Analysis Of Cold Sassy Tree By Olive Ann Burns

“When you don’t know which way to turn, son, try something. Don’t jest do nothin’” (Burns, 2007, p. 315). In Cold Sassy Tree, Grandpa Blakeslee takes his own advice when he does “something” that will truly affect the lives of everyone around him. Written by Olive Ann Burns, Cold Sassy Tree delves into the life and action of a small town in Cold Sassy, Georgia. Barely three weeks as a widower, Grandpa Blakeslee elopes with Love Simpson, a Yankee women less than half his age. Their marriage rouses a storm of gossip as the people of the town are quick to judge. Love Simpson accepted the proposal on the terms that she would only be his housekeeper. But eventually, their relationship turns into something more. Fourteen-year-old

Struggles in life influence people to develop into who they will truly be. The struggles depicted in Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns caused certain characters to be the way they are. Will Tweedy is the narrator and the main character in the novel. He is a fourteen-year-old boy growing up in Cold Sassy, Georgia. As a young adult with a free spirit, he appears to be very defiant throughout his teenage years. After Will’s grandmother, Mattie Lou, dies and his widower grandfather, Mr. Rucker Blakeslee, gets remarried to Ms. Love Simpson he begins to struggle with issues regarding love, prejudice, and death. During this process we see that Will is developing a

From the book Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns, Will Tweedy is the novel’s narrator and protagonist. Throughout narrating the novel, Will Tweedy experiences many feelings towards actions of other people or people. However, one character trait that most describes Will is good-hearted. Throughout the novel, Will sees many things happening that are new to him, things that he has never experienced before. For example, after 3 weeks of his grandmother, Granny Blakeslee dying his grandfather, Grandpa Blakeslee announces to Will Tweedy, Mary Wills (Will’s mother) and Aunt Loma (Will’s Aunt) that he has decided to marry Miss Love Simpson. Miss Love is a milliner that works at Grandpa Blakeslee’s store. When both Will’s mother and aunt heard about what Grandpa Blakeslee said, both had disapproved their father’s action. However, Will thought it was a good idea and supported his new marriage. After Granny Blakeslee had died, Will saw that his Grandfather couldn’t do things by

Empathy is having the ability to understand the feelings of others often through connecting our own experiences to those around us. “Wildwood” by Junot Diaz follows the journey of the main character, Lola. Lola is a rebellious teenager living with her mother and younger brother in New Jersey. Lola's mother who is battling breast cancer, must deal with Lola and her defiant ways. Lola’s mother sends her away to live in the Dominican Republic to learn how to be a mature young woman. Every kid can relate to wanting to go against their parents rules and Lola is no different. The reader can relate to Lola through her common experiences that many deal with. Diaz uses first person to allow the reader to experience the perspective of Lola through her narration. He makes it easy to relate to as the story follows something that everyone has been through, growing up. Rebellion is a natural characteristic of maturation, although difficult for the parents it allows children to learn from their mistakes. Junot Diaz’s short story, “Wildwood” uses teenage rebellion and common feelings, to challenge stereotypes which allows the reader to easily sympathize with the story.

In the small southern town of Cold Sassy, Georgia, at the turn of the twentieth century, teenage boys had to grow up fast. They were not in any way sheltered from the daily activities of the town. This was especially true for fourteen year old Will Tweedy. Olive Ann Burns’ first, and only completed novel, Cold Sassy Tree, tells of young Will’s coming-of-age. His experiences with religion, progress, and death in Cold Sassy escorted him along the path to manhood.

The book opens up to an adult Gene, visiting his old school years later. He comes back after fifteen years to get closure. He visits the buildings that were once so familiar to him, and reflects on how he’s changed, and the constant state of fear that had been so familiar then. But the main reason for his visit is to see the tree. There is a tone of regret as he remembers what happened so long ago, and how it all started.

In the poem “Persimmons” Li-Young Lee leads us on a journey that bounces between childhood and adulthood. There is an undercurrent of divisiveness as Lee recounts moments from his time at school that conflict with the lessons he learns at home. Lee writes “Persimmons” as a stream of consciousness reflection of his youth and his struggle to reconcile his Chinese heritage with his American upbringing. He structures the poem to allow the audience to see these moments through his eyes and uses persimmons to show not only the emotional attachment that words have but as a symbol for the strained relationship Lee had with his white teacher Mrs. Walker. In reading the poem we gain a deeper understanding of Lee’s complicated relationship with the two worlds he finds himself in.

Miss Love’s name is Love so it is a symbol of Miss Love Simpson’s and Grandpa’s love for each other. “I love you… I’m sayin’ I want you to be my wife!” (300) Miss Love’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day which is symbolic for their love for each other as well. “Miss Love’s birthday was on Valentine’s. (That’s how come she was named Love.)” (339) Miss Love’s and Grandpa’s love for each other is a reoccurring symbol throughout Cold Sassy Tree.

It is true that we cannot take our worldly possessions with us after we leave this world. Thus, deciding which possessions are worth fighting for is something most people grapple with in their lives. Because mortgage bills and other financial responsibilities have the power to cripple a family’s finances, the story of the family portrayed by Mary Oliver in “The Black Walnut Tree” that decides to keep a Walnut Tree instead of paying off their mortgage is endearing and relatable. The use of communal diction, simile, and personification convey the relationship between the tree and the family as invaluable and indispensable.

Will Tweedy is our main character in Cold Sassy Tree telling and portraying of the misconceptions and social ignorance, which the residents perfectly exemplify. Through Will’s story he exhibits himself as one of the protagonists, a young teenager (13 years old when the story starts) finding his own way of growing up in the small city of Cold Sassy. He is Rucker's favorite as he resembles the son Rucker never had and because of Will’s significance he is included with Rucker in most of the events that take place within the book. Due to Will’s age resulting in his lack of moral and intellectual integrity it is hard for him to mourn the death of his grandmother when he would rather go fishing. However, even though Will does not have the capability

Throughout The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, Marietta ‘Missy’ Greer goes through many changes. From changing her name to adopting a child and many more life changing events. When she left Pittman County, she probably didn’t expect to have what she ran away from. Taylor left her home in Kentucky since she didn’t want to end up like all the other girls there. Most girls didn’t finish school, got married early, and had many kids. Taylor wanted a better life for herself so she left and made a new life in Tucson, Arizona. Some significant items that changed her life are Lou Ann’s ad in the newspaper, a photo of her and Estevan after Esperanza’s suicide attempt, and Turtle’s custody documents. Each of these items play an important role in Taylor’s

Cold Sassy Tree is told from the perspective of a young Will Tweedy. The main focus of the story is his Grandfather's marriage to a woman named Love Simpson. However, the book is considered a coming-of-age story about Will himself. Throughout the book Will experiences many different occurrences which help lead him into manhood. His coming of age requires Will learn how to be his own person, understand love, and understand the relationship between God and death.

Money is a hardship all families will face in some way. In “The Black Walnut Tree”, Mary Oliver conveys an ominous but persevered symbiotic relationship between the tree and the family through a harsh onomatopoeia, threatening imagery, and a lively polysyndeton, turning the tree into a symbol for elongating time.

Research of Photosynthesis By: Daniel Ortiz Biology 1 1st hour Jan Baptist van Helmont: Willow Tree experiment In “The Willow Tree experiment” Jan Baptist van Helmont said that; If you only water a willow tree, then it will grow like a regular tree. In the experiment he used just a regular willow tree and distilled/rainwater. He changed whether he used rainwater, or distilled water to water the tree. Though he kept the plant the same (Willow Tree.)

Growing up I have tender memories of watching the majestic oak tree go thru numerous seasons. Each change of time brought on another milestone in my life. Climbing the branches I learned so much about life and myself. Looking down from the tree I learned more about others then I would being stuck on the ground alone. At the age of 5, I can fondly remember my step father building a tree house in that oak tree and attaching a rope swing. The addition of the treehouse brought a new love into my life, but it never took away love of my tree.