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Summary:
In April, the Confederacy surrenders and the war is over but it's not until two weeks later that the news reaches Tara. Neighbors start to return to what's left of their homes and Scarlett is simply glad because she won't have to worry about thieves anymore. The Fontaine boys return and stop in to visit Tara. They discuss the problems of marriage now that the war is over and everyone is left with nothing.
Cathleen Calvert comes by a few days later to announce her marriage plans with the Yankee overseer at her parents farm. She is unable to accept congratulations as she is only marrying him out of necessity. Melanie seems to understand instinctively and scolds Scarlett when she asks if Cathleen could possibly be in love with the overseer.
Katiebug's Response:
Scarlett can't get her head around Cathleen marrying the overseer for security. Even though her own marriage to Charles wasn't for love and she's convinced that Ashley really loves her and not his wife, it seems that Love is the only plausible reason for marriage in Scarlett's mind. Melanie, of course, understands the emotional complexity of the situation. Which really makes me think Scarlett has the emotional depth of a puddle. She is a strong willed woman and her instinct to survive will get everyone through the lean times. But she helps these people out of loyalty and duty rather than love and generosity as Melanie would. The two together will make a strong and powerful pair.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Gone With The Wind: Chapter 28
Summary:
Cold weather sets in and Scarlett realizes that her claims of the worst being over were premature. The neighbors have less to share, though they all do their best to help one another. Pork is able to trade, steal, or buy necessities from neighbors and towns with the money from the dead Yankee's pockets. Scarlett starts to have a recurring nightmare and takes to sleeping in the bed with Melanie so she can be awoken when the dream is upon her.
Christmas brings Frank Kennedy and a troop of soldiers to Tara's door. They were sent by the Confederate Army to secure provisions from the citizens. The troop is able to share news of Atlanta and Frank reveals that citizens have started to rebuild the city. Aunt PittyPat's home is still standing and it is suggested that she will return soon as well, but no one has news of Ashley.
While the residents at Tara don't have much to share, they treat the soldiers to a Christmas celebration. It's during dinner that Scarlett notices how happy Suellen is with Frank and when Frank asks Scarlett for permission to propose marriage to Suellen she wholeheartedly agrees. She even arranges for the two to have privacy during the proposal.
Katiebug's Response:
Like Scarlett, it's been easy to forget there's a war going on elsewhere in the country. The commissary troop serves as a reminder of the desperation facing the entire Confederacy in the last days of fighting. But their visit also serves as a direct contrast to their lives before the war started. Normal life events aren't going to be as easy as they were before. Men will not be able to support wives without an income or livelihood. The slaves will not come back to help work the fields and the farms are going to be reclaimed by the wilderness in less than a season. The aristocracy will be reduced to the same socioeconomic level as their white trash neighbors. Still, people are going to fall in love and life is going to move on.
Cold weather sets in and Scarlett realizes that her claims of the worst being over were premature. The neighbors have less to share, though they all do their best to help one another. Pork is able to trade, steal, or buy necessities from neighbors and towns with the money from the dead Yankee's pockets. Scarlett starts to have a recurring nightmare and takes to sleeping in the bed with Melanie so she can be awoken when the dream is upon her.
Christmas brings Frank Kennedy and a troop of soldiers to Tara's door. They were sent by the Confederate Army to secure provisions from the citizens. The troop is able to share news of Atlanta and Frank reveals that citizens have started to rebuild the city. Aunt PittyPat's home is still standing and it is suggested that she will return soon as well, but no one has news of Ashley.
While the residents at Tara don't have much to share, they treat the soldiers to a Christmas celebration. It's during dinner that Scarlett notices how happy Suellen is with Frank and when Frank asks Scarlett for permission to propose marriage to Suellen she wholeheartedly agrees. She even arranges for the two to have privacy during the proposal.
Katiebug's Response:
Like Scarlett, it's been easy to forget there's a war going on elsewhere in the country. The commissary troop serves as a reminder of the desperation facing the entire Confederacy in the last days of fighting. But their visit also serves as a direct contrast to their lives before the war started. Normal life events aren't going to be as easy as they were before. Men will not be able to support wives without an income or livelihood. The slaves will not come back to help work the fields and the farms are going to be reclaimed by the wilderness in less than a season. The aristocracy will be reduced to the same socioeconomic level as their white trash neighbors. Still, people are going to fall in love and life is going to move on.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Gone With The Wind: Chapter 27
Summary:
A meager but filling breakfast is interrupted by Sally Fontaine spreading the news that "the Yankees are coming." Everyone freezes for a moment and Wade's worst fears are realized. Scarlett digs down deep into her anger and starts ordering the residents at Tara to scatter the livestock and hide what they can before disappearing into the swamps. It's Melanie that reacts the fastest and jumps onto their lone horse to drive the cows into the swamp. Scarlett races back inside to hide whatever valuables they can and gather up Melanie's baby. She has a clear path to escape but Tara calls to her and she refuses to leave.
The Yankee soldiers overturn everything in the house and take everything of value. It's only when Scarlett sees they've appropriated Charles' sword, that is her son's only birthright, that she protests. The Sergeant she appeals to allows her to keep the sword much to the chagrin of the lowly soldier that had claimed it. Before leaving, the Yankees burn all of the cotton they'd managed to save over the summer and a fire is started in Tara's Kitchen.
Refusing to give up, Scarlett rushes into the kitchen to fight the flames. Just when she thinks she is beaten the door to the kitchen opens and Melanie is there to aid her. Together they fight back the fire and save the house. Scarlett awakens on the porch, she had passed out in the smoke, with her head in Melanie's lap and she realizes that she has a new found respect for her sister-in-law.
Katiebug's Reaction:
We're seeing the continued development of mutual respect and friendship between Melanie and Scarlett. When Scarlett starts barking orders, to save whatever provisions they have, it's Melanie that jumps to action. We see that Melanie is not as weak as Scarlett has always supposed her to be and has almost as strong of a will as Scarlett herself. Scarlett is not the only one that can adapt to a new south.
Melanie further proves herself to be as stubborn as Scarlett when she returns to help fight the fire left by the Yankees. I think this is what Scarlett is coming to admire in her relative, even though she still feels she's a rival for Ashley's affections. Together, though, these women will be able to withstand anything this new and dangerous world has to throw at them.
With the cotton gone, the residents at Tara have no source of income. I suspect this will be a problem later when it comes time to pay taxes on the property.
A meager but filling breakfast is interrupted by Sally Fontaine spreading the news that "the Yankees are coming." Everyone freezes for a moment and Wade's worst fears are realized. Scarlett digs down deep into her anger and starts ordering the residents at Tara to scatter the livestock and hide what they can before disappearing into the swamps. It's Melanie that reacts the fastest and jumps onto their lone horse to drive the cows into the swamp. Scarlett races back inside to hide whatever valuables they can and gather up Melanie's baby. She has a clear path to escape but Tara calls to her and she refuses to leave.
The Yankee soldiers overturn everything in the house and take everything of value. It's only when Scarlett sees they've appropriated Charles' sword, that is her son's only birthright, that she protests. The Sergeant she appeals to allows her to keep the sword much to the chagrin of the lowly soldier that had claimed it. Before leaving, the Yankees burn all of the cotton they'd managed to save over the summer and a fire is started in Tara's Kitchen.
Refusing to give up, Scarlett rushes into the kitchen to fight the flames. Just when she thinks she is beaten the door to the kitchen opens and Melanie is there to aid her. Together they fight back the fire and save the house. Scarlett awakens on the porch, she had passed out in the smoke, with her head in Melanie's lap and she realizes that she has a new found respect for her sister-in-law.
Katiebug's Reaction:
We're seeing the continued development of mutual respect and friendship between Melanie and Scarlett. When Scarlett starts barking orders, to save whatever provisions they have, it's Melanie that jumps to action. We see that Melanie is not as weak as Scarlett has always supposed her to be and has almost as strong of a will as Scarlett herself. Scarlett is not the only one that can adapt to a new south.
Melanie further proves herself to be as stubborn as Scarlett when she returns to help fight the fire left by the Yankees. I think this is what Scarlett is coming to admire in her relative, even though she still feels she's a rival for Ashley's affections. Together, though, these women will be able to withstand anything this new and dangerous world has to throw at them.
With the cotton gone, the residents at Tara have no source of income. I suspect this will be a problem later when it comes time to pay taxes on the property.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Gone With The Wind: Chapter 26
Summary:
Scarlett is two weeks at home when a massive and infected foot blister renders her unable to work. She has come to the realization that her father is never going to return to his normal self and the responsibility of taking care of the family has fallen to her shoulders. Just when she is lost in her own thoughts she hears hooves on the road to Tara and looks up to see a lone Yankee soldier making his way into the house. She arms herself with Charles' pistol and heads downstairs. It's the sight of her mother's sewing box in foreign hands that drives her to action, but it's his threat to her safety that causes her to pull the trigger.
Roused from her sickbed by the shot, Melanie makes her way to the stairs with Charles' saber. Scarlett and Melanie have a mutual moment of understanding and admiration before Melanie soothes the invalids with a quick lie. They agree to clean up the body and not let anyone know of the murder. Rifling through his pockets and knapsack, they find gold pieces and green union dollar bills. But it's really the gain of his horse that is an answer to everyone's silent prayer.
Mobile once more, Scarlett sets out to investigate the neighborhood. She finds the Fontaines at their home, Mimosa, and discovers they still have plenty of provisions to share. Grandma Fontaine suggests that Scarlett pick what remains of the cotton in Tara's fields and, though Scarlett balks at the idea, Grandma Fontaine shames her into doing what must be done to survive. Before she starts for home, Grandma Fontaine takes Scarlett aside and asks about Ellen. Scarlett reveals the whole history and confesses that she's faced the worst that can happen. Grandma shares with Scarlett that she, too, had faced the worst in her past and that it had caused her to fear nothing in her life.
Scarlett, Dilcey, and Prissy are the only ones to successfully work at picking the cotton. Even Melanie attempts to work through her sickness while the others in the household make excuses to stay inside. With the cotton picked, money in her pocket, and fresh provisions from the neighbors Scarlett feels that the worst is over and she can start climbing out of the despair surrounding Tara.
Katiebug's Response:
The mutual respect between Scarlett and Melanie continues to grow. I'm really liking how Melanie is being displayed as a stronger character than in previous chapters. First it really highlights how desperate things are for the women at home during the war. Second, it makes her more well rounded and makes me believe this book is really about a strong friendship rather than a romance with Rhett.
The scene with the Fontaines reminded me that while this area is mostly settled it is nothing like it is today. Only one generation back from Scarlett the farmland was wilderness and these people are holding on to what they've been able to carve out of it. It puts the Civil War in a different perspective for me and I can understand why these people believed in "the cause."
Scarlett is two weeks at home when a massive and infected foot blister renders her unable to work. She has come to the realization that her father is never going to return to his normal self and the responsibility of taking care of the family has fallen to her shoulders. Just when she is lost in her own thoughts she hears hooves on the road to Tara and looks up to see a lone Yankee soldier making his way into the house. She arms herself with Charles' pistol and heads downstairs. It's the sight of her mother's sewing box in foreign hands that drives her to action, but it's his threat to her safety that causes her to pull the trigger.
Roused from her sickbed by the shot, Melanie makes her way to the stairs with Charles' saber. Scarlett and Melanie have a mutual moment of understanding and admiration before Melanie soothes the invalids with a quick lie. They agree to clean up the body and not let anyone know of the murder. Rifling through his pockets and knapsack, they find gold pieces and green union dollar bills. But it's really the gain of his horse that is an answer to everyone's silent prayer.
Mobile once more, Scarlett sets out to investigate the neighborhood. She finds the Fontaines at their home, Mimosa, and discovers they still have plenty of provisions to share. Grandma Fontaine suggests that Scarlett pick what remains of the cotton in Tara's fields and, though Scarlett balks at the idea, Grandma Fontaine shames her into doing what must be done to survive. Before she starts for home, Grandma Fontaine takes Scarlett aside and asks about Ellen. Scarlett reveals the whole history and confesses that she's faced the worst that can happen. Grandma shares with Scarlett that she, too, had faced the worst in her past and that it had caused her to fear nothing in her life.
Scarlett, Dilcey, and Prissy are the only ones to successfully work at picking the cotton. Even Melanie attempts to work through her sickness while the others in the household make excuses to stay inside. With the cotton picked, money in her pocket, and fresh provisions from the neighbors Scarlett feels that the worst is over and she can start climbing out of the despair surrounding Tara.
Katiebug's Response:
The mutual respect between Scarlett and Melanie continues to grow. I'm really liking how Melanie is being displayed as a stronger character than in previous chapters. First it really highlights how desperate things are for the women at home during the war. Second, it makes her more well rounded and makes me believe this book is really about a strong friendship rather than a romance with Rhett.
The scene with the Fontaines reminded me that while this area is mostly settled it is nothing like it is today. Only one generation back from Scarlett the farmland was wilderness and these people are holding on to what they've been able to carve out of it. It puts the Civil War in a different perspective for me and I can understand why these people believed in "the cause."
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