Study Questions & Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. How is Rucker's
behavior in his marriage with Mattie Lou different from his behavior
in his marriage to Miss Love Simpson?
2. How does
Rucker's decision to hire Hosie Roach affect Will? Is Rucker's decision
to hire Hosie generous to Hosie or inconsiderate to Will?
3.
Cold
Sassy Tree concludes with Will listing the objects he has
saved from his childhood. How do these objects relate to the story
he has just told?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Discuss each of the prominent
female characters in Cold Sassy Tree. Are they
relevant to contemporary ideas of womanhood, or can they be read
only as figures from a bygone era?
2. Why is Rucker initially so
resistant to technology, both inside and outside of the home? What
makes him change
his mind?
3. At any point, is the marriage
of Miss Love or Rucker in serious jeopardy? What causes the problems
that threaten the marriage, or what prevents them?
4. Do Will's feelings toward
Hosie Roach change over the course of the story? If so, how do they
change?
5. How do you think we are supposed
to feel about the modernization of Cold Sassy? Overall, is it a
change for better or worse?
