In the novel Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier, two main characters, Inman and Ida, undergo intense transformations in their time away from each other, and Frazier interweaves their two separate accounts of their journey. The novel is set in the Civil War era and Inman is sent to war, and while at war, he endures all the brutality of the Civil War. This time it was hard, especially for the Confederate soldiers, of which Inman was a Confederate deserter, trying to return to his beloved. Inman knew that the South was not winning the war, and his desertion exemplifies his recognition of his dislike of the war. The author also takes pains to make the story a sort of mock epic, in the way he uses comedy to change the effect of certain parts of the story. This comedic use in the novel takes away from the story being a tragedy, as it downplays many of the actions and events that take place. Cold Mountain primarily focuses on aspects of a journey and how people deal with change, conflict, choices, love, and more to carry the overall theme of character transformation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Over the course of the novel, Inman's time at war really changes him, as his mental and physical wounds begin to take their toll. He begins the story as a very distinguished soldier, but with his desertion of the Confederate army and the choices he makes on his journey home, he becomes an inferior man, weak and diminished by his experiences in the war. “But what the wisdom of the ages says is that we do well not to suffer continually. And those old men knew a thing or two and had some truth to tell. . . . All you have left are your scars to mark the void. All you can choose to do is move forward or not. But if you move forward it's knowing that you carry your scars with you." (Frazier, 420). Inman later in the book accepts and acknowledges the changes he has undergone as a result of his experiences in and out of the war. The choices Inman makes throughout his journey are the primary factor in his harmful progression, as he immediately regrets most of the decisions he makes. They take a toll on him mentally, and due to the severity of his decisions, he begins to see his life as a messed up story. “He tried to name which of the seven deadly sins might apply, and when he failed he decided to add an eighth, regret.” (Frazier, 356). After Inman shoots the bear cub, he realizes that he has not only broken his "vow to a bear", but actually simply regrets shooting the bear, as it posed no threat to him. Inman's experiences and actions lead to many regrets, which destroy him mentally, and by the end of his journey, he has become much less of a man than he was before the war. In the time Ada was away from Inman while he was at war, she undergoes a huge change, as she begins the story as a lonely young peasant girl, far from self-sufficient. By the end of his journey, he makes great progress, becoming completely self-sufficient and able to deal with problems that arise in his daily life. “He had at least milked the cow… but he hadn't done much more, because he didn't know how to do much more.” (Frazier, 28). As Inman leaves for war, Ada is left to fend for herself, but she doesn't know it, as she has always had help on the farm. Her dependence on Inman was great at the beginning of the novel and by the end she becomes fully capable, thanks largely to Ruby who arrives and helps her. Ruby acts as a sort of mentor to Ada, and Ada learns under her howfending for herself and getting difficult jobs once out of reach done with little effort. “He left Ada with two tasks…And using the methods Ruby had taught her, she split the six turns of an old black oak log that they had discovered already cut into lengths…” (Frazier, 324). Ada becomes fully capable of not only managing herself, but also managing everyday life on her farm, which is tough on her own, mostly because of Ruby's teachings and advice. Ruby in a sense takes Inman's place for Ada while he's at war, making life exceptionally easier for Ada. Ruby works as a better replacement for Inman, as Inman would have done most of the work while she was at home, but Ruby teaches Ada how to do it so she can truly thrive with and without Inman. Ada's change throughout the story is directly opposite that of Inman, as she progresses positively throughout the entire novel, while Inman constantly regresses. Throughout the novel, the relationship between Ada and Inman sort of dictates the entire plot. They miss each other dearly, as Ada is the reason Inman abandons the war, to return home to see her. Inman's entire journey, caused by his love and desperation to be with Ada again, is the reason he regresses, but at the same time it costs him a good price in the end. Toward the final chapters of the novel, while Ada and others are camped at Cold Mountain, Inman suddenly emerges from the woods to surprise Ada of his return. Their initial reactions to each other were somewhat disappointing, and this reunion of sorts is a part of the comedy that Frazier weaves into the story, as their desire for each other was so great, but once they finally meet, it doesn't really change/happen Nothing. In relation to their relationship, Frazier centers much of the plot on the theme of love. Love plays an important role in the whole story, as it is the cause of most things on Inman's side, and love for Ada happens in many different ways. The love for Ada is manifested in her countless letters sent and unsent to Inman, and in her desire to be as great as possible for Inman when he returns, as she understands the severity of the war and its devastating effects on people. For Inman, love originates in his every single action and is itself the entire reason for his journey. In every action he takes, relating to Sarah's widow and all the other people he encounters, he thinks about Ada and how to deal with the situation deeply. Inman becomes somewhat ruthless due to his undying love for Ada, as he made a vow to never kill a bear, yet he did. He also mercilessly killed many others along the way, intentionally and not so he could get back to Ada as soon as possible. This theme of love is the main source of motivation and reason for the entire plot and contributes massively to the development of the story as a whole, as it is the underlying reason. The time period in which this novel is set is essential to the plot. story, as Frazier several times throughout the novel weaves real history into the lives of Inman and Ada, and it has a drastic effect on the severity of both their situations. The time period creates a struggle for Inman, because he did not abandon the war effort to try to see Ada again, but many convince him by the fact that he happened to abandon the war, just as the South began to lose towards the end. . Not to mention that for Ada the Civil War hit the South hard, especially on the economy and beyond, and being a farmer, it made Ada's life even harder. Many of the characters Inman meets on his journey have stories that represent the culmination of the South's struggles during the latter part of the WarCivil. “When he saw Pistola taking the pig away, he shouted: That pig is all I have. Take it and you might as well hit us both in the head and kill us now, because it's going to come out anyway. (Frazier, 314). This story of Sara is historically correct and shares an experience common to all women whose husbands left for war and never returned. Sara, like Ada without Inman, is alone with her son, unable to care for herself and her baby. While Inman kills the feds who take her chickens and pig, he does so because he realizes the gravity of the situation, as if the pig were taken, Sara would have no way to get food for herself and her. baby, since without her husband has no money and no way to barter for food. Frazier creates Inman in the story to be fully aware of the immediate and prolonged effects of the time period in which they live, and this recognition of the difficult time determines the specific actions and paths Inman takes on his journey home. In Cold Mountain, Frazier uses a lot of comedy throughout the story to bring some humor into the story, and the humor presented at the end turns the book more towards a comedy rather than a tragedy. Frazier connects the novel in many ways to Homer's Odyssey, as both center on a "hero" in their novel and the journey they undertake. The difference between the two and why Cold Mountain is more of a mock epic is due to Frazier's use of comedy. The use of comedy takes away the sense of tragedy and pure feeling for the horrific events that take place throughout the story. At the end of the novel, as Inman has borne the full brunt of his journey, changing him in unthinkable ways, he is struck by a bullet, resulting in a quick and easy death. The irony in this that Frazier uses as comedy is the fact that Inman has endured so much pain, struggle, and conflict on his journey to see Ada, and it simply ends with a quick bullet from a little boy. Frazier uses this as a main point for his comedic use, and instead of seeing it as a tragedy, it's almost easier to see it as a comedy. In this novel, Frazier adds many aspects of comedy to many of the major interactions and bits. of the plot that the novel itself, instead of being considered an epic and a tragedy similar to the Odyssey, becomes more of a mock epic and consequently a comedy. Many critics have taken this into account and realized that the book is much more like a comedy. “I will first show why Cold Mountain cannot be a picaresque; then I will show how it is a subgenre of quest narrative: the spiritual quest; and I will show that, because this research is successful, Cold Mountain is ultimately more closely aligned with comedy than tragedy.[1] Comedy accompanies every tragedy and scene in the story, and Frazier places emphasis on it throughout the novel, so much so that it's hard not to notice. According to most critics who have taken the time to specifically focus on all aspects of comedy woven into the novel, they have noted that it is consistently prevalent throughout, especially in the "tragedy" of the quick yet somewhat "comic" death of Inman in the end. “Furthermore, Gibson believed that this novel was more of a comedy than a tragedy, even though the ending of the novel is the death of Inman as he was triumphant in his journey and his dying vision was concrete evidence of redemption” [2] The critics I noticed how much Inman endured throughout the novel and how ironic it is that his death occurs instantly and seamlessly after his journey is completed. They realized how relatively disappointing his death was, as if Inman had to go through it 2017.