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.