The War's Motivation

Inman perceives that the mountain men of North Carolina rallied to war with the intent to repel invaders who threatened to upend their cherished way of life. Ruby held the belief that the North was a realm devoid of divinity, or perhaps worshipping a singular deity—money. Yet, the people of Cold Mountain soon realized they were embroiled in a conflict not of their own making—one that preserved a system demanding the subjugation of an entire race. Southern men like Inman found themselves fighting for the interests of those residing in grand plantations, a realization that turned his stomach. The goatwoman asserts, "N——-owning makes the rich man proud and ugly and it makes the poor man mean. It’s a curse laid on the land. We’ve lit a fire and now it’s burning us down."

The Futility of Conflict

Inman's search for sense in the North's aggression proves fruitless, as he argues that "anyone [who thinks] the Federals are willing to die to set loose slaves has got an overly merciful view of mankind." This skepticism toward both factions fills him with a profound sense of futility: "every man that died in that war on either side might just as soon have put a pistol against the soft of his palate and blown out the back of his head for all the meaning it had." Ada echoes this sentiment, deeming the war "brutal and benighted on both sides about equally" and "degrading to all."

The Allure of Conflict

In the war's early days, Inman, alongside other mountain men, was swept up in the whirlwind of "war frenzy . . . the powerful draw of new faces, new places, new lives. And new laws whereunder you might kill all you wanted and not be jailed, but rather be decorated." He now concludes that "it was boredom with the repetition of the daily rounds that had made them take up weapons." Yet, his initial insight holds true too. War's deadliest legacy is its ability to unearth humanity's darkest instincts.

The Brutality of War

His battlefield encounters reveal that men take a perverse pleasure in killing: "the more terrible it is the better." Such grim evidence is a constant companion. A particularly harrowing event unfolds after Inman and Veasey are seized by the Home Guard. Deeming it pointless to drag the prisoners back for justice, one guard decides to execute them. When a twelve-year-old boy begins to cry, a guard protests, "I didn’t sign on to kill grandpaws and little boys." Yet, the leader’s cold ultimatum forces compliance, leading to the massacre of all but Inman.

Personal Transformation

The conflict also awakens the worst in Inman himself. Hardened by the ceaseless violence that surrounds him, he mirrors it in his actions. After brutally assaulting Junior, he fears that "the minds of all men share the same nature with little true variance." Haunted by his experiences, Inman longs to retreat, to "be hid and safe from the wolfish gaze of the world at large."