After vigorously reading Mudbound, I was actually very intrigued and eager about starting to read Cold Mountain. Mudbound had held my interest and captivated me long enough to read every word in one day. It was as if my eyes were glued to that book and I could not lift my gaze from the pages.  I really enjoyed reading how the story was unfolding before me. I thought that both books would be a fun and a captivating read. However, that was not the case and very early on that thought vanished from my mind. As soon as I sat down to crack open Cold Mountain, I instantly knew that this book was going to be difficult for me to read. After slowly getting through the first few pages I just had to take a moment to process that this book was definitely not for me.

It’s over descriptive and long sentences bored me beyond belief. I caught myself zoning out while I was trying to progress further in the book. I had to go back and re-read what I had just “read” several times, because it was as if I was just glancing over the words and not processing what was being told in the story. I am not even going to lie, the first few times I attempted to read this book it put me right to sleep. Unlike Mudbound, Cold Mountain took me a lengthy time to get through reading.  In a way its difficulty reminded me of when I had to read the Scarlett Letter last year in Ms. Green’s class. I guess all the words at once and how they dragged on in both books put me to sleep. However, once I finally motivated myself to continue further in Cold Mountain I started to get into it a little bit. It is just that the words were boring and the topic of war is just not interesting to me so I found it quite dry. I had to take long breaks before I went back to reading it because I just did not want to. This book felt more like a chore to read more than anything else.

The two main protagonist characters, Inman and Ada, both have a sense of isolation and loneliness throughout the novel. They both endure their own hardships that help them grow in different ways and mature. Eventually both had a different outlook on the world and nature than they did from the start of the story.

Ada is physically alone and isolated from people. She also had the loss of both important and meaningful men in her life. First, her lover and soulmate, Inman, when he went off into the Civil War (and later died). Then, she lost her father forever when he died. I thought it was sad how she discovered him dead because she came back to find him hunched over and to what she observed, looked as if he was snoring. Ada found it humorous but that instantly changed when she finally got closer to him.  Once her father was gone she had no one.  It was just her and the farm, the farm that she did not know the first thing about maintain or how to run. She let the garden get overgrown with weeds, mainly because when she pulled the weeds out some plants came with it. She did not take care of the chickens and eventually they just went feral in a sense and roamed wherever they pleased. She did not seem to try or put any effort into fixing some of the problems on the farm, but then again she did not know how. Her letting the farm get out of shape was mirroring how she seemed to let her appearance go. She wears dirty clothes and does not bother to fix her hair in any of the latest up-dos or in any way at all. Thankfully Ruby comes along and opens up her outlook on the world.  With Ruby’s help Ada discoveries wonders about nature and learns how to care for the farm and learns more about herself. Towards the end of the books she has matured a lot from the girl at the beginning of the story who did not know the first thing about farm life.

Inman mentally and physically is alone in the world. He does not seem to understand people, although he has no problem interacting with them. He escapes from the hospital to go on a long enduring journey. He is alone but picks up companions along the way and learns from people full of wisdom on his stops.  His journey and everything he has been through changes his look on the world spiritually and morally. Towards the beginning of the book he is very scarred from war and does not want to kill if he doesn’t have to. However, as the long journey progresses Iman goes back to Junior’s house to kill him for his own revenge.  I think that he killing Junior partially shows how much he has changed from the start.  Also, the scene with the bear cub, because he did not have to kill the cub. When Ada and Inman reunited she doesn’t even recognize him, he’s changed so much physically and mentally. Ada has also changed, but for the better, she has a more mature outlook on life.

I was not thrilled about the idea of reading Mudbound at first, but I actually ended up reading it in one day. I had nothing else to do and I feel like if I had not binge read it I would have just stopped or forgotten to finish it. I normally do not like the books we are required to read for school, but I found myself liking this book the more I kept reading. It was interesting how the chapters were set up from the characters point of view instead of the normal titles you regularly see. Hillary Jordan did an excellent job at keeping the reader immersed in her story. I would find myself really into the story line and angered or excited about what was happening. After I finished the book I sat there for a few minutes and wished there was more to read.

It seemed as if the characters had their own vision of who they needed to be. As if it was the way they wanted people to perceive them or how people already perceived them and just accepted it. That they had a role they were required to fill.

Laura was content with her simple life, and just accepted the fact she would be a lonely teacher who still lived with her parents. She accepted her role as being the simple girl, because she didn’t think of herself as anything else. Once, she met Henry she started to enjoy dressing up like how other girls did. She described him as being a simple man. Her entire life was just described as simple. When Henry’s brother, Jamie, meets her, she instantly feels the thrill and excitement he causes her. When they dance she can feel the stares of envious women, and she likes the feeling. For once she didn’t feel so bland. Laura thinks Henry is going to propose to her, but he does the opposite and leaves. She realizes she is going back to being the simple girl she was before and thinks she is stupid for believing she could be anything other than that. She makes this front up that she is happy. When Henry proposes to her, she makes up the reasons on why she could marry him.

When Henry tells her the news about moving she is annoyed but won’t tell him, because she has to be his supportive wife. While there she starts to speak her mind, leaving Henry taken aback since she wasn’t acting in her normal, bland, simple role. The longer they stay on the farm the more miserable she gets. Jamie is the breath of fresh air she craves, and when he is around she changes. He makes her feel special instead of simple.

Jamie is described as being able to make all the girls shine. However, after the war he changes. He has horrid nightmares and memories that haunt him. He drinks excessively to try and get through the days. Jamie is unhappy with himself but he still lives up to his role. His jokes and flirtations all hide how broken he is inside. He suffered with being accepted by his father at a young age and still carries it around with him. After sleeping with Laura, killing his own father, and having Ronsel’s tongue cut out, it gets harder for him. He suffers with his own demons, but still puts on a front for his brother and the kids, as if nothing is wrong.

Pappy is a horrible man and makes all his opinions well known. However, deep down he cares about his family. He wouldn’t dare let that side of him be shown, even though it is hardy there to begin with. Henry talks about how the loss of his wife affected him. Henry reminds Jamie that he does love and care about him. I believe that is true to an extent. When the KKK are judging whether to hang both Jamie and Ronsel, Pappy is talking for Jamie basically trying to save him. He is trying to save his son. I believe he did care about Jamie, but the role that Pappy came up with for himself didn’t allow it to show enough for his son, which ruined him.

Hap speaks his mind about the McAllan family in his own home. When he is around Henry he has to know his role. Being a black man, being lesser to the white man. His role along with many other blacks that he doesn’t want to fill but has to in order to survive that world. His whole family has to learn to play this role.

Ronsel is described as be extraordinary. He isn’t meant for the farm life and goes off to war. The white people he meets traveling in the war don’t discriminate him. For once he is treated as an equal and able to associate with whites. Once he leaves Germany to go back home, he instantly gets into a squabble with Pappy and a few other white men about trying to leave the store through the front door. Ronsel reluctantly struggles to form back into his role of being a black man in Mississippi.

My name is Crisabella, but to the majority of people who know me, I simply go by Bella.

I was born in Brookhaven, New York and lived on Long Island until I was five. I remember when I was younger my mom was working a lot so my grandma raised me for a few years. When we got the news about having to move to West Virginia I was heartbroken. All of my family lived in New York and we were all so close by to one another. When the time came for the move my friends and family were there to see us off before we left. We moved into the apartment buildings across the street from Opequon which is where I went to finish my year of Kindergarten. We moved again into a house near Eagle School, and haven’t moved since.

I’m usually very shy and extremely quiet around people. I hardly talk in classes if I don’t know anyone or associate with them. Most of the time I won’t volunteer to answer questions even if I know the answer, because I don’t like to speak in front of everyone. On the other hand, if I feel comfortable around everyone I tend to break out of my shell. If I am around my friends and people I know I can get a little loud and definitely talk way more. It’s as if I’m a whole different person around people I trust.

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