Gone With the Wind: Chapter 23

Summary:
Prissy is able to locate Rhett Butler and convinces him to steal a horse and carriage to help Scarlett and Melanie.  He shows up with a decrepit old nag and barely a wagon, but Scarlett is grateful nonetheless.  As they are carrying Melanie out of the house and to the wagon, she demands they stop for a picture of her brother and his sword.  Safely in their escape vehicle they wind their way through the war-torn streets of Atlanta.  Scarlett is truly frightened as they make their way through what seems like Hell, itself, but Rhett is encouraged by the dangerous surroundings and continues to chide her.  When Rhett asks her where she wants to go, her only answer is Tara, even though they know the Yankees have cut off that route of escape.  Once they are safely out of Atlanta, and the horse can rest for a bit, Rhett makes his gallant exit to join the rest of the Confederate soldiers.  Despite Scarlett's protestations he leaves her to care for Melanie and the rest, but not, of course, before he tells her that he does love her and makes one last pass.


Response:
I have to say that for all Scarlett has accomplished in the last few chapters, she is perfectly ready to throw it all to the wayside as she delights in the comfort of having a man next to her.  Perhaps "delights" is the wrong word for this.  It just seems that when things are truly frightening, she doesn't draw strength from within herself as she did for the birth of Melanie's son.  She is perfectly happy to let Rhett take care of her.  Which, I think, is exactly the reason why he leaves her to join the Army. 

He knows that she is as independant as he is and her sudden dependance on him, coupled with his own guilt about the "cause," persuades him it's time to leave.  It's with the realization that she won't have a man to protect her as she makes her way back to Tara, that Scarlett bullies up her own strength and tells Rhett off.  Even though she cries at the seemingly hopeless situation, she has recovered the fighting spirit she so willingly set aside when Rhett shows up with the horse.  And I think Rhett knew that was the only way they would all survive.  He could certainly help defend Melanie, Prissy, Wade and the baby on the road to Tara but only if Scarlett was at full capacity and the events of the previous chapters had left her drained of her fight.  He gave her a reason to be angry, again, and brought her back to herself.  And maybe he even realized that a man on the journey would be more of a hindrance, should they encounter Yankees, than a help.  A group of women with small children might not draw as much attention as a potential Confederate spy.