Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell (Week 2)

I am woefully behind Matt's Gone With the Wind reading schedule, which set a goal of 400 pages by this date. I am very close to the 300 page mark...I tried! I can't express the delight I am experiencing in reading this book, and I don't want to rush. So it seems it may take the rest of my natural born life to finish it, but at least I'll enjoy the ride!

If you recall, last week I was feeling empathy for Scarlett - at least more than I did for the character in the movie. I still do, with one exception. I am more than annoyed at her attitude towards her son, Wade, conceived from her two month marriage to the late Charles Hamilton. She seems to have no maternal feelings towards this child, and would prefer to leave him in the care of the Aunt Pitty Pat's staff. In fact, she is often annoyed at his presence, as he reminds her of her widowhood and all the restrictions that come with it. Despite her young age and her narcissism, there is no excuse that works for me! This is an offense to me as a mother.

It is in this section of the book, during Scarlett's time in Atlanta during the war, where we see the full blossoming of her relationship with Rhett, which we were not privy to in the movie. They spend a great deal of time together, starting with the famous scene at the hospital benefit where he bids for her dances. They go for walks, he dines at Aunt Pitty Pat's, he buys Scarlett gifts. He is obviously taken with her moxie and outspoken nature. She is intrigued with his charm and wealth. We get to know a little more about Rhett's character as well. He is an entrepreneur, capitalizing on whatever venture is the most lucrative. He woos the city with is generosity, then shocks them with his capitalistic attitude towards the war. He does as he pleases. It becomes obvious that Scarlett and Rhett have a great deal in common.

I have come to realize some things about Scarlett's character that I did not recognize from the movie. First, she is extremely self-aware. I loved the scene in which she has attended the hospital benefit, and is horrified by the attendees fierce, manic dedication to The Cause. Scarlett is practical, and feels that throwing one's life away for the Confederacy, who will surely be beaten, is ridiculous. She knows she is alone in this attitude, and feels isolated and wants her innocence back.

Also, Scarlett is excellent at compartmentalizing. Typically, this is a trait that is common in men, but it comes as second nature to Scarlett, which is a testament to her strength of will. Yes, she is in love with Ashley, and yes she hates Melanie because she's married to him. But while Ashley is away, she allows a wonderful sisterhood to develop with Melanie that is so much fun to watch. She hates the sights and smells of the hospital, but she works there anyway, to keep herself busy. She worries what her mother would say about her seeing Rhett, or secretly reading Ashley's letters to Melanie, but she does what she feels she needs to do. Which brings me to the quote that says it all about Scarlett:

She had become adept at putting unpleasant thoughts out of her mind these days. She had learned to say "I won't think of this or that bothersome thought now. I'll think about it tomorrow." Generally when tomorrow came, the thought either did not occur at all or it was so attenuated by the delay it was not very troublesome.