Gone with the Wind

by Margaret Mitchell

As for Scarlett, she had long ago become resigned to Melanie’s habit of seeing good in everyone. Melanie was a fool, but there was nothing anybody could do about it. Scarlett knew that Rhett was not being patriotic and, though she would have died rather than confess it, she did not care.

I’ll tell you this. England will never help the Confederacy. England never bets on the underdog. That’s why she’s England.

“You’ll get a dollar a pound when elephants roost in trees!”

tumbrils.”

“I don’t even intend to kiss you, either.” “Then why is your mouth all pursed up in that ridiculous way?”

But Scarlett was not concerned with the ethics of the matter. Like most innocent and well-bred young women, she had a devouring curiosity about prostitutes.

that old peahen, Mrs. Elsing,

varmint!”

the Misses McLure trying to make their trembling upper lips cover their buck teeth;

and light some candles, too,”

Scarlett. I cannot tell what will happen to me or what will happen to any of us. But when the end comes, I shall be far away from here, even if I am alive, too far away to look out for Melanie.” “The—the end?” “The end of the war—and the end of the world.”

Charon’s

inveigled

Atlanta, the heart of the Confederacy,

Lucullan

There was always trouble when he was present.

“You are the most barbarously ignorant young person I ever saw.

That’s the trouble with Yankee girls. They’d be most charming if they weren’t always telling you that they can take care of themselves, thank you. Generally they are telling the truth, God help them. And so men let them take care of themselves.”

“How you do run on,”

no insult worse than being likened to ...

my ministering angel?

she hated old Mrs. Burr cordially.

This suggestion met with the complete approval of Prissy, who was now reduced to teeth-chattering idiocy at every unexpected sound.

insouciance

contretemps,

My impression has been for some time past that you could hardly endure Mrs. Wilkes. You think her silly and stupid and her patriotic notions bore you. You seldom pass by the opportunity to slip in some belittling remark about her, so naturally it seems strange to me that you should elect to do the unselfish thing and stay here with her during this shelling. Now, just why did you do it?”

“My dear girl, the Yankees aren’t fiends. They haven’t horns and hoofs, as you seem to think. They are pretty much like Southerners—except with worse manners, of course, and terrible accents.”

Sometimes he was odious. In fact, most of the time he was odious.

I realize you still cherish the memory of the godlike and wooden-headed Mr. Wilkes,

“Mistress! What would I get out of that except a passel of brats?”

“That’s why I like you! You are the only frank woman I know, the only woman who looks on the practical side of matters without beclouding the issue with mouthings about sin and morality. Any other woman would have swooned first and then shown me the door.”

“Mother of God,

route step.

Maw she lak ter wo’ me out fer watchin’.”

Cookie say effen de pain git too bad, jes’ you put a knife unner Miss Melly’s bed an’ it cut de pain in two.” Scarlett wanted to slap her again for this helpful information

the sweat trickling coldly from armpit to waist, from hip to knee,

his voice was gentle too. So gentle, so quiet, so devoid of mockery, it did not seem Rhett Butler’s voice at all but the voice of some kind strong stranger who smelled of brandy and tobacco and horses, comforting smells because they reminded her of Gerald.

his dark profile stood out as clearly as the head on an ancient coin, beautiful, cruel and decadent.

“Dear Scarlett! You aren’t helpless. Anyone as selfish and determined as you are is never helpless. God help the Yankees if they should get you.”

Try not to be a bigger fool than you are.”

She felt dirty and messy and sticky, almost as if she smelled bad.

Somebody in the Bible had done just that thing. Cursed God and died.

And she had stood there in the road and let him kiss her—and

and almost liked it.

But the small cloud which appeared in the northwest four months ago had blown up into a mighty storm and then into a screaming tornado, sweeping away her world, whirling her out of her sheltered life, and dropping her down in the midst of this still, haunted desolation.

Was Tara still standing? Or was Tara also gone with the wind which had swept through Georgia?

“Miss Scarlett, you knows Ah ain’ had no petticoat fer a month an’ did Ah have one, Ah wouldn’ put it on her fer nuthin’. Ah nebber had no truck wid cows. Ah’s sceered of cows.”

“Ah’s sceered of cows, Miss Scarlett. Ah ain’ nebber had nuthin’ ter do wid cows. Ah ain’ no yard nigger. Ah’s a house nigger.”

“You’re a fool nigger, and the worst day’s work Pa ever did was to buy you,”

There, she thought, I’ve said “nigger” and Mother wouldn’t like that at all.