Cold Mountain and The Awakening are both in similar time frames within American history but they are very different in their overall messages. The Awakening is from Edna’s perspective of her growing independence in a society where woman are supposed to idolize their husbands and take care of the children. Cold Mountain focuses on Inman who is a rogue Confederate soldier in his travels home to Ada but Ada manages the traditional society in a different way than Edna. Much like Edna, Ada grew up training to be the perfect lady. When Ada’s father died, she was left with a decision but it didn’t seem like she has a choice. One of her main options was to return to Richmond and marry a man she didn’t love. She refused to fall into the pattern but she also didn’t know how to run a farm to be successful. Edna was in a marriage with a husband and even kids that she didn’t love. She loved someone else but due to the American society in the 1800s, there was seemingly no chance of happiness to her. That was the difference between her and Ada. Ada worked. Though she didn’t have any legal connections or children and she was saved when Ruby came to help her on the farm but she didn’t falter within the long days of physical work. Edna was selfish in her decisions including taking her own life and leaving her children. But they both showed resilience for a time. They showed a strength to find independence of their own that so many women entrapped in society at the time couldn’t begin to fathom.
Categories
Great American Novels 