A popular theme among authors to use in their works is the theme of persistance
and not giving up. A famous quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt follows this theme as well by
saying, "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." When he said this,
President Roosevelt meant that just when you are about to give up on life, hang on a little
bit longer, persevere, and you will succeed. Among this quote and many other works, are
two that stand out in particular with the same theme of not giving up. In Cold Mountain,
by Charles Frazier, both of the main characters, Ada and Inman, persist in accomplishing in
their personal goals. In the poem "Mother to Son," by Langston Hughes, the theme of
persistance arises again within the mother's advice.
Among the many themes Charles Frazier incorporates within his novel, Cold
Mountain, persistance is one of the most recognizable. Frazier not only shows the
preseverance of one character, but two at the same time. The first character introduced is
Inman. Frazier uses characterization to show the reader that Inman is a persistant and
motivated man. What Inman wants is no longer about the war or who wins. All he wants
is to leave the war and return home to the young woman that he loves. On his journey
home, Inman runs into many obstacles that almost prevent him from returning home, but
Inman does not give up. Several times, Inman is almost killed by the Home Gaurd, but he
escapes death because he refuses to give up until he finds Ada. It was only after he had
found Ada and expressed his feelings to her that he was killed. Inman had accomplished
his goal by not giving up, even in times when his situation seemed hopeless.
Frazier's other character in Cold Mountain was Ada. Ada hade grown up without a
care in the world until her father died. Everything was taken care of for her, but when
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