“I’m sayin’ I love you, dang it! I’m sayin’ I want you to be my wife! I’m sayin’ I been a-waitin’ to hold you in my arms ever since the day we got married…. No, way longer than thet, Lord hep me. Miss Love—Love, I been a-waitin’ for this minute ever since the day I laid eyes on you!” Mr. Blakeslee

– Through this statement the themes of love and pain are revealed, for the anger and intensity coming from Mr. Blakeslee is all his bottled up emotions finally flooding out. For the longest time, Mr. Blakeslee and Miss Love had to deny there attraction to one another due to the disapproving eyes of Cold Sassy, obviously causing them a large amount of stress and pain. This pain is ultimately a result of their undeniable attraction to one another, also explaining why Miss Love was always so emotional. An alternative perspective could show how it was not necessarily the hatred of the people that tore the two apart but the internal battle the faced within themselves, for they knew they were hurting the one’s they love. For Miss Love, she was hurting the man from Texas, and Mr. Blakeslee was hurting his family as well as the soul of Miss Mattie Lou, however eventually love overwhelmed these feelings and brought Miss Love and Mr. Blakeslee back together.

. Judgmental

– The human nature of being judgmental is very predominant in the “Cold Sassy Tree” for the entire novel is based off of being accepted or rejected. What defines whether you are accepted or rejected in the town is from the personal opinions of those within Cold Sassy, however unless you are somewhat wealthy, follower of Presbyterian rules, or willing to bend to fit there “perfect mold”, you are outcasted. A prime example of human judgment is expressed when Miss Love is first introduced to the family as Mr. Blakeslee’s wife, the town immediately forms negative opinions about the whole arrangement, and sends Miss Love into a great deal of remorse and shame.

. Self-absorbed

– Human’s natural instinct of being self-absorbed is also very predominant in the novel “Cold Sassy Tree”. This self-absorbency is expressed by the adult part of Miss Mattie Lou’s death. Although to the eye it appears that the family was in mourning over her death, in actuality their mourning was a way for them to suppress their own individual pains and also to gain attention from those who felt sympathy for them.

. Deceitful

– The deceitfulness of human nature is also made evident through Miss Love and Mr. Blakeslee’s marriage. Before Mr. Blakeslee remarried he was placed at the “top of the food chain” and received the upmost respect from all those around him, but towards the end of the novel we see that he is not quote deserving of his “king” status. In the beginning, there marriage was presented to Will as just a business partnership, however while Mr. Blakeslee talked with Miss Love, he revealed that he had loved her ever since he had hired her, even though he was married to Mattie Lou, contradicting his prior statement on their marriage.

1. “My grandfather’s voice was stronger and calmer now. ‘Lord,’ he added, like it was a postscript on a letter, ‘please forgive the ways I ain’t done right by Miss Mattie Lou. Please forgive me. She don’t know, and ain’t nobody else knows, but I know and You know Lord, what I’m a-talkin’ about.” Rucker Blakeslee, pg. 36.

– This quotation is very vital to the story for it hints that Mr. Blakeslee’s past is not the cleanest, and shows what the barrier was in his relationship with Miss Mattie Lou. It also creates a deal of suspense for Mr. Blakeslee’s “secret” was not revealed until the very end of the novel.

2.“Two or more year ago she was out workin’ in her rose garden one mornin’ -did you know, boy, she’s got over sixty different kinds out there?-and she said to me, said, ‘Mr. Blakeslee, I wouldn’t even mind dyin’ if’n I could be buried in a bed of roses.'” Blakeslee, pg. 48.

– This statement was very ironic for after Miss Mattie Lou’s death, Mr. Blakeslee and Will worked extremely hard to make a blanket of roses, which at the time seemed to be very peculiar for Mr. Blakeslee had never been so persistent to do something for his wife like that. Now understanding as to why Mr. Blakeslee made the blanket of roses,  it shows how Mr. Blakeslee did in fact have a genuine soft side and cared for Miss Mattie Lou.

3. “But to mourn, that’s different. To mourn is to be eaten alive with homesickness for the person. That day, I mourned mostly for Granny, who had lost more than any of us, but also for Grandpa, for mama and for myself. I didn’t want to visit Granny at the cemetery like Grandpa was doing. That was just her empty shell over there, whereas here I could touch things she had touched, look out on the flowering plants she had looked at and walk through her house.” Will, pg. 56.

– This statement was important for through this the reader is allowed to see how Will is beginning to figure the adult mind out. Will as a young boy understands that sadness and grievance is accompanied with death, however he feels as if the major scene adult’s make is more for them, than it is for the deceased. Will feels that weeks of silence, nothing but black clothing, and the overwhelming amounts of stress, is really not doing anything but make the pain worse and he feels that remembrance is being over throne by  mourning.

4. “The girl didn’t seem to have heard yet that nobody in Mill Town ever amounted to anything.” Will, pg. 71.

– This is important, for it shows the difference of views between towns in the Cold Sassy area. Obviously, the Mill Town people feel that they are deserving of the same things that the Cold Sassy people have but due to Cold Sassy’s narrow-minded view, they ignorantly raise themselves up to a higher stature.

5. “In bed that night, going over and over what all happened, it dawned on me that by saving myself, I had saved the train engineer from running down a life, never mind that it wouldn’t of been his fault. That’s why he was so glad to see me.” Will, pg. 80.

– Once again, this statement hints at the fact that Will comprehends how the adult mind works, and how self absorbent one’s mind can be. When Will was hit by the train, the engineer ran up to him frantically rejoicing that he had not been killed, however his rejoicing was not because Will was okay, but rather the fact he had not been the one to kill him.

6.  “When Miss Love came into my life, Aunt Loma was still my prime hate, and getting even with her was still my prime goal.” Will, pg. 105.

– I chose this quotation primarily for the humor aspect of it all. Throughout the novel there is really a pointless hatred between Aunt Loma and Will, so much to the fact that Will would rather accept a stranger that broke into his family, than someone he’s been around his whole life.

7.  “Queenie doesn’t care what she eats out of, Miss Love. No more’n she cares if pot licker runs off of the turnip salad and soaks her biscuits or if the cream gravy gets all over her mashed sweet potatoes. She likes usin’ a pan. It holds more’n a plate.’ Being an outsider, Miss Love couldn’t understand that Queenie really just didn’t care.” Will, pg. 205.

– This quotation is important for it shows the blindness and ignorance from a young perspective. Will his entire life has been grown up around slaves, and has always been told how they work because they want to and enjoy being treated like dog’s, however this is not the case. Miss Love, being far more mature and worldly, understands the evil’s of slavery however cannot get Will to reason with her plight that slavery is inhumane.

8. “Whelm, faith ain’t no magic wand or money-back gar’nttee, either one. Hit’s jest a way a-living’. Hit means you don’t worry th’ew the days. Hit means you go’n be holdin’ on to God in good or bad times, and you accept whatever happens. Hit means you respect life like it is-like God made it-even when it ain’t what you’d order from the wholesale house….” Rucker, pg. 363.

– This is important for it shows how Mr. Blakeslee believed that the proper relationship with God was one that asked him to help you bear whatever troubles you had, rather than asking to be relieved of them.

9.“Grandpa had the manner of a king or duke: when he said do or don’t do something, you said yessir before you thought. And if he said he meant to do something-like keep his corn whiskey in your closet or marry Miss Love Simpson- if you couldn’t say yessir, you sure-dog didn’t say no sir. Not out loud.” Will, pg. 20.

– This quotation is important, for it shows the male dominance withing the Blakeslee family. Mr. Blakeslee was a man that deemed the upmost respect, refused to be given anything less bet the best, and placed himself on the highest pedestal. This quotation is also ironic too, for towards the end of the novel we see Mr. Blakeslee starting to place Miss Love on a pedestal rather than himself.

10. “I caught her wrist and pulled her up. And then I kissed her. I swear I hadn’t once thought of doing such a thing, and I’m sure she hadn’t either.” Will, pg.246

– This quotation is important for it shows how confusing it was for Will as he made the shift from boyhood to adulthood. Will felt as if he needed to do something to comfort Lightfoot, however he was unsure how to approach it and then turned his actions over to impulses. The fact that he kissed her showed that he was willing to release the opinions of others, since Lightfoot was a Mill Town girl, and acted out on his own.

Will seems to be a lot like his grandfather, however in the early parts of the novel, Will’s adolescent point of view causes him to have contradicting opinions on his elder’s behavior. For example, Will feels as if his Grandpa is wrong to marry someone only three weeks after Granny’s death, but because he likes Love Simpson himself, and because Love explains that it is more of a business type arrangement, Will accepts it and even attempts to defend Love against the wrath of the town. Keeping this in mind, Will’s indecisiveness is just a side-effect of his young age and inability to form opinions without the manipulation of his elders, for “the adult is always right”. However, as the novel progresses we begin to see a shift within Will, for Will himself is growing up. His innocence slowly slips away as he begins to have fantasies about Miss Love, which is most likely an effect from puberty, but however also shows his young age for he doesn’t quite understand how to deal with these “feelings”. Will is often caught between his feelings for either Lightfoot or for Love and his grandfather and his own family’s expectations. He wants to do the things they have taught him are “right” for the most part, however, it is not until Will has a romantic encounter with the Lightfoot that we see the adult starting to surface in Will. When Will was younger, he refused to be with a “mill worker” for his society deemed them as scum and waste, however Will’s maturity caused him to take on his grandfather’s role and cast out the opinions of others, doing what pleased him. This is a major stepping stone for Will, for he is no longer the young boy that was pushed around, but has now stood up for what he wants as a man, and deems respect from those who used to walk all over him.

In the novel, “Cold Sassy Tree” by Olive Ann Burns, each character plays a large supporting role  in setting up the moral of the story, with the main characters Mr. Blakeslee, Miss Love, and the narrator Will. Starting off with the Will’s grandfather, Mr. Blakeslee, he is such a vital character for he seems to be the stereotypical rebel as far as complying with the town’s religious standards. This is an action that should be commended for far too many times do people become just another face in the crowd and refuse to step away from the status quo. Mr. Blakeslee is the exact opposite of everyone in Cold Sassy and has no problem showing it and living his own life, however one allegation that could be raised about Mr. Blakeslee is that he is very sly and manipulative. His manipulation is made most evident when Miss Love speaks to Will about how Mr. Blakeslee was so quick to woo her and ask for marriage, that she really had no way to refuse. Contrary to Mr. Blakeslee, Miss Love is in fact much more renounced than Mr. Blakeslee, and takes people’s cruel words to heart. Miss Love greatly struggled in the early parts of her marriage with Mr. Blakeslee due to the town’s discontent and hatred, however she pushed through and kept the marriage alive. Obviously, for a women this was a very hard thing to bear but it should be greatly commended for despite everything that was said, she bit the bullet and refused to take the easy way out. The final main character is the narrator Will, and he is vital for he provides an adolescent take on adult matters occurring within the town. Personally, I believe Will was perhaps the most favorable character for he was so open minded, so willing to accept everyone, and was always willing to serve others. He was never judgemental, and due to his young age, had not yet developed the narrow-minded mindset of all the adults around him, making him stand out from the rest. Each character was placed in the same boat, forced to handle tough situations, and deal with the criticism of their peers, but it was the way each delt with the hardships that defined them, and created their commended character.

The story takes place in a small, country town by the name of “Cold Sassy” in Georgia in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Due to strict Presbyterian values and segregation, the town isolates itself from the “mill people” or blue-collar workers who work in cotton mills on the outskirts of town, for the “mill people” are deemed unworthy of their upper-class society. The town in itself however, is in fact deemed “up and coming” for the town experiences superior advances in technology such as automobiles and railroad transit systems, that increases their economic status dramatically. Obviously, the novel is a fictional literary piece for Cold Sassy is not an actual town, there are no records that claim the story was based off of true events, and also one can claim that it is quite impossible to get run over by a train and live to tell the tale. Keeping this in mind though, one can also reason how it is possible that this fictional story could have occurred in real life in the late 1900s. Just as it is stated in the book, this time period was a combination of both economic growth and decline, with high moralistic values primarily centered around religion. Naturally when one does not comply with certain “standards” or fit a certain mold, they are somewhat rejected from those apart of the society that are so narrow minded, and cause this them to act out even more. We see this comparison with Miss Love and Mr. Blakeslee for even though they are more or less a disgrace to Cold Sassy, they continue to do what pleases them despite other’s wishes, showing how an event like this could have actually occurred.

Acceptance:

. Mr. Blakeslee, as well as Will, accept the fact that Mattie Lou has passed away and are determined to move on in life.

. Mr. Blakeslee accepts Miss Love’s flaws, such as her insecurities and broken past, and brings a lonely broken soul into a family.

. Miss Love, although it hurts her greatly, accepts the challenges that will come along with marrying Mr. Blakeslee for she is desperate to feel loved and appreciated.

. Will accepts Lightfoot, although she is from the forbidden Mill Town, and looks past her dirt poor status.

. Miss Love accepts the child in which she bears, despite the death of Mr. Blakeslee, and plans to stay with the family in Cold Sassy.

Rejection:

. The town, as well as Mr. Blakeslee’s family, mourn and dwell on the death of Mrs. Mattie Lou, rejecting the fact that she has moved out of their lives for forever.

. Miss Love is rejected from Cold Sassy for she married the much older Mr. Blakeslee shortly after he was widowed.

. The town rejects anyone who dares to challenge the domineering Presbyterian society.

. Lightfoot is rejected from Cold Sassy, for she is of a poor status and is a “cotton head” due to the fact she has to work in a mill to have income for her family.

. Miss Love has been rejected from love her entire life, starting from her tragic rape story as a child to the hatred from the people and Cold Sassy, emotionally Miss Love is broken.

The book “Cold Sassy Tree” by Olive Ann Burns, is centered around a small but also up and coming town called Cold Sassy. The town originally seems to very close knit and light-hearted, however the love and joy within the town is challenged when Mr. Blakeslee, who’s wife had just died, married the much younger, Miss Love. Outraged by the marriage, all those associated in the family of Mr. Blakeslee were sent into a state of immense shame and remorse at what he had done, for the town was prestigiously known for gossip and formed harsh opinions about the family. However shortly after the announcement of the marriage, Mr. Blakeslee’s grandson, Will, barley escapes death for he is almost hit by a train while on a fishing trip. Naturally, once word spread about Will’s almost death, the rumors about the marriage were momentarily repressed, that is until the couple returned married despite the discontent of the town. Curious as to why Mr. Blakeslee had married so quickly, Mr. Blakeslee grandson, Will sought to find the answer by questioning Mrs. Love  as to why she married his Grandfather, and much to his surprise he found out the the marriage wasn’t really a marriage, but more of a business partnership. This idea of the marriage being just a partnership was taken to a whole new meaning, when a handsome young man from Texas came in and kissed Mrs. Love passionately, proclaiming his love for her and to Will’s surprise, Mrs. Love did not pull away. Obviously once word spread about the scandal, Mrs. Love was once again shunned away from the community, and had become more or less a disgrace to her old- fashioned, Presbyterian town. Despite the belief of the town, the shunning of Mrs. Love that was believed to drive a wedge between Mrs. Love and Mr. Blakeslee in actuality strengthened their bond as man and wife, and they began to entrust one another with their most darkest secrets. Naturally, this trust only made their bond grow even more intense, until eventually Mrs. Love claims to Will that she is pregnant with Me. Blakeslee’s son, but  won’t tell him because he has become painfully sick with pneumonia. As time passes eventually Mr. Blakeslee  passes away, but Mrs. Love’s opinion on Cold Sassy has changed dramatically, and she plans to stay in the family and raise the child as a Blakeslee.

The title, “Cold Sassy Tree” is very significant in the plot and setting for it explains the background information of the founding of the city, as well as comically tying back to the overall attitude of the characters from the town. Founded in the mid 1800’s, the small town was established off of a large grove of sassafras trees which was commonly referred to as “thet cold sassyfrass grove” and “them cold sassy trees”. Eventually, these phrases slurred together to form the much shorter and popular version, “Cold Sassy”, thus becoming the official name of the city. However, it is not so much the background that makes this title so significant, but perhaps the connection it has with the people that have settled in the area of Cold Sassy. Analyzing the text, it is made evident that the people of Cold Sassy are extremely “proud” of what there town has to offer, considering the fact their thriving cotton mill made them an economic powerhouse amidst an area of poor mill towns. Since wealth is stereotypically perceived as the key to happiness and success, Cold Sassy developed the image of a perfect place with perfect people, however behind the scenes one can notice that Cold Sassy is far from “perfect”. The people of the community in actuality are plastic, gossipy, rude and scandalous, making life within Cold Sassy miserable if a certain image is not attained. Obviously, the actions of the people greatly contradict the positive perception of the town and damage its reputation, just as the name “Cold Sassy Tree” does, for it adds to the negative connotations of the town. The “Cold” represents how cold blooded the towns people can be when gossiping and spreading rumors, the “Sassy” represents the horrible attitudes and self-absorbed persona of the townspeople, and naturally the “Tree” represents how the town hides these negative happenings to the outside eye by making the town seem perfect and being extremely shady.