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.