Inman is disenchanted with pretty much the whole world after his stint in the war. And he's not the only one. Ruby is disappointed with her father, who neglected her as a child and expected her to feed herself even when she was very young. Ada is disappointed with the expectations Charleston society had of her, but hasn't quite found her way to fitting in at Cold Mountain, at least when the book begins.
Lots of the minor characters are disappointed by the war, either the fact that it happened at all or the way it's turned out. Disappointment is a pretty big theme in Cold Mountain. Does that disappointment ease up as the book goes on? You decide.
Questions About Disappointment
- Does Inman find a way out of his disappointment with life?
- Do you think Ada is satisfied at the end of the book? She's had some major disappointments to cope with. What has she done about it?
- Stobrod's a disappointing father-figure for most of the book. Does he change at all by the end?
- Overall, would you say that Cold Mountain is more a book about disappointment or a book about hope?
Chew on This
Though parts of it are tragic, ultimately Cold Mountain is about getting through your disappointment and moving on to hope.
Inman finds a way out of his disenchantment through his return to Cold Mountain.