. 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.