Jenny’s comment > Likes and Comments

I actually really like Scarlett. She is such a blackguard, but still such a strong woman that I cannot help but love her.

When I first watched the film I used to get so frustrated with her and feel like Agh! How can you not see he loves you?!?! It's just that reading the book I have the opposite response of Agh! Rhett! Why are you so self destructive? You two are so uncommunicativ!e ::bang head against wall::

The reason I feel like this is that I seem like Scarlett's side quite often gets hidden in the critiques. She is manipulative, selfish, vain, blind, and so many things and people applaud Rhett for finally having enough. Yet, when I read the book I remain slightly dumbfounded that people remain blind to the fact that he was never brave enough or humble enough to tell the truth. Instead he goes to the innocent love of a child rather than the complex love of a relationship with a woman. He tries to buy her love rather than earn it with words and deeds. I do also love Rhett, because he is so gallant but opportunistic at the same time. However, I do not think it's that Scarlett is incapable of loving him back the way he wanted but simply they really were so full of pride that they would hurt eachother rather than show real vulnerability and honesty. I still think Rhett, at least in that way, was a coward. Scarlett was as well, but she was also significantly more obtuse than Rhett.

I see a lot more of your interpretation in the film version where he keeps making overtures to her up until Bonnie's death. In the book though, he stops right after he nearly kills her.

well, I can certainly see your point about both of them being too proud to show "real vulnerability & honesty".

Actually Rhett did tell her that he loves her at times, seriously and mockingly but obviously he was afriad thanks to Scarlett's intentions of "spinning him around her finger".
He never wanted much of drama