Why didn't Ashley go to New York as he had planned?

[Sandy]

Was it because he couldn't fight with both Scarlett and Melanie, or he had no enough gut to start from scratch in New York?

Melanie said she perfectly understood her husband, didn't she see that Ashley wasn't happy living on Charity?

If you were Ashley's wife, would you suggest Ashley to go to Atlanta or go to New York?

Do you think Ashley would be better off in New York?

[Vanessa Eden]

Ashley had no backbone and could not go against them both. He wasn't happy living in charity but he didn't have the gumption to make it on his own. Remember the saw mill and he wanted to hire free slaves and Scarlett said no because they wouldn't make money if they had to pay those high wages, so they went with convicts'? As for Melanie, she knew Ashley hated living in charity but she also knew that he didn't have the gumption and ruthlessness it took to make it on his own. She felt it would be more detrimental to him to find out his is a weakling than it would be for him to never know if he could make it on his own.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

Scarlett manipulated/guilted him into it by playing up to Melanie and cornering him