Gone with the Wind, Week 14 - Chapters 43-45

[Jen]

Getting the topic thread up for the week. Will post questions later.

[Becky]

Well that was quite a bombshell wasn't it? I'm afraid to say anything because I plowed through so many chapters last night, and on my old Kindle, I have no real good way of going back to see exactly which chapters I was in. I don't want to accidentally post a spoiler.

Is it hard for anyone else to reconcile our hero's, like Ashley, with the KKK we know today? I certainly have trouble. I understand the rock and the hard place that many Southerner's probably legitimately felt that they were in, I'm sure the Yankee soldiers were keeping an unfair peace, and I am sure there were rapes, and other unpunished acts. These types of things always happen under military rule... and yet, its the KKK, we know what it becomes. Its a terrible thing, and I just cant feel sorry when them men get hurt running around trying to string people up. I just cannot connect with it.

But now, Rhett goes and saves them. Why do you think he bothers? He is such an opportunist, but he would lose everything if he were caught. Do you think he does it only out of respect for Melanie? If that were so, why does he hate that Scarlett is helping Ashley by giving him part ownership of the mill? Wouldn't Rhett be happy to see that Melanie is provided for, and not starving, because Ashley is totally useless?

[Becky]

And yay I'm caught up! I'm almost done with November 24th's section. I was soooo interested in this part of the novel that I accidentally polished off 3/4s of a wine bottle by myself. I was reading and pouring, reading and pouring. I wasn't paying any attention to anything except the book. I still don't know how I will rate this novel, its definitely interesting, but I have trouble with the authors one-sidedness.

[Alana]

I have to admit, this section made me think quite a bit. There is always more than one side to a story, but it's hard to think about that when it comes to group think of as completely evil, like the Nazis or the KKK or Gestapo or countless other groups throughout history. But all of those groups, no matter how they ended up, weren't completely peopled by evil men and women, and many started out with good intentions. Not that the intentions of these men were what I would consider good, although I understand their desire to bring justice.

Frank is dead: how convenient for Scarlett. I guess she can go back to running all of her businesses the way she wants now? I wonder if the town will shop from her though, now that she has inadvertently caused the death of her husband and great injury to others.

[Luella]

Alana wrote: "I have to admit, this section made me think quite a bit. There is always more than one side to a story, but it's hard to think about that when it comes to group think of as completely evil, like th..."

Is it bad to say I was relieved for her when Frank died. Because this means that she will possibly get that money back that they took away from her?