53 pages • 1-hour read
Cold Mountain
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Symbols & Motifs
Cold Mountain
The titular Cold Mountain is an enduring feature of the landscape near Black Cove. Even something as seismic in the lives of the characters as the Civil War cannot affect the permanence of the mountain. In this way, Cold Mountain is a symbol of the past. It is a symbol of nature and nature’s power to endure beyond the quarrels of humanity. No matter what side of the conflict the people belong to, the mountain towers above them all, symbolizing an enduring unity of humanity’s relationship to nature, which transcends individual differences and momentary violence.
Since the mountain is such a constant presence in the lives of the characters, it functions as a symbolic point of reference in their lives, especially when they are far apart. When Inman is journeying home to reunite with Ada, for example, the image of Cold Mountain looms large in his mind. A return to Cold Mountain is a return to the lives they once had. The mountain gives shape to his sense of yearning, providing him with a neat psychological shorthand for his ambition and desire.
As well as the nostalgia that Inman associates with Cold Mountain, there is no denying that the environment is cold and hostile. Men die on the mountain, as they have done for generations. The abandoned Cherokee village and the ancient arrowheads are reminders of the fragility of life. As brutal as the Civil War may be, there have been civilizations on this same mountain that are now long gone. Their buildings remain, but the people are gone and only the mountain endures.
Music
Music forms an important motif in the text, speaking of the emotional connections between the characters and The Power of Transformation. Music has long been a part of Ada’s life. Her piano is a repository of formative memories, including her first meaningful interactions with Inman. By the time the novel begins, however, the war has taken away much of this former existence. The piano languishes as a symbol of how much her world has changed, especially when she and Ruby ultimately barter it for essential goods. In getting rid of the piano, Ada exorcizes a symbol of her irretrievable past and accepts that she will never truly return to the life that she once enjoyed.
While music gradually disappears from Ada’s life, others develop a special relationship with music. Stobrod learns to play the fiddle and, in doing so, he discovers a well of humanity within him. He has been a terrible father to Ruby and a petty criminal. A moment of pure empathy, however, changes his perspective on the world. A dying girl asks him to improvise a song. When he does so and plays for her, the music changes him, enabling him to reject both the war and his criminality. For Stobrod, music becomes an empathetic language that allows him, at long last, to connect with other people. Through music, Stobrod demonstrates that there is no one beyond redemption. As Ada points out to Ruby, music is the symbol of Stobrod’s second chance.
Ada’s life in the Epilogue is one in which music symbolizes redemptive relationships. Stobrod is present, playing his fiddle. Ruby, her husband, and Ada live together with their respective children. The music of Stobrod’s fiddle represents the unexpected unity of this makeshift family—a symbolic return of the comfort and peace Ada once knew.
Birds
Birds are an important motif in Cold Mountain. Chickens and turkeys represent food and nourishment for hungry characters. Just as common are the other birds, including crows, ravens, and sparrows. These birds linger at the periphery of the characters’ vision, filling out the natural world with sounds and images to give the sense that nature is alive.
For all her book learning, Ada knows little about the birds in the world around her. This is juxtaposed against Ruby, who has a deep and intricate knowledge of every species of bird in the surrounding area. As Ada learns how to survive from Ruby, her knowledge of the birds functions as a symbolic demonstration of her progress. She begins to differentiate between the birds and their calls, learning to recognize the birds for information about her environment.
Elsewhere, Inman also pays close attention to the birds. At first, he notes that the birds in his immediate environment sound strange. Their calls are different from those in his hometown; his journey is, in essence, a mission to return to the place where the birds sound more familiar. Like Ruby, Inman has an intricate knowledge of the natural world and how to survive within it. This is also expressed through birds, which he watches as a way to measure the environment around him.
The more Inman travels, however, the more he begins to invest the birds with a symbolic meaning. Inman envies their ability to fly away from their problems. The birds are symbols of nature’s ability to transcend the violence, trauma, and brutality of humanity; birds can soar above such matters in a way that Inman cannot. To Inman, birds become an enviable symbol of freedom and liberty as he yearns to escape the horrors of the world.
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