Cold Mountain

by

Charles Frazier

The father of Ada Monroe, a talented, charismatic preacher. Monroe seems to be a kindly, if overbearing father, and for many years he is the only man in Ada’s life. While our knowledge of Monroe is strangely limited—he’s available to us only in flashbacks—we learn that he tried to court Ada’s mother, Claire Dechutes, for many years before he finally succeeded in marrying her. Monroe’s death marks the true beginning of Ada’s story in the novel—in the absence of Monroe, Ada must take care of herself.

Monroe Quotes in Cold Mountain

The Cold Mountain quotes below are all either spoken by Monroe or refer to Monroe. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
War, Memory, and Trauma Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6 Quotes

And, as with most things, Monroe had an explanation. He said that in their hearts people feel that long ago God was everywhere all the time; the sense of loneliness is what fills the vacuum when He pulls back one degree more remote.

Related Characters: Monroe
Page Number: 112
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

He wished Claire not to marry before her eighteenth birthday. I agreed. Two years seemed not too long to wait, and a fair request on his part. Within a few days he took me home to dinner as his guest. My introduction to your mother was at his hand. I could see in her eyes that she knew me from the night in the yard, but she said not a word of it. I believed from the beginning that my feeling toward her was returned.

Related Characters: Monroe (speaker), Ada Monroe, Claire Dechutes
Page Number: 154
Explanation and Analysis:

The months when we knew you were to come seemed a strange blessing for a pair such as we were: old and marred by the past. When Claire died in childbirth, I could not hardly think that God would be so short with us. I could do little for weeks. Kind neighbors found a wet nurse for you and I took to my bed.

Related Characters: Monroe (speaker), Ada Monroe, Claire Dechutes
Page Number: 157
Explanation and Analysis:
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Monroe Quotes in Cold Mountain

The Cold Mountain quotes below are all either spoken by Monroe or refer to Monroe. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
War, Memory, and Trauma Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6 Quotes

And, as with most things, Monroe had an explanation. He said that in their hearts people feel that long ago God was everywhere all the time; the sense of loneliness is what fills the vacuum when He pulls back one degree more remote.

Related Characters: Monroe
Page Number: 112
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

He wished Claire not to marry before her eighteenth birthday. I agreed. Two years seemed not too long to wait, and a fair request on his part. Within a few days he took me home to dinner as his guest. My introduction to your mother was at his hand. I could see in her eyes that she knew me from the night in the yard, but she said not a word of it. I believed from the beginning that my feeling toward her was returned.

Related Characters: Monroe (speaker), Ada Monroe, Claire Dechutes
Page Number: 154
Explanation and Analysis:

The months when we knew you were to come seemed a strange blessing for a pair such as we were: old and marred by the past. When Claire died in childbirth, I could not hardly think that God would be so short with us. I could do little for weeks. Kind neighbors found a wet nurse for you and I took to my bed.

Related Characters: Monroe (speaker), Ada Monroe, Claire Dechutes
Page Number: 157
Explanation and Analysis: