Spirituality Within Self Claudia Munro 12th Grade

A didactic novel of self-discovery comes in the form of Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain. The piece explores how spirituality extends beyond religion, that it is what we base our thoughts and actions upon - whether that involves a God or the ground beneath our feet. The story follows characters suffering from inner turmoil as they rediscover or embrace their spirituality in the midst of the American Civil War. Cold Mountain provides a body of questioning that forces us to reassess our own thoughts on spirituality, as the novel sinks its teeth into topics of loss of hope and depravity, challenging readers to question the representation of spirituality in their own life. Frazier is careful to guide us into the idea that each person must journey through their own self-discovery before they can truly find their spiritual belonging. He presents a much looser understanding of spirituality, one which is defined by each individual.

As Inman's journey home continues, he encounters a character that tests all bounds of traditional Christianity. Reverend Veasey, sly, cloaks himself in a suitable facade where he can undertake his devious acts unchallenged. “Don’t kill me, I’m a man of God” he begs of Inman, who has come upon him as he is...