Why did Cussy's father keep rejecting Jackson's marriage proposal to Cussy?

This was one part of the book that did not make sense to me — why he would reject the proposal five times and when Jackson said it would be the last, he accepted his intentions as true. Cussy's dad knew Jackson was honorable and must have believed his love for Cussy was real.

I also do not know why he would reject him. He wanted his daughter to be married especially now that she had a child to raise. And this was certainly a wonderful man who truly loved her so I do not know??

That's an interesting question! I guess it could possibly be because he was reluctant to say yes to any proposal so soon after her first marriage went so disastrously. Also, the other characters seem to make a big deal of Jackson having been out west, having money invested and being in a better position than many of the other people in the area. Maybe Cussy's father worried that Jackson wasn't a stable enough part of the community, or had other reasons related to that.

Great question. I kind of thought he felt bad about the disastrous first marriage. Since Jackson had been gone from town he was an unknown and her father may have not trusted Jackson’s intentions and he didn’t want Cussy to have another bad experience.

That part really puzzled me, too. He married her off to a miserable old man despite her pleadings, yet kept turning down an obvious better suited mate. He wanted to see his daughter safely taken care of. I'm so glad Jackson was persistent (loved the rolling courtship candle bit.)

I cannot understand why any father would willingly give up a daughter to such a vile, dirty old man instead of a young man who was doing well and could improve his daughter's life.

On the other hand, I believe he feared Jackson would talk Cussy into submitting to all the tests the doctor wanted to perform so they could explain why she and others were blue.

I think it was to save Jackson the heartache of seeing the prejudices of misinformation and narrowmindness that Cussy and Honey experienced because of their color.

I think that Cussy’s father rejected Jackson because he had made a bad choice previously and also because Cussy kept saying that she did not want a husband. Her father also knew that a mixed marriage would not be accepted in Troublesome Creek and would lead to trouble.

I didn't understand his motivation at all. The "mixed marriage" wasn't an issue the first time.

I also did not understand why he kept turning him down. It could be he felt that Jackson was above them in class and thought the marriage would not be accepted. I am so happy that she did get to marry him in the end

Agree with the other readers. After Cussy's disasterous first marriage, I think her father was reluctant to let Cussy marry anyone, even a good man.

It is hard to understand his reasons for rejecting Jackson. He had made a terrible mistake the first time, but he still believed he had to see Cussy married off. I think he saw Jackson as an outsider. Jackson had left the mountains before and went West. He had business dealings out West, perhaps he feared that Jackson would take Cussy away from the only home she knew and away from him.

Clearly, the father's first choice for Cussy's husband was a disaster. Perhaps he feared Jackson would tire of the prejudice Cussy has always endured and will continue to endure because of her blue skin.

I think he was sorry about the first marriage. He wanted to make sure this love and not a passing fancy .

I didn’t understand this point, either. The only thing I can think of is that Cussy's father didn’t believe or didn’t trust that Jackson was sincere in his declaration of love. Still, he was willing to marry her off to Frazier, a man who obviously didn’t love her so I don’t get it.

I really didn't understand that part of the book. It really bothered me, since he was so concerned about her life after he was gone.

I was surprised he'd turned down Jackson's desire to marry Cussy so many times. I'd like to think that he was looking our for her welfare and was repentant after the horrible man he married her to the first time. When Honey was brought into the story, I think he felt it best she be married so then accepted Jackson's proposal. He also knew he didn't have much time left.

Once burned, twice shy. He didn't want to make the same mistake again. I think Marcia S has hit it - Honey arrived and Dad's time was short, so with Jackson's persistence he gave in.

Maybe Cussy's father felt that a proposal from Jackson would cause more harm to Cussy than good. Jackson was a hot ticket in town and the other women that had their eye on him were considered more socially acceptable. It could only end in misery for Cussy or so he was thinking....

I agree with most of the other reader's posts. Cussy's father did not know Jackson or even really know of his family and because Jackson had left and come back, he felt that Jackson's status was above Cussy and him. I also think he felt tremendous guilt for what he forced Cussy into in her first marriage and was afraid, even thought he talked about marrying her off, what he could potentially force her into a second time. I also wonder if he was afraid that any suitor might find out that her dead husband's brother was buried on their place.

I think he was concerned because of her first marriage and how horrible that turned out for her. Also I don't think he realized that Cussy was in love with Jackson and he, her.