Absalom, Absalom Lesson Plan

How does Mr. Coldfield's opinion on the Civil War differ from his daughter, Rosa's? What actions does he take that are unique among the characters of the novel?

Among the characters of the novel, Mr. Coldfield is uniquely a dissident of the war on moral grounds. He was known for and proud of his "immaculate morality." When the war started, he closed his story and forbade Ellen from going to watch the troops depart. Even before the war, there were "acts and speeches of protest." After the store was broken into by Confederate soldiers, he locked himself in the attic where we would spend the remaining years of his life isolated. According to Mr. Compson, his conscience...