Gone With The Wind: Part 3

[Sara W]

Please discuss Part Three: Chapters 17 - 30 here.

[Mandy]

I just finished part three -
Seems like this part never interested me as much as the ones before and after always did in the past. I'm sure I was missing the romance.
This time I really loved it, though. Watching Scarlett change and harden was fascinating. Obviously the person she becomes is very unorthodox for the time - but so necessary! I think it's so admirable that she does whatever she has to do in order to survive. It's probably self-flattery, but I identify with her. I think I'd do the same things.
Of course, it's not as if she's the only one. I love all the tidbits we learn about the neighbors in the county. You'd think it would be comforting to Scarlett that others are having to resort to the same things she is (The Fontaine women, for instance) but instead, she's depressed by it.

I love the progression of Scarlett's relationship with Melanie in this part. She's so reluctant to change her mind about how she feels - even when it's obvious that those feelings are changing. She clings to the belief that she loves Ashley, even when she disagrees with everything about him. She's certain that Rhett means nothing to her, even when it's obvious that he does.
But with Melanie, even Scarlett's surety that she hates her can't keep her from developing a respect for Mellie's quiet strength.
Maybe it's my own wishful thinking - because I can't help but love Mellie - but I feel like Scarlett loves her, too. She just refuses to recognize it.

Randomness:
I love Frank Kennedy's part in book 3, because it is so subtle - it doesn't give any indication of what's to come for him.
I hate Suellen as much as Scarlett does. Love it when she slapped her.
In the movie, isn't it Mellie that kills the soldier at Tara? The rest of the movie seems fairy accurate to the book, but I swear I remember it was Mellie in the movie, and obviously it was Scarlett in the book...

[Sara W]

I am at the part where Scarlett gets back to Tara.

Funny that you bring up Melanie shooting the soldier because I was thinking about that the other day. I haven't reached that part in the book yet, but I was trying to remember who killed him in the movie for some reason, and I thought Melanie as well.

[Emily]

I think it was Scarlett who killed the soldier in the movie and Melanie who helped drag the body out of the house. Now, I cannot remember though! In fact, I think I have an old VHS of the movie but we don't have a VHS player to watch it!!

[Robin]

Scarlett does in fact shoot and kill the soldier at Tara. Right after the gun goes off, she hears a scrapping along the staircase and looks up to see Mellie standing there with Charles' sword. Mellie then lies for Scarlett at the staircase window when the family is about to run in, having heard the gun go off. She helps Scarlett go through the soldier's bag and wrap up his head (though she can't help drag him, as Scarlett says so wonderfully, "You couldn't drag a cat.").

[Sara W]

Ah ha! The sword! I must have been combining the sword and gun in my head. I could picture Mellie coming down the stairs with some weapon. And I know Scarlett took her nightgown to wrap around the soldier or something to stop the blood. I forgot about the family running in. Thanks Robin! :)

[Sara W]

I love this book so much! I'm at the point where Scarlett shot the soldier and she realizes Mellie is just like her, and it gave me goosebumps! I got goosebumps yesterday when reading the "As God as my witness" part. I love that this book can have this affect on me even though I've read it before and watched the movie countless times.

I really admire Scarlett at this point for the same reasons as Mandy. The rest of the people there (besides Mellie) may pout and whine about how mean she is being, but where would they be without her? They would probably starve! Someone had to take charge, and she did. It's fascinating watching Scarlett reflect on what her life was and what it is becoming and how she feels the things her mother taught her were pointless in this new world. I cannot imagine my life being turned upside down like that.

[Barbara]

And Melanie quickly and deftly lies to the children and people coming so see what the shot was about. For which Scarlett reluctantly admires her, as she did when she recognised Melanie's courage in getting out of bed at all, let alone dragging a sword she could hardly lift. She quickly drops back into scorn though, when Melanie is so desperately embarrassed about being half naked.

It is fascinating isn't the way in which Scarlett forges on, strong and brave and yet so utterly blind - re the "estimable Mr Ashley Wilkes" as Rhett calls him for instance, refusing to see that Ashley really is useless to her, with his dreams of day gone by and the slow gracious pace of life of the past ( which she always actually hated when it impeded her)

I think the most telling part is when she goes to Rhett for money ( in Miz Ellen's po'teers and the rooster's tail feathers) and in the course of the interchange , Rhett says something to the effect that if he were a man at all , Ashley should have done something- anything! to stop her coming to such a pass. He's also particularly scornful that Ashley has let Scarlett know he loves her ( or rather , desires her and what she stands for)
I think it admirable too that he's as angry on Melanie's behalf as he is on Scarlett's in this.
Rhett is the real gentleman here. Yay Rhett!