadows Inman’s return. However, it also represents journeying or pilgrimage, an idea to which characters in the novel frequently return. This idea is reinforced by the hymn “Wayfaring Stranger” that haunts Ada’s mind. Just as Inman sets out on his journey back home, so Ada tentatively takes her first steps towards living an independent life at the farm.
Ruby acts a foil for Ada. She is knowledgeable about nature and has an innate understanding of the way things work, while Ada is “filled with opinions on art and politics.” Ruby, meanwhile, displays an outward authority that equals Ada’s, though she is illiterate and plainspoken. Frazier shows throughout the novel how Ada and Ruby’s relationship is based on terms of mutual respect and understanding, despite their obvious differences.
