Cold Sassy Tree Character Analysis

Will Tweedy- He is the narrator of the novel, Cold Sassy Tree. He is a fourteen year old boy that lives in the town of Cold Sassy, in Georgia. Will comes from a well established family, but he has a free spirit, and feels he is obliged to disobey the rules that help direct his life. After his grandmother’s death and his grandfather’s second marriage, Will starts to struggle with the topics of love and death. His perspective on life changed.
Enoch Rucker Blakeslee- He is Will’s grandfather on his mother’s side. He goes by, Rucker Blakeslee, instead of Enoch Rucker Blakeslee. He is a cocky, comical, and intimidating character that owns the General Store in Cold Sassy. Rucker is deeply southern, and has no use for drama or the dishonesty in

the towns ways. The way he acts is based upon his own protocols instead of the towns.
Love Simpson- She is a pretty, caring, and determined woman. Love became successful, even though she had a very rough childhood. She is adoring, has humour, and possesses the business quality that earns her a job as running the General Store. Love lives her life happily and unafraid of anything. She fully ignores and defies the expectations of the people in Cold Sassy.
Lightfoot McClendon- She is an attractive and intelligent woman, who comes from Mill Town. Will is attracted to Lightfoot, and she likes him too. But she marries Hosie Roach, and parts with Will difficulty.
Hosie Roach- He is a 21 year old boy from Mill Town that attends Will’s school, despite his age. Will considers him “His biggest enemy”. Hosie shows great promise, and the townspeople of Cold Sassy see a successful future for him.
Hoyt Tweedy- He is Will’s father. He is a strict, and religious man, who has a weakness to modern technology, and loves his family. Hoyt is the son-in-law to Rucker and a dedicated employee. He shows that he is capable to stand up to his boss and defend his wife, Mary Willis, when he has to.
Loma Williams- She is Mary Willis’s younger sister, and is only a few years older than Will, which is her nephew.

Loma is known to be bossy, jealous, and has a poor temper. She wants to be an actress or a writer, and she acts against her dead end marriage with her husband, Campbell Williams.
Clayton McAllister- He is a bold, attractive, and rich man from Texas. Clayton’s despicable behavior towards Miss Love causes her to fear love and marriage.
Mattie Lou Blakeslee- She is Rucker’s first wife, and Will’s grandmother. She dies three weeks before the novel begins. Mattie Lou was an outstanding gardener and a loyal caretaker for the sick. Rucker never forgets her friendship and kindness, and the town of Cold Sassy talks about her frequently.
Mary Willis Tweedy- She is the oldest daughter to Mattie Lou and Rucker. Mary is the wife of Hoyt Tweedy. She is original and nervous, but nice. Her mother’s death is very hard for her, and she mourns for a long time. Mary finds it hard to forgive and accept her father’s remarriage because she thinks it is a betrayal to her mother.
Campbell Williams- He is Loma Williams husband. He’s called “Camp” throughout the novel, and he fails at home and work. He tries to please, but he is slowed down by his capability. Loma and Rucker criticize him constantly, which causes him

unhappiness.