Inman And Ada's Journey In Cold Mountain

The novel, Cold Mountain, composed by Charles Frazier, describes two journeys that crisscross into a love story. Based primarily on Frazier’s forefather, William Inman, and was told by ear through generations after the Civil War. A majority of the novel is formed from true facts, mixed in with fictional ideas. Frazier includes a couple significant battles and interprets the political situation regarding the war. The novel Cold Mountain illustrates Inman and Ada’s journey with the goal to ultimately find each other, but turns into a spiritual journey as well, for Inman wonders his purpose in life and reason for fighting. Frazier focuses on Inman and Ada’s odyssey by providing a consistent plot and supplying believable historical background and references, which mold the novel into a memorable composition. In an attempt to traverse from Raleigh to Cold Mountain, in order to reunite with his true love, Ada, Inman undergoes a physical and spiritual odyssey, for he tries to discover the essence

[Inman] knew their names and said them to himself like the words of spells and incantations to ward off the things one fears most” (16). Inman utilizes his reading from Bartram to remember his home, Cold Mountain, in order to push himself to get back to it. By including this memory, Frazier allows the reader to develop a sense of knowledge on the main character's background. A truly significant expedition, Inman asserts “this journey will be the axle of my life” (71). Inman believes that his journey back home will answer all his questions, with the reward of his love, Ada. Although finding Ada is his main goal, Frazier portrays Inman’s ultimate question, which is a difficult one to answer. Inman contemplates his purpose in life and reconsiders the meaning of war and the purpose of fighting. Inman believes that this journey is they only way to answer his questions, for “Cold Mountain . . . soared in his mind as a place where all his scattered forces might gather.