Gone With The Wind: Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Summary: Scarlett, Melanie, and Aunt Pittypat discuss the status of Scarlett's reputation and are decided that Rhett Butler is a scoundrel when a letter arrives for Mrs. Wilkes. Rhett Butler has obtained her beloved wedding band and returned it to its rightful owner, thus securing his status as a gentleman and an invitation to supper the following Sunday. All seems well until a letter arrives from Ellen O'Hara severely admonishing her daughter and telling her that her father would arrive within the week to collect her and bring her home in disgrace. Melanie and Scarlett concoct a plan to keep Gerald off topic but it's Rhett Butler's ability to out drink the great Irishman, Gerald O'Hara that gives Scarlett the leverage she needs to stay in Atlanta.

Katiebug' Response: I don't remember if there is this type of discussion in the movie, but I was glad it was addressed in the book.  For all the talk of propriety and what Scarlett should and should not do, it was nice to see that there were actual consequences to her actions.  ***DIFFERENT FROM THE MOVIE: Only Melanie's ring is returned.  There is no post script with Scarlett's ring as an afterthought.***  I find it interesting that up to this point Gerald is known for his ability to drink and it's Rhett Butler that finally beats him at his own game.

Gone With The Wind: Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Summary:  Scarlett watches the young belles of Atlanta, unhappily from her window, as they go off to prepare for the evening's dance to benefit the hospital.  She laments the fact that she is only 17 and can't participate in this bit of fun with the other girls her age because she is a widow and must adhere to the strict rules of society.  Mrs. merriwether and Mrs. Elsing arrive as her saviors when they insist that Melanie and Scarlett take over a booth at the bazaar, due to the McLure girls being called away for a family emergency.  While everyone at the dance is swept up in patriotic pride, Scarlett realizes that she is not wholeheartedly behind the Cause.  She bears this new information well until Rhett Butler arrives and starts to flirt with her.  He tells her the truth behind his blockade running and Scarlett feels as if a veil has been lifted on the subject.  During the fund raising efforts, both Scarlett and Melanie offer up their wedding rings and Rhett Butler buys a dance with the not so grieving Mrs. Hamilton.  Much to her scandle, Scarlett throws off propriety, accepts Rhett's temptation and proceeds to dance the night away for "the Cause."

KatieBug's Response:  I find the banter between Scarlett and Rhett incredibly interesting.  We see here, that not only can Rhett read her like a book but that she can see through his act equally as well.  They both dislike the war effort and the constricting nature of the Southern Aristocracy, but Scarlett still tries to play by the rules unlike Rhett.  ***DIFFERENT FROM THE MOVIE*** Scarlett offers up her wedding ring first, when the wounded are collecting jewelry from the ladies  She can't stand the sight of the ring as it symbolizes all the reasons she can no longer have fun and rips it off her finger for the collection.  It is Melanie that is inspired by Scarlett's actions and gives up her own, precious, wedding band for the Cause.

Gone With the Wind: Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Summary: Scarlett arrives in Atlanta and is met by "Uncle" Peter.  We learn that Peter takes care of Aunt Pittypat and Melanie as if they were children and runs their household as firmly as Mammy runs Tara.  Scarlett is swept up into the social world of nursing the sick and volunteering for the war effort despite her lack of interest in anything connected with the war.  Little Wade has no end of attention with his Aunt Melanie and Great-Aunt Pittypat around and we learn a little about the home Charles grew up in and the fortune he's left behind.  Scarlett is very careful not to commit to moving to Atlanta permanently, but she has no problem extending her visit indefinitely.

KatieBug's Response:  A really nice bit of history about the city of Atlanta, I feel, and we learn that the city is only a little bit older than Scarlett.  Though her father tells her they are the same age because the official name, Atlanta, wasn't settled until the year she was born.  I had no idea it started as a train station and was as new as it was.  I think it's ironic that Scarlett is dragged into volunteering with two different hospital committees because she can't think of a good enough excuse to get out of doing it altogether.  We get a first-hand perspective on life in Atlanta during the war, turning out soldiers and goods as quickly as possible.  Whirlwind romances and weekly entertainment while the rest of the state is quiet.

SammiDrake's Response:

Gone With The Wind: Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Summary: Scarlett's married life is as short-lived as the wedding preparation as the men go off to war.  Despite her mother's concern, Scarlett moves her wedding date up so that she gets married the day before Ashley and Melanie.  She spends a total of two weeks with Charles Hamilton before he goes to war and his death is reported less than a month after that.  At the age of 16 Scarlett finds herself in the role of mother and a widow, neither of which suits her and she is faced with the reality of her hasty decisions.  She loses her appetite and interest in life since she has to confine herself to "grown-up" pursuits and life without Ashley.  Her mother recognizes this behavior, from her own heartbreak, and sends Scarlett on a Southern Tour of her maternal family.  This does nothing to ease her sorrow and it is decided she should stay with her Husband's Aunt Pittypat in Atlanta.  The idea of staying with Melanie isn't pleasing to Scarlett, but she is drawn to the excitement of life in Atlanta.



 KatieBug's Response:  I think this chapter moves as quickly as it feels for Scarlett.  She even says she doesn't remember much after she agreed to marry Charles and that it was all a blur.  MAJOR difference between this and the movie though: Scarlett and Charles have a son, Wade Hampton Hamilton, and she makes a tour of her own family before being sent to Atlanta.  She doesn't decide she wants to go to Atlanta either, but is told by her mother to go.  There isn't that hope that she'll see Ashley if he comes home from war and no wise advice from Mammy about being a "spider."  It's sad to see that Scarlett has no interest in her own child, but at the age of 16 I guess that's to be expected.  In this entire situation, knowing how the movie goes, the luckiest of them all right now is Charles Hamilton.  He dies at a young age without seeing anything of war and believing that the most beautiful girl in the county loved him.

SammiDrake's Response:

The All-New Nook

We interrupt Gone With the Wind for this very special news:

Well, Barnes and Noble has done it.  They've given me a reason to buy their product over the Kindle.  In my comparison of the NOOK and Kindle in previous entries , both here and in my 30th Year Blog, I liked the NOOK and all it had to offer except for that little itty bitty touch screen at the bottom.  I have said, on previous occasions, that if they offered an e-ink display with full touch screen technology it would make up my mind.

And now, they've introduced the All-New NOOK with the e-ink display and fully integrated touch screen.  For $139.

I really liked the global 3G wireless offered by Kindle, but I failed to commit to it before my Ireland trip and now there is very little reason for me to get it.  But this NOOK does offer the same wi-fi access as the basic Kindle with the added benefit of reading ePub documents which would allow me to borrow books from a library or import publications from other vendors.  (Though, I hear Amazon is going to offer the Kindle 3G at a discount with special offers and the really appealing part is that the 3G would really make it like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.)

So many things to consider.  But it will depend on the actual NOOK product.  I intend to check it out in the stores as soon as possible and if I like the design and interface, I might just cave.  But what will Amazon answer back with in their next generation Kindle?

Gone with the Wind: Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Summary: The O'Hara Family finally arrives at Twelve Oaks for the Barbecue and Scarlett steals all the male attention with a flash of her smile.  Before she gets too far from the carriage, Scarlett sees Rhett Butler for the very first time and is immediately filled with conflicting emotions.  She is unable to get a moment alone with Ashley, during the barbecue, as he is completely monopolized by Miss Melanie.  There's a standoff between Gerald and John Wilkes as they discuss the possibility of war.  An old man tells everyone the truth about war from his own experience and Rhett Butler lays down the truth of the impending war.  Then whilst all the ladies are retiring for a nap, Scarlett launches her plan to capture Ashley's affection before it's too late.  She is unsuccessful in her attempt and her failure is witnessed by Rhett Butler.  Her pride forces her upstairs to pretend like nothing has happened, but she overhears Honey Wilkes and Melanie talking about her.  Honey is cruel and the Tarleton girls join in on the humiliation.  Only Melanie is above the pettiness of the others and comes to Scarlett's defense. In the meantime, war has officially come to Georgia and Charles Hamilton professes his love for Scarlett.  She accepts his proposal of marriage.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZteHUJVcMxb-AFV2ZTTj0pFcbKTpaHv59Jqmn14KLVJ8kToPVuKiK37HJXaNdpslS38BdE30p0pBRL8qsSXNI0cF22kaEbyfKAo_jSPA-x5Ahuc0Kmg1rGxoHwoEeGy6SgrXFNNTWTr-/s1600/Gone+With+the+Wind+movie+image+%25286%2529.jpg

KatieBug's Response: I think the most important thing in this chapter is the fact that Ashley doesn't have eyes for anyone but Melanie at the Barbecue.  He greets Scarlett but never leaves Melanie's side and Scarlett is very annoyed that all her carrying-on with the men doesn't even warrant a sideways glance from her beloved.  I also feel like Mitchell keeps making an big deal out of Rhett Butler seeing right through Scarlett.  In the hall, when she first sees him, she feels like he "knows what she looks like without her shimmy."  Then at the picnic, when she's desperately trying to catch Ashley's attention, Rhett seems to find humor in her distress even though everyone else thinks she is the Belle of the Barbecue.  I found it incredibly interesting that Scarlett's desire to accept Charles' marriage proposal stems from her spitefulness and desire to cause pain to Honey Wilkes and Melanie as well as the Tarleton girls for their catty conversation.  Her only reason to cause Melanie pain is that she is taking Ashley away from her.  It literally has nothing to do with making Ashley jealous anymore, it's all about her own pride and her ability to inflict the most damage to her enemies in one fell stroke.

Gone with the Wind: Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Summary: Scarlett gets ready for the Wilkes' Barbecue and decides to wear the green muslin that shows off her 17 inch waist, despite Mammy's protestation that a proper lady can't show her bosom before the afternoon. They have a bargaining match which ends in Scarlett eating some breakfast and Mammy not telling Ellen about Scarlett's dress choice. Unfortunately, Ellen is not going to the Barbecue, as she has to settle the books and go over accounts with Jonas Wilkerson before he leaves, which leaves Gerald on his own as he escorts his daughters to the Wilkes'. On the way to the picnic Gerald engages in a little harmless flirting with the red-headed Mrs. Tarleton which leads to a discussion about her horses before winding up in a debate about whether or not it's a good idea to marry one's cousins.

from http://www.cornel1801.com/1/g/GONE_WITH_THE_WIND/1_online_pictures_quotes.html

Katiebug's Response: This follows the movie pretty closely, especially my favorite part with Mammy and Scarlett bickering. We're still getting this description of the Wilkes' as a strange people, as viewed by the neighbors, and the first actual discussion about whether it's genetically a good idea to keep intermarrying in a family. Mrs. Tarleton even offers up her own story about how she escaped a marriage with a cousin and the possibility of weak, washed out children. She even goes so far as to suggest that Ashley would do better with someone like Scarlett or one of her own daughters which is just cruel seeing how we all know **SPOILER ALERT**Ashley will, in fact, still marry Melanie. Hopefully soon, too. We're five chapters into this novel and we have yet to meet the object of Scarlett's affection. Perhaps Mitchell is doing this intentionally so that we feel Scarlett is really blowing the whole thing out of proportion when we finally do meet this Ashley.


Sammidrake's Response: So this chapter sees us start our way to the bbq we've heard so much about since Chapter 1. We're about 100 pages into the novel, and guess what, we're still not there. I'd like to agree with Katiedid and think that this is all just because Mitchell is a crafty one and symbolically showing us that Scarlett is a teenage girl with this whole thing in her head . . . just like these first five chapters are. I will say, though, that I found this chapter much easier to get through than the others. I like to attribute that to the fact that we're, I don't know, doing something.

Gone With the Wind: Chapter 4

Summary Chapter 4: Ellen returns from the Slattery's house with bad news and tired eyes. The family pays little attention to her needs as they inundate her with the details and worries of their own lives. While reflecting on the saintliness of her mother, during the household's nightly prayers, Scarlett hatches a brilliant scheme to win Ashley away from Melanie. Before heading to bed for the evening, Scarlett overhears a conversation between her parents where her mother insists Jonas Wilkerson be dismissed from his post as overseer on Tara due to his being responsible for Emmie Slattery's ill-fated pregnancy. Despite the severity of this information, Scarlett is only able to think about her impending elopement with Ashley as she goes to sleep.

from http://www.cornel1801.com/1/g/GONE_WITH_THE_WIND/1_online_pictures_quotes.html



KatieBug's Response: In this chapter we see that Scarlett idolizes her mother and aspires to one day be like her, but not just yet. She even compares her mother with the Virgin Mary, telling us that she once believed her mother was one in the same. Ellen seems to take care of everyone in the household, from the slaves to her family. She balances the books, tends to the sick, mediates between the children, and listens to her husband's thoughts. Ellen O'Hara is the very heart of this family and plantation; sending out life-giving support and attention to everyone around her.

This also follows very closely with the movie. Scarlett gets the idea to win Ashley while in prayer with her family and it seems like a missive from God. A few things are switched around, like Ellen telling Mr. O'Hara to fire Jonas Wilkerson. This happens in the O'Hara's Bedroom, after prayers, instead of in the Study and without a word to Wilkerson on the way in the house, and Scarlett over hears the conversation, whereas in the movie I believe the audience is the only witness.

SammiDrake's Response: I'm having a bit of difficulty following dialogue when the slaves speak - but I mostly got the gist of this chapter. Scarlett's plotting a way to keep Ashley and, in all honesty, sounds a bit childish in her plot, really showing her age of sixteen. I anticipate that this only sets the stage to show how much she grows over the course of the novel. Or at least I hope so, I don't know that I can take 800 more pages of this prattling.

Gone with the Wind: Chapter 3

Summary Chapter 3: We get a little back story on the O'Hara family in this chapter. Ellen O'Hara is a great lady from a respected family in Savannah. The love of her life was her cousin, Philippe, until his untimely death in a New Orleans brawl. Blaming her family for driving him away, she agreed to marry Gerald O'Hara or enter a nunnery. Neither knowing, nor caring about the reason for Ellen's acceptance of his proposal, Gerald has counted himself as incredibly lucky ever since. Gerald, we discover, is a self-made man after his flight from legal troubles in Ireland. His luck also brought him Tara in a card game, but it was his honest hard work that built it into a proper, and successful, plantation.



Katiebug's Response: What I find most interesting is the description of Ellen's "quiet voice" that's "obeyed instantly" where Gerald's is disregarded. We learn that both Gerald and Ellen are well loved in the neighborhood for their friendly and generous natures. Gerald is kind of heart, loud of mouth, and free with his pocket book. While Ellen ministers to the sick and devotes herself as she would have done in the nunnery. I dislike the way she talks about a woman job in a marriage, it's like she's settling or giving up.

SammiDrake's Response: So you definitely should NOT marry someone who's into their cousins and is very different from you. Definitely don't marry that type of person . . . oh wait. I found it kind of hypocritical for Gerald to tell Scarlett in Chapter 2 that Ashely is a lame-o she need not waste her time on because suitors will not want her if she's hung up on a lame guy. But wait, how did he score his hot wife again? Also, let's talk about the creepy factor of his wife was 16 when he married her . . . he's what, a year short of collecting his senior citizen discount, right? Regardless, this chapter was more backstory which is great and wonderful - but I'm ready for the story already.

Gone With the Wind: Chapter 2

Summary: We learn that the secret behind Scarlett's changed behavior, with the Tarleton twins, is due to her massive crush on Ashley Wilkes. She refuses to believe what the boys have told her and goes to wait for her father to return from the Wilkes' Plantation where he was bargaining to purchase the wife of his Valet(?). We see that Gerald O'Hara is as stubborn as his daughter and they share a special bond due to their mutual nature. Mr. O'Hara tells us that the Wilkes Family is seen as something peculiar in the neighborhood as they care most about education, art, and higher forms of entertainment instead of the more practical things like hunting and gambling.

from http://krishnnaleela.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/gone-with-wind.jpg?w=468&h=391

KatieBug's Response: This is a chapter where we get to see the wheel's turning in Scarlett's head. She developed her infatuation with Ashley at a young age and has tried to manuever herself into being his wife ever since. Her father tries to explain that the Wilkes' are simply a different kind of "folk" and she wouldn't truly be happy with him in the end. I think he has a point, though I find it incredibly awkward that the Wilkes' always marry their cousins, it's almost like they're royalty. There's a certain amount of inbreeding there that I'm just not comfortable with.

Again, I find this part of the book incredibly similar to the opening of the movie and I have a new found respect for the screenwriters.

SammiDrake's Response: I think the book is slightly different from the movie in this chapter in how it paints Scarlett's love for Ashley. In the movie, we see a woman who wants Ashley simply because she can't have him . . . but you never really understand the big deal about Ashley. Seriously, why him? Now we find out, she's been jonesing on him for about two years now and he's just so different from all the other boys.

But Cher to Nick Cage-style, Gerald says "Snap out of it!" to Scarlett. But here, yet again, is where we start to see *theme* that Scarlett just isn't quite like the other girls in North Georgia. Gerald insists no other boy will want his daughter if she's moon-eyed over some lame guy who won't have her which, *spoiler alert* is really funny when you think about how Gerald scored his hot wife.

Gone With the Wind: Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Summary: Scarlett entertains the Tarleton twins upon them being expelled from the University of Georgia. Ever anxious to please Scarlett, the boys reveal a bit of gossip that is anything but pleasing to her ears; Ashley Wilkes is going to marry Melanie Hamilton. Sent away without the customary Southern Hospitality, Brent and Stuart Tarleton wonder what caused the sudden change in the object of their mutual affection. Afraid to go home, to face their mother's wrath, the boys discuss their possible dinner options giving the reader a short history of "the Troop."

from Full Movie Review

Katiebug's Response: The first thing I want to comment on is how similar the movie is to the book thus far, except for the 17 inch waist. We're getting the lay of the land, literally and figuratively, in this first chapter. There are the beautiful descriptions of Tara and the surrounding lands as well as details about the local "armies" being raised after the secession of the state. All the men seem preoccupied with the idea of war with the Union, while the women are concerned with the day-to-day problems like school and marriages.

I am a little surprised by the description of the master/slave relationships. It's not overtly tyrannical as I was expecting, it's much more subtle than that. (True, there are words used that my modern sensibilities are just not comfortable with.) It's the way the Tarleton boys regard their personal slave as they discuss where to go for dinner. But what I find really interesting is the way Jeems, a slave himself, talks about the slaves of lesser planters. It seems like the separation of the social classes extends to the slaves as well as the owners.

SammiDrake's Response: Yet again, the Tartletons prove just how low the admissions standards are for UGA and UVA showing that time really hasn't changed the schools of the South. (ZING!) That said, the first chapter is almost lifted entirely for the first scene of the film adaptation. It's setting up the idea that Scarlett is something special and unique in this Southern world *theme alert*.

Living just minutes away from the Margaret Mitchell House, I am well aware of the legacy this novel has in the South (particularly in Atlanta). I know this is the best-selling book behind the Bible (please fact check me) and often considered one of the best films of all time. It truly does capture the essence of the South in the mid-1800's . . . but I really don't find that a good enough excuse to explain how this book was written in 1936 (67 years after black men were given the right to vote) with the language and disregard for blacks that it uses.

It's no surprise - we all know that the US had slaves and we all know that slaveowners treated their slaves in a way that makes us cringe now. But the narrative of the novel also takes on this tone which makes it particularly difficult for me to get through.

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

I finished reading Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt, during my flight home from Ireland this past week.  I have to say that I had a hard time putting this down.  Though the subject matter is anything but cheerful, the way the story is told is very entertaining.  It's almost a stream of consciousness narrative.  McCourt tells the stories of his life as if he were sitting in the room with you.

Frank McCourt details his childhood, growing up in Limerick, Ireland, amidst extreme poverty.  His father is an alcoholic who spends most of the what little money he earns in the pubs.  The mother struggles to keep everyone clothed and fed as much as possible, even if it means surviving on tea and bread.  His mother relies on charity to get them through, as there weren't many jobs for women at the time, and when McCourt is old enough he goes to work to help support the family.  This novel ends with McCourt's journey back to America and I may pick up the sequel to see how it all comes out.

One of the saddest passages for me to read was the one where he is certain that he caused the eternal damnation of a girl's soul.  His prayers for her miraculous recovery went unanswered and he was sure their sexual relationship had damned her.  It's only when he confesses everything about his life to a sympathetic clergyman that he's able to get some peace.  This moment, with him crying on the floor of the church, just brought tears to my eyes.  With everything else he had to deal with in his life this is where it all came spilling out of him.

I would definitely recommend reading this one.  Though, be warned, it is not a happy go lucky read and deals with some very depressing subject matter.  But it is beautifully done.