Chapter 3 The Factors of O’Hara’s Ambitions and Her Ways to Obtain Them

I begin the analysis by revealing the factors of O’Hara’s two ambitions, namely the willingness to rebuild and the desire to win Wilkes’ love. I divide this chapter into two main subchapters. The first subchapter is about the factors of the two ambitions that Scarlett O’Hara has, whereas the second subchapter explains how she tries to accomplish those ambitions.

3.1. The Factors of Scarlett O’Hara’s Ambitions The main female character in Gone with the Wind has two great ambitions; her desires to preserve the family plantation called Tara, and to win ’ love by supporting his family’s needs. Scarlett O’Hara herself confesses that “Every part of her, almost everything she had ever done, striven after, attained, belonged to Ashley, were done because she loved him. Ashley and Tara, she belonged to them” (Mitchell, 1936, p.826). I am convinced that there are many factors which stimulate O’Hara to get these two ambitions. Thus, I use the literary tools: the theories of characterization, conflict and setting to analyze the factors.

3.1.1. The Ambition to Preserve Tara Scarlett O’Hara’s ambition to preserve the family’s plantation is stimulated by many factors within her life. I divide the factors that incite Scarlett O’Hara’s ambitions into two parts, the factors found before the war and after. The factors before the war are the sense of belonging to her land, the Southern tradition, and Tara which becomes the source of income. 3.1.1.1. The Factors Found Before the War First of all, the rising of the ambition begins when the sense of belonging to the land grows in her life. This sense of belonging, actually, consists of two aspects; they are the teachings of Gerald O’Hara and the greater love toward the land. The sense of belonging to the land is caused by the teachings of Gerald O’Hara [Scarlett O’Hara’s father] which have been planted for such a long time in Scarlett

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O’Hara’s mind during her childhood. It is about the worthiness of Tara to fight or die for. He explicitly puts this view into his eldest daughter since he wants to give it to her as an inheritance “…when I’m [Gerald O’Hara] gone…I’ll leave Tara to you [Scarlett O’Hara]…” (p.38). As a result, after Tara is ruined, she nurses the land for it is her father’s wish [before he loses his mind]. Nonetheless, the teachings of her father make her indeed believe that the family’s pride is sited on the land. They provoke Scarlett to have the ambition to preserve the land in her whole life. One of the evidences is her true feeling toward Tara that never changes [even though so many things else are changing due to the war], as it is stated, her love for this land with its softly rolling hills of bright-red soil, this beautiful red earth that was blood colored, garnet, brick dust, vermilion, which so miraculously grew green bushes starred with white puffs…Nowhere else in the world was there land like this. (p.428) Through this quotation, it can be seen that Tara is the icon of the O’Hara’s pride ever because it is gorgeously covered with beautiful nature and only a few members of the white society in South could own a place as beautiful as that. Furthermore, the other aspect of the sense of belonging to the land is her enormous love to this land, “loved it as she loved her mother’s face under the lamp at prayer time” (p.30). She likens her great love to Tara with her love to her mother and she uses this comparison in order to show that as her mother gave her life so does the land give her spirit and the family’s pride. Moreover, before the civil war, her mother, Ellen O’Hara, becomes the only source to cure her pain, to heal her broken heart, to share all burdens and to escape from many miserable things that occur in her life. The death of Ellen at the same time when the family plantation is ruined truly breaks her heart. She has no other person to share about her painful feelings looking at the worst condition of Tara. Since then, Tara replaces Ellen’s place in her life. Her love toward Tara grows bigger and bigger until it equals her love toward her mother. Tara becomes the only thing [besides Ashley Wilkes] that can capture Scarlett O’Hara’s love and this love remains the same day by day until the very end. Therefore, soon Tara becomes the great motivator for Scarlett O’Hara 20

to keep surviving in any difficult situation, and becomes the stimulator every time she gets tired over the miserable life. Even [Scarlett O’Hara’s third husband] says, “…Tara will do her [Scarlett O’Hara] good…” (p.957). When she almost gives up knowing there is no food at all at Tara, she looks at the red earth [Tara], and again it reminds her how she loves this land. Then, her spirit is enthusiastically awakened, her pain is cured and she can go on living with the help of Tara as the source of her life. Besides, there is a string between them that attaches one another throughout her life and it is showed through her thought about her relationship with Tara, “she could not desert Tara; she belonged to the red acres far more than they could ever belong to her. Her roots went deep into the blood-colored soil and sucked up life, as did the cotton. She would stay at Tara and keep it...” (p.413). She belongs to it, especially after her father gives Tara to her when she is 16 years old. Gerald gives it to her because he realizes that Scarlett O’Hara inherits his strong figure and courage. He persuades Scarlett O’Hara to accept this heritage and transfers his sense of belonging to the land into her mind. Hence, he consciously or unconsciously makes her tied to Tara and so that Tara becomes one of the most important things in her life. As time goes, she has a chance to leave Tara and live in Manson with Miss Pittypat [Frank Kennedy’s aunt], but she strongly determines her thought by saying this, “I cannot let Tara go. It’s home. I won’t let it go. Not while I’ve got breath left in me!” (p.574). She calls it “home” instead of “house”, which shows her emotional feelings are closer to it than to an ordinary farm or building. Calling Tara “home” as “an institution for people needing care or rest” (Oxford dictionary), proves that she appreciates it more as a comfortable place to live and to share anything than just a common house for living. She cannot betray either her family or Tara for it is also a part of the life of O’Hara’s family. Her love toward Tara proves that she is willing to sacrifice and has already done it by experiencing the hardship, a full time of fear, and lots of risks throughout her life just to preserve it. The second factor that becomes the reason for Scarlett O’Hara to preserve Tara is the Southern tradition i.e. the code of honor that is to be kept as long as they live. This code becomes the measurement of their pride as stated “the life of white 21

people in the South possesses its vital view concerning the plantation and its relation with their pride” (Tindal, 2000, p.477). In addition, they called it “the first code of honor” [Boorstin, 1970, p.206] of the South. It points up to the status symbol in the society; or in other words, the plantation establishes the owner’s position, whether in the upper, middle or lower classes; it develops their pride and encourages them to keep it over their life. As a matter of fact, Scarlett O’Hara knows that the Southern class line is determined by the land [the family plantation]. This way of thinking, absolutely, arouses her eagerness to rebuild Tara even in the period just after the war. As a matter of fact, she is surrounded by the elite people who own big plantations and have a point of view that they belong to the honored group because of their land. Consequently, those who own plantations feel that it is a kind of hereditary tradition to defend the land as it is the source of their pride. Hence, to be the owners of immense plantations may trigger the raise of their pride. The last factor that becomes the reason for Scarlett O’Hara to preserve Tara is because Tara is the source of income for the whole family. Before the war, Tara holds an important role to sustain their life. Tara yields a lot of money to pay their luxurious life (p.417). The O’Haras live in splendor and the daughters are raised by the high-toned life style, served by hundreds of slaves, dressed with fashionable gowns, treated by serenity and compassion especially from their mother and so on. The source to pay all of their needs comes from Tara. Due to this fact, as the eldest daughter Scarlett O’Hara really understands about the value of the existence of Tara and how it affords the expense of the necessities for her family. 3.1.1.2. The Factors Found After the War The factors of Scarlett O’Hara’s ambitions that come from the condition after the war can be divided into two. First, because there is a fear to live in poverty when they lose Tara as the main source of their income. Second, because of Scarlett O’Hara’s awareness of her responsibility to the family. It relates to the sense of belonging to the land and the Southern tradition to keep the code of honor. 22

The fear of Scarlett O’Hara to live in the poverty relates to the way of living before the war. The splendor life they used to have has created the daughters of the O’Haras to become extraordinarily spoiled girls especially Scarlett O’Hara. She is not used to live in plainness because since her childhood to her youth she has the tranquility and sanctuary of Gerald O’Hara, which cover the whole family for a long time. After the war, not much food can be eaten; only “apples, yams, peanuts and milk on the table at Tara but never enough of even this primitive fare…” (p.423). In the old days, Tara provides all kinds of food they can consume to all their needs in large amount. Moreover, Scarlett O’Hara believes that she does not deserve to live in scarcity; she has to be placed in a well-off environment. What was she doing here? Why was Scarlett O’Hara, the belle of the County, the sheltered pride of Tara, tramping down this rough road almost barefoot? Her little feet were made to dance, not to limp, her tiny slippers to peep daringly from under bright silks, not to collect sharp pebbles and dust. She was born to be pampered and waited upon, and here she was, sick and ragged, driven by hunger to hunt for food in the gardens of her neighbors. (p.418) This quotation indicates that Scarlett O’Hara undergoes an inner conflict. She hates to see herself living in such poor circumstances, which never happen before. Besides, she used to treated tenderly as this quotation shows, “Scarlett O’Hara, whose little headaches and tempers had been coddled and catered to all her life…” (p.421). In her conflict she is torn between the fact that she cannot stay any longer in her old happy circumstances [i.e. loved and served well] and the truth of the new miserable ones [live in poverty]. The poor circumstance brings the fear that comes up to her life as she says “…Food! Food! Why did the stomach have a longer memory than the mind? Scarlett O’Hara could banish heartbreak but not hunger…” (p.422). In fact, the fear is getting bigger as the condition of Tara is getting worst. This fear makes Scarlett O’Hara choose not to be in poverty but to preserve Tara as stated, She was seeing things with new eyes for, somewhere along the long road to Tara, she had left her girlhood behind her. She was no longer plastic clay, 23

yielding imprint to each new experience. The clay had hardened, some time in this intermediate day which had lasted a thousand years. Tonight [the night when she finds Tara is ruined] was the last time she would ever be ministered to as a child. She was a woman now and youth was gone. (p.435) Then, it is a matter of adjustment [dealing with the changes in her life] which arouses her spirit to break off the agony. She changes from a spoiled girl to a tough woman who becomes the shoulder of the entire burden in Tara. The second factor that provokes Scarlett O’Hara’s ambition to preserve Tara is her responsibility to the O’Hara family. In this factor, there are two aspects that become Scarlett O’Hara’s reasons to have the ambitions. The first aspect is the fact that Scarlett O’Hara is the only competent person in Tara, as it is stated, “Scarlett O’Hara reigned supreme at Tara…” (p.425). No other family members but Scarlett O’Hara are capable enough to keep being physically and mentally powerful after the war. It is proved by the fact, And who would look after Tara if she [Scarlett O’Hara] should die? She knew now that, whether she liked it or not, she had the plantation and all its people on her two inexperienced hands, for Gerald still sat quietly, like a man in a dream, so frighteningly absent from Tara, so gentle. (p.429) The O’Hara family has been ruined all together with Tara. They despise the new transformation that suddenly occurs in their once happy life. Only Scarlett O’Hara is aware of the devastation and does not want to stay any longer in this painful condition. “Bitter as life was now, she had no desire to leave it. And how would look after Tara if she should die?” (p.429). Her awareness leads to her desire to rebuilt Tara as a means to regain the happier life. Hence, this burden has aroused her ambition for Tara. Besides, she also realizes that she is the only one who can straighten out the case and has the capability to save Tara. Actually, before the civil war begins, she does not recognize the power that she possesses. She simply regards her physical beauty instead of her strong personality. However, after the war and its distraction, her hidden strength and potentials inside her have emerged. It is proved by the fact, “now, the eyes which had been fearful and desperate were hard. There was an air of command, assurance and determination about her, even 24

when she smiled” (p.682). This newfound awareness creates high self-confidence in her, as she confirms that “she must not count on anything or anybody but herself” (p.658). Thus, her character develops to be more and more ambitious and later it shows the elements of feminism in herself, as she becomes wholly independent. The development of her characters reveals her as a feminist forerunner as she explicitly demonstrates her tough and independent traits. Moreover, the awareness of her ability to support her family, which develops her character as a feminist, makes her behave unlike any other Southern women in her time. The second aspect is the spirit of her ancestors. The ancestors of O’Hara have given a very good example especially in facing the most horrible period of life. The fact that Scarlett O’Hara knows it very well is proved by, All [the ancestor of O’Hara] had suffered crushing misfortunes and had not been crushed. They had not been broken by the crash of empires. The machetes of revolting slaves, war, rebellion, proscription, confiscation. Malign fate had broken their necks, perhaps, but never their hearts. They had not whined, they had fought… these kinsmen who had taken the worst that fate could send and hammered it into the best. Tara was her fate, her fight, and she must conquer it. (p.414) This spirit has provoked her spirit to follow their courageous standing as well. Moreover, the spirit inspires her to keep the hope and to fight in order to be the winner in times of difficulty. Their struggle turns out to be the motivator to save Tara and her family. In addition, Scarlett O’Hara definitely feels that “their blood flowed in her veins” (p.414) and it develops the assurance of her capability dealing with the great effort to be the survivor. She will not give up without fighting hard in order to save the family plantation, since she feels the ancestors are watching and tenderly whispering powerful words to her (p.414). This proves she has developed a bunch of self-confidence that drives her to be a very strong woman. In addition, it also develops her character to become more obstinate and ambitious. It creates the pride to live only on her own feet instead of in the mercy of other relatives. Even though the family becomes poor condition after the war, she decides that “the O’Haras did not take charity. The O’Haras looked after their 25

own...”(p.413). Through her strong traits, she completely rejects the alternatives to live on charity from others or to be beggars. Her pride, induced by the spirit of her ancestors, causes her to dedicate and sacrifice her life to rebuild Tara and shelter the family as well.

3.1.2 The Ambition to Win Ashley Wilkes’ Love The other ambition of Scarlett O’Hara is to win Ashley Wilkes’ love. Ashley Wilkes has indirectly attracted her whole heart that she tends to surrender her life in order to get his love. Nancy Regan says, “Scarlett O’Hara has a fatal, dogged desire for Ashley…it is an adolescent outgrowth in Scarlett O’Hara of a long childhood friendship…” (p.502). There are two factors that make Scarlett O’Hara have an ambition to win his love. Firstly, it is the childhood friendship that occurs between Scarlett O’Hara and Ashley Wilkes. They have been very close neighbors since the very beginning; thus, they become physically close to each other, “…in childhood days, she had seen him come and go…”(p.27). Her love rises when Ashley comes back from the Grand Tour in Europe. It starts in the very simple way by means of a childhood friendship that flows naturally to the affectionate feeling which she cannot describe. Furthermore, the word “childhood” shows the old and long relationship which leads her to be more convinced about the natural feeling as a true and real feeling. Scarlett O’Hara tries hard to make it realistic as if it really existed. She never wants to acknowledge or see any different point of view about Ashley’s true feeling toward her, that Ashley never really loves her. She only believes her own feeling and that old friendship can bring to the real love relationship. Additionally, her egocentric attitude forces her to win Ashley’s love no matter what. All she could think of was that she loved him-every thing about him, from the proud lift of his gold head to his slender dark boots, loved his laughter even when it mystified her, loved his bewildering silences. Oh, if only he would walk in on her now and take her in his arms, so she would be spared the need of saying anything. He must love her…(p.117) 26

She misunderstands Ashley by thinking that he must love her while actually Ashley loves another woman, . Through this fact, it can be seen that she is totally trapped by the physical attraction of Ashley. She intends to win his love, as is supported by the fact, “oh, why was he so handsomely blond, so courteously aloof…and yet so desirable?” (p.28). She is totally obsessed with the charisma of Ashley without recognizing that actually it is only his physical appeal and not his personality. The second factor that makes Scarlett O’Hara infatuated to Ashley Wilkes is because she lives in illusions. Scarlett O’Hara believes “Ashley is her destiny” (p.912). She has a strong faith that Ashley is her fate. Moreover, Scarlett O’Hara believes that the source of happiness in her life is to own Ashley. It means, she cannot be happy without the existence of Ashley Wilkes in her life. Thus, Ashley becomes the one who determines the delight in Scarlett O’Hara’s life. Even when later she is well financially, she keeps thinking that she is not happy as she cannot win his love. Furthermore, Scarlett O’Hara could never give up in her efforts to win Ashley’s love. She believes that someday she could win Ashley’s love. This clearly shows Scarlett O’Hara has a strong character. Additionally, she is also notorious and tough especially in the attempt to reach the ambition of her life i.e. Ashley, whom she believes to be her destiny. After the Civil War, everything changes, and she realizes that only Tara and Ashley are left in her life. It can be seen through this fact, “…he was still her Ashley, still her bright, shining darling and she loved him better than life…” (p.910). She loves him “better than life” meaning that she is deeply in love with him, so that she dares to sacrifice all just to get Ashley’s love. As a consequence, she never wants to let him go from her life. It is proved by the fact “…she [Scarlett O’Hara] loved him [Ashley] so much...” (p.520). Her stubborn character also makes her keep this belief for a very long period of her life. Even when Ashley tells her about his true love toward his wife, she refuses to believe him. In short, Scarlett O’Hara’s ambitions are the results of many factors in her life. The factors for her ambition to preserve Tara are due to the circumstances before and after the war. While the factors of Scarlett O’Hara’s ambition to win 27

Ashley’s love come from her misunderstanding of Ashley, whom she thinks also loves her.

3.2. The Ways Scarlett O’Hara Reaches the Ambitions This sub chapter discusses about the ways Scarlett O’Hara reaches her ambitions. In the first part of this subchapter I will discuss the ways Scarlett O’Hara preserves Tara and in the second, to win Ashley’s Love. 3.2.1. The Ways to Preserve Tara Scarlett O’Hara uses three ways to reach the first ambition i.e. to preserve Tara. The first step that she takes is by getting married to Frank Kennedy. The second step is by the involvement in many businesses. The last step is by marrying Rhett Butler. Before the war, Scarlett is married to Charles Hamilton, but just after the wedding, Charles has to join the battle. As he dies during the war, Scarlett becomes a widow. The second marriage with Frank Kennedy holds the important key in accomplishing Scarlett O’Hara’s ambition. By that time Tara is completely collapsed and the O’Hara family stumble physically and mentally. Since her husband is quite rich, by getting married to him, she can gain his wealth and this is the very short way to recover Tara. She obviously utilizes his money to pay the expensive tax of Tara. Actually, Frank is Suellen O’Hara’s lover. In the middle of much confusion and the scores of responsibilities that must be carried out, Scarlett looks for ways to attract her sister’s lover in order to achieve her ambition. This means she shows a lack of loyalty to Suellen O’Hara and betrays her own sister and later comes into a conflict, which totally destroys their relationship. The rights of Suellen O’Hara and Frank Kennedy did not even enter her [Scarlett O’Hara] mind…Suellen O’Hara should not have Frank and his store and his mill! Suellen O’Hara didn’t deserve them. She was going to have them herself. She thought of Tara and remembered Jonas Wilkerson [the tax collector of Tara], venomous as a rattler, at the foot of the front steps, and she grasped at the last straw floating above the shipwreck of her life. (p.585) 28

In order to win Frank’s heart from her sister, she tells a lie about Suellen O’Hara. She says that Suellen O’Hara betrays Frank by having another lover and Scarlett O’Hara pretends to give him a deep sympathy. Additionally, by marrying Frank Kennedy, she has behaved indecently, which is against the Southern value. It clearly shows that Scarlett O’Hara uses her powerful spirit and potential self-esteem, which none of the Southern women have at that time since, “one of the most frustrating realities for them [Southern women] was the lack of freedom and leisure” (Tindall, 2000, p.479). Unlike other women, Scarlett O’Hara behaves as freely as she wants in achieving her goal, to pay the tax for Tara. Besides, she is very tricky and brilliant. This is proved by her smartness in hiding her true feeling toward Frank. “But so well did she conceal her feelings, so well did she enact her role, Frank suspected nothing, saw no more than what lay on the surface (p.603)”. Scarlett O’Hara really makes lots of people shocked and disgrace her attitude. Most women at the time cannot do much to improve their life, except by the guidance of men. They are culturally formed to be submissive and dutiful under the authority of men (Tindall, 2000, p.480). Yet, without any help or direction from men, Scarlett O’Hara can successfully save Tara from the expropriation of the local government-because of the high tax. She simply proves that a woman is able to do more than just being a follower or a helpless creature. The second step to reach her ambition is by involving in many businesses and trades to gain much more money. She directly buys the lumber business [the mill] without any permission or discussion with Frank. “She [Scarlett O’Hara] told him that she intended to run it herself. It was unthinkable. There were no women in business in or in anywhere else (p.628)”. This shows that different from any other women, she is independent. Her spirit burns to fulfill her ambition at no matter what the cost is. Actually, Scarlett O’Hara has many male competitors (p.654). Yet her perseverance does not easily fade. She does the business with the irregularity practices by telling lies about her products, selling poor quality with high prize, and such dishonesty to earn more profit. “But she did not fear her competitors. She knew with conscious pride in her smartness that she was the 29

equal of any of them (p.653).” She affirms her great self-confidence that the others do not possess. Her smartness and belief for equality show the elements of feminism in her traits. Now her [Scarlett O’Hara’s] reactions were all masculine. She talked and acted like a man. Her voice was brisk and decisive and she made up her mind instantly, she knew what she wanted and she went after it by the shortest route, like a man, not by the hidden and circuitous routes peculiar to women. (p.630) This quotation shows that the elements of feminism are found in Scarlett O’Hara’s character traits, “the equal potential for individual development” (Freeman, 1984, p.13). She has shown that she has left the traditional ways that women usually do. She does want to be trapped in that limited world, where she cannot make any change for her “ruined” life. As it is stated, feminism is “the ideology of women’s liberation movement in order to get equal status and freedom in controlling their own life” (Fakih, 1996, p.79). She employs her authority not only toward her competitors but also toward her husband by ignoring him during their marital life. She just uses her status as a wife, but is never a real wife to Frank. Essentially, she only uses the label of marriage to facilitate her ways in accomplishing her vow “I’ll never be hungry again” (Mitchell, 1936, p.421) and to accomplish the ambition. After the ruin of Tara, the government asks the O’Hara family to pay a very high tax so that when they cannot pay the tax, Tara will be taken and ruled by the Yankees. As the tax gets higher and higher from time to time, Scarlett O’Hara has the idea to expand her business by opening the saloon in order to get more money to preserve Tara. Actually, Frank as a husband is ashamed to see Scarlett O’Hara’s aggressiveness in business since no women have done it in masculine ways. He feverishly protested against the idea. Owning saloon property was a bad business, an unlucky business, almost as bad as renting to a house of prostitution. No man could feel right about a wife who succeeded in so unwomanly an activity. (p.629) 30

In spite of that, she maintains her will against her husband’s prohibition. Her disobedience against her husband appropriately match to the theory of College, “being a feminist, women have the rights to gain control of their own property and earnings” (p.533). This view lets a feminist woman manage her own property, business or income freely without any command from a man. As she disregards Frank, she controls the business without his opinion or help at all. It is seemingly more than the obligation of paying the tax. It refers to the pride of the O’Hara family. She must not fail to pay the tax to avoid losing Tara. Thus, behind the efforts to pay the tax, there is a struggle to keep the pride of her family. In addition, she has lived in her own new world after Tara is ruined. She builds this new world with the unlimited hard work and pays no attention toward what the society says about her. “People were talking terrible about her. But she was guided by no one but herself and was conducting her affairs in a masculine way which had the whole town talking about her” (p.631). While opening the saloon, she truly never thinks about the bad image that flows into her; she even says that she does not care at all about her reputation in the eyes of the Southerners (p.627}. Actually it is a kind of taboo for Southerners to dishonor the family’s reputation since a good reputation or a good name becomes the mark of their honor and pride (Boorstin, 1970, p.210). Therefore, by rebelling against the Southern value and refusing to keep her reputation in the society, Scarlett has actually faded the O’Haras’ good reputation. The other way to gain money to preserve Tara is by leasing the convicts to work for her. And Scarlett O’Hara wanted to lease convicts! Frank knew that if she did he could never hold up his head again. This was far worse than owning and operating the mills herself, or anything else she had done. “What will people say?” But this went deeper than fear of public opinion. He felt that it was a traffic in human bodies on a par with prostitution, a sin that would be on his soul if he permitted her to do it. (p.735) For Southerners, the lease of convicts is “worse than ” (p.735) that the Southerners never do. Nevertheless, as long as it can bring many advantages for Scarlett O’Hara, she has no objection at all to do it even when the society has 31

talked negatively about her attitude. As she is against “the unwritten law” in the society (p.632), it shows that she does not believe that “women were legally inferior; a married woman was covered by her husband; they could not possess property and they did not even own the income they might receive” (Evans, 1989, p.22). Instead, she uses her own strength and ignores her husband. She uses all of the chances that can give her lots of benefits and this is one of the business instincts that flows in her blood. It is cheaper to lease the convicts than to employ other workers. She wants to spend less, but to earn more. It is rare to find such a woman in the South. “Oh, you’re [Scarlett O’Hara] smart enough about dollars and cents. That’s a man’s way of being smart. But you aren’t smart at all like a woman” (p.712). Thus, she looks so different and odd. Moreover, she always seeks an excuse for herself. She says that she has worked so hard and done anything just for the family and Tara (p.680). Everything is noble to do as long as it is for Tara. And for this she is not reluctant to fight the traditional law. Next, in her efforts to gain more money Scarlett O’Hara does another indecent thing according to the Southern people that is the hospitality toward the Yankees. These Yankees are totally hated since they have destroyed and hurt the pride of the people. But she does what the Southerners avoid to do, that is treating the Yankees sympathetically in order to make friends with them for protection. Most of all, she intentionally approaches them to enlarge her business. This action arouses the hatred of the society deeply as she builds a good relationship with them just for the sake of business. She could dissemble that hate [toward the Yankees]. She knew that if she was going to make money, she would have to make it out of the Yankees, and she had learned that buttering them up with smiles and kind words was the surest way to get their business for her mill. (p.660) Therefore, she intentionally develops that bond of friendship to take advantages from the powerful Yankees. It seems that Scarlett O’Hara is insensible for she is willing to exchange her dignity with the conveniences that are offered by the Yankees. The Southerners may think that she is a traitor. She betrays her own relatives or I may say her own “blood”. In particular, she never behaves nicely toward the Southerners whether her own relatives or friends. Instead, Scarlett 32

O’Hara treats the Yankees as if they are her friends with her hospitality. The Southerners think that the Yankees do not deserve it. Because of her action, she is considered as an opportunist, “Opportunists like you [Scarlett O’Hara] shouldn’t have a conscience. (p.822). As an opportunist is a person who takes advantage of opportunities, Scarlett creatively uses anything around her as chances or tools to carry out her purposes. Another way to ease her ways to reach the ambition is by keeping her marriage free from the responsibility to nurture any more children. “Scarlett O’Hara had been most outspoken about not wanting a child (p.634).” Having another child besides Wade Hampton [her first child] only hinders her from working and getting more money. She repeatedly announces, “I hate babies (p.675).” This shows that she has her own point of view, which is so different from the traditional point of view. She reveals that she has the right to choose whether she wants a child or not without considering what her husband wants. What a mess it was to try to run a business and have a baby too! I’ll [Scarlett O’Hara] never have another one. I’m not going to be like other women and have a baby every year. Good Lord, that would mean six months out of the year when I’d have to be away from the mills! And I see now I can’t afford to be away from them even one day. I shall simply tell Frank that I won’t have any more children. Frank wanted a big family, but she could manage Frank somehow. The mills were far more important. (p.737) I can say that Scarlett O’Hara has tried not to follow what a woman should do. She also rebels the old view in order to have the unlimited efforts in accomplishing the ambition. The existence of children will absolutely bring more burdens in her life. And it means she cannot give her attention fully to the Mills, which becomes the bridge to Ashley and the source to support Tara. By refusing to have more children, she will have more time to take care of her business; and to be with Ashley, who lives at the Mills. Furthermore, she does not have to pay any attention to the family’s matters while actually, “A woman ought to pay more attention to her home and her family and not be gadding about like a man” (p.634). As a matter of fact, Frank dreams of having that kind of a traditional 33

wife, especially when the one suitable with the characteristics of Southern women who like to burn fire, bake a cake, boil meat, watch the slave, do the household or spend the time with the children (Evans, 1989). In this case, it is proved that Scarlett O’Hara has rebelled the Southern value of women’s role as a housewife. She only uses the second marriage as the transportation to deliver her into the “free area” to do in rebellious ways the accomplishment of the ambition to preserve Tara. The last way that she uses to preserve Tara is by marrying Rhett Butler. In the third marriage, she still tries to control Rhett’s money in order to rebuild Tara. By the time, Rhett offers a better life for Scarlett O’Hara since he has a profound comprehension toward Scarlett O’Hara’s burdens. It can be seen through this fact, “I [Rhett] have a deep and impersonal admiration for your endurance, Scarlett O’Hara, and I do not like to see your spirit crushed beneath too many millstones” (p.626). From then on, Rhett becomes one of the valuable assets over her life as he is very rich (p.615) and willing to shoulder Scarlett O’Hara’s burden. He, of course, makes Scarlett O’Hara’s ways to gain more money easier. Hence, when Rhett persuades her to be his wife by using his money as the enticement, she finally agrees as she considers about “getting her pretty paws on his money”(p.829). Scarlett O’Hara agrees because at the time she feels that she needs more money to perfectly rebuild Tara and also to give the working capital for Ashley. Additionally, the marriage also becomes a promising chance to lift up her pride. Since the destruction of Tara, Scarlett O’Hara has lost her dignity and she cannot gain her honor back unless Tara is rebuilt (p.600). It means she intends to take her honor fully back as she rebuilds Tara. However, there is a longing in her heart that draws her to be greedier. It can be noticed when she not only pays the tax of Tara, but also renovates it more beautifully than before. The reconstruction of Tara indicates the recoveries of her long-days of suffering and the lost-pride dealing with the sense belonging toward the land.

3.2.2. The Ways to Win Ashley Wilkes’ Love The ways to win Ashley’s love are first, by helping him in order to get his attention and second, by supporting Ashley and his family. The first way to win 34

Ashley’s love is by promising to help him. Before Ashley goes to the war, he asks Scarlett O’Hara to take care of his family and she agrees. But, as she lay on her pillow, there always rose the memory of Ashley’s face as it had looked when she last saw him: “You’ll take care of Melanie, won’t you? You’re so strong…Promise me.” And she had promised. Wherever he was, he was watching her, holding her to that promise. Living or dead, she could not fail him, no matter what the cost. So she remained day after day. (p.323) I think she intends to show her love toward Ashley through this way. She thinks hearing her sincere promise will touch Ashley. As a matter of fact, she is not as sincere as that. She has a hiding purpose behind her willingness to take care of his family; that is to expose her love and affection toward Ashley. She also uses it as a tool to cover her feeling in front of Melanie, her aunt and all of her family. Therefore, everyone around her cannot discover her real love to Ashley. Furthermore, the promise becomes a medium that relates Scarlett O’Hara to Ashley’s life. Thus, through this medium, she wants to get totally involved in his life. She tends to control him as it can make him depend on her again more and more. I think she has a purpose to rule his life especially in order to make him need her. Because of that, Scarlet feels very proud knowing that she becomes a hero to Ashley. She is able to save his wife, his only son and also support his life. Scarlett O’Hara must think Ashley is automatically deeply indebted to her and will do what she desires. Ashley realizes about his poor condition by thinking, “and it worries him that he’s a man livin’ at Tara on a woman’s charity and not givin’ much in return.” (p.686). He is tied to Scarlett O’Hara because she has successfully fulfilled her promise. Whether he likes it or not he has to treat Scarlett O’Hara well and respect her as a savior. On the other hand, she is absolutely glad to be the very important person who takes an influential part in Ashley’s life. I can say that this strategy effectively strengthens Ashley’s affection toward Scarlett O’Hara as a friend. It is proved by this fact, “ I love your courage, and your stubbornness and your fire and your utter ruthlessness…” (p.524). By seeing her courage in difficult times during the civil war, Ashley 35

admires her more. This friendly attitude increases Scarlett O’Hara’s desire to win his love. The second way to get Ashley’s love is by supporting Ashley and his family. Scarlett O’Hara uses the mills and Rhett’s money to support his daily needs. Afterward, the mills become most precious for Scarlett O’Hara, as they are the only link that binds Scarlett O’Hara with Ashley. It is the delicate way that she can employ to hide the real motive and feeling toward Ashley. She [Scarlett O’Hara] did not want to sell them [the mills] because they were the only path that lay open to Ashley. If the mill went from her control it would mean that she would seldom see Ashley and probably never see him alone. (p.964) People around her will not be suspicious when she meets Ashley with the reason for the Mills, not personal. Hence, the lumber business becomes the means for Scarlett O’Hara to keep in touch and get involved with Ashley. She intentionally wants to make him deeply indebted to her through all his life, and she expects the repayment through giving her his love, which means she has won his heart. Somehow, like in a race she indirectly tries to compete with Melanie [Ashley’s wife] by showing that she is able to help him more than his wife can. Later, Scarlett O’Hara intends to give the Mills to Ashley with a very low price so he can recognize her generosity. “Ashley should have the mills and at a price so low he could not help realizing how generous she was” (p.965). She expects more through her efforts to support him. And without considering about her husband’s point of view, she just moves ahead to her own “race” and lives there with her cunning strategies to be the winner. Moreover, she also uses Rhett’s money in order to support Ashley’s life. She spends his money to give him a better life, even though Rhett has forbidden her. Rhett has told Scarlett O’Hara that she may use freely all of his money as much as she wants, except for supporting Ashley’s needs. “I don’t mind Tara. But I must draw the line at Ashley” (p.850). It shows that actually Rhett is aware of Scarlett O’Hara’s deep affection toward Ashley and wants to awaken her from these “daydreaming” efforts to win Ashley’s love. Yet, “the obstinate blindness had made her [Scarlett O’Hara] refuse to see him [Ashley] as he really was” (p.1006). 36

Therefore, wanting to save her from these worthless and “waste-time” efforts, Rhett builds a fort to keep his wealth from Ashley as he has a bad impression about him. “He [Ashley] is down and he’ll stay there unless there’s some energetic person behind him, guiding and protecting him as long as he lives. I’m of no mind to have my money used for the benefit of such a person” (764). This fort often drives him in a conflict with Scarlett O’Hara, his wife. She secretly keeps pushing herself to support Ashley’s needs by using Rhett’s money, but Rhett is aware of this hidden effort. Therefore, Ashley becomes the wall that separates them during their marital life, the only reason that detaches their hearts. On one hand, Rhett hates Ashley very much because of his dependency toward Scarlett O’Hara and is jealous to see her sacrifice in supporting his life. On the other hand, Scarlett O’Hara uses Rhett’s money to support. The conflicts bring them into the disharmonious relationship, which influences their marital life. It breaks the family, which later worsens because of the death of their beloved daughter, Bonnie. Even though Scarlett O’Hara has endured that broken relationship in her marriage, she does not give up in her efforts to win Ashley’s love by using Rhett’s money. Scarlett O’Hara has the goal to support Ashley’s life in order to magnetize him and to capture his heart. Under Scarlett O’Hara’s protection, Ashley is gradually established in life. Thus, she feels proud of this excellent hard work for many years of struggles. Seemingly, she thinks she has started to win his heart after giving him a better life financially. Then, she expands this success in her “dream world” as if she has already truly won Ashley’s love. She starts to take further steps in order to prove that she seriously wants to possess him in her life, such as the decision not to do the intimacy again [as husband wife], of having the separate bedrooms and to refuse to have more children from Rhett. She [Scarlett O’Hara] could do very well without Rhett’s embraces. She thought how sweet and romantic it would be for them [Scarlett O’Hara and Ashley] both to be physically true to each other, even though married to other people. The idea possessed her imagination and she took pleasure of it. It would mean that she would not have to have any more children. (p.884) 37

This is one of the ways that is used to attract Ashley’s attention especially to prove that she dares to sacrifice anything for him. However, Ashley never asks her to do it and even never knows that Scarlett O’Hara has done such things. Instead, Rhett can recognize her strategy and thinks that Ashley is behind it (p.885). Through this incident, it can be seen how selfish Scarlett O’Hara is. She does have fun for herself without thinking of her husband’s feelings. Instead, she only wants Rhett’s money, takes over his fund but frankly ignores him. Actually, a wife is expected to be sexual discretion, which means the husband has the unconditional right over the wife, including the sexual life. Therefore, Rhett should be given the portion as a legal husband instead of being isolated. The isolation brings much sorrow to Rhett (p.886) since he knows that he is only used as a tool to fulfill Scarlett O’Hara’s ambitions. Rhett’s pride as a husband is hurt when he knows that she refuses him for Ashley’s sake. To sum up, Scarlett O’Hara proves that she has done numerous ways in order to achieve the ambitions, to preserve Tara and to win Ashley’s love. Each of the ways demonstrates her strong characters-stubborn and tough-which become the tools to achieve the ambitions. Due to her traits, she dares to break the old standard of a Southern woman which has a limited world. Even though her purpose is not about the struggle of demanding the equality in the marriage, still the tendency of her behavior refers to the elements of feminism as she successfully improves her own life by the efforts to fulfill the ambitions.