Ada's Metamorphosis into an Independent Woman in Cold MountainWhen Ada arrives in Black Cove, she and her father are completely unprepared for a life of independence. The journey becomes the first of their problems. They bought a new horse and a convertible for the trip, but that was their first mistake. “The rain fell sideways, getting in their faces, so much so that the roof of the carriage did little to shelter them” (55). Monroe, Ada's father, had no idea how to get to Cold Mountain, and "At every fork in the road, Monroe simply guessed the route they should take" (55). Ada's life in Charleston was an aristocratic life. She enjoyed dancing, parties, and suitors, none of which helped her in any way in Black Cove. Ruby comments that she "could only marvel at lives so useless that she had to give up sleep and row a river for pleasure" (144). Ruby's arrival helps Ada immensely. Without Ruby's help the garden would never have been more than "weeds that Ada could not name and had neither the energy nor the heart to fight" (28). Ruby was constantly planning...