CHAPTER IV
THE INFLUENCE OF GEORGIA SETTING ON THE MAIN CHARACTERS
DURING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
Georgia e people respected each other, had fine
speech, good manners, and proper behavior in their both
daily and formal occasions when they lived in peace and
prosperity. During the American Civil War, they lived in
poverty and misery. The violent war brought a lot of
confusion and destroyed some aspects of the society.
This disorder in society caused problems to people.
. . . i , People lived miserably and suffered from the bad
condition. No wonder morality was very low
because of the lack of control among people. To reduce
their sufferings, they did everything without caring about social values anymore. Mitchell describes' this condition in this quotation:
The South was heading for a complete moral- collapse. Mothers found strange men calling on their daughters, men who came without letters of introduction and whose antecedents were unknown. To their horror, mothers found their daughters holding hands with these men. (Mitchell, 1936 : -81-82)
This quotation shows that in this desperate condition people did not keep Southern chivalric virtues which they had carried on seriously before the American 41
Civil War anymore. They did not care about other
people's opinion on their deeds. They tried to get a
moment of pleasure as much as possible in order to escape
from the sufferings of war.
The pressure of war caused great changes in the
people's lives. It burdened them with agony and fear.
Their lives were threatened both by the war itself and by
the spread of diseases. Besides, they had lost their big
houses, large cotton plantations, and properties.
Another result of the war is starvation.
Food was scanty, one blanket did for three men, and the ravages of small^pox, pneumonia and typhoid gave the place the name of a pesthouse. Three-fourths of ali the men sent there never came out alive. (Mitchell, 1936 : 107)
Besides too limited food in war time, a lot of diseases spread widely everywhere killing thousands of people due to the limited treatment at that time.
Suffering influences and changes people to become cruel and selfish. Trapped between inner conflicts and outer conflicts, that is, the conflicts within oneself as an individual and the conflicts with other people due to the pressure of war, one has to struggle hard in order to survive. Naturally, the strongest will win, and the weakest will lose. This fits Charles Robert Darwin's
"survival of the fittest" theory. Because of the pressure of war, in order to save their own lives, they became cruel and selfish to one another in the way 42
they treated the others. In order to eurvive, they
used all means without considering whether their
ruthless competitions or exploitations were giving pain
to others or not.
Since war brings about brutality to people's lives,
it affects the personalities, actions, and ways of
thinking of the main characters in Gone With The Wind.
During this very long American Civil War, Scarlett
O'Hara and Rhett Butler become different' persons from
the person© they used to b e .
In this pressure of war, Scarlett loses her lady
like manner. First of all, now she uses harsh words to
her servants, a thing she never does in all her life.
Before the war, there have always been someone to do
things for her, to look after her, to protect her, and to
spoil her. There have always been friends, neighbors,
and the competent hands of willing slaves to help her.
However, in the time of greatest need, there is no one
to help her now. All of these sufferings make her unable to control her emotion. She even slaps her
servant, Prissy.
On the day Melanie goes into labor,, Scarlett discovers they are two of the very few people left in town. The doctor, too busy nursing the wounded and 43
dying soldiers who pour into the city from the
battlefield, cannot come to assist in the delivery, and
Scarlett must do it herself with only the eixtremeiy lasy
and ignorant slave Prissy to aid heir. Scarlett gets
angry with Prissy, because Prissy lies to her by telling
her that she knows about delivering babies.
Scarlet had never struck a slave in all her life, but now she slapped the black cheek with all the force in her tired arm. Frissy ©creamed at the top of her voice, more from fright than pain, and began to dance up and down, writhing to break Scarlett's grip. (Mitchell, 1936 : 137)
Scarlett strikes Prissy because she is panic-stricken at
that time, she is terrorised by Melanie's screams and by
her helplessness.
Next, Scarlett kills a thieving Yankee soldier who comes to her house. She hears from Pittypat that Yankee soldiers have put a fire to threaten Tara, and also they shoot children who cry.
Scarlett had killed a man, she who took care never to-be in at the kill on a hunt, she who could not bear the squealing of a hog at slaughter or the squeak of a rabbit in a snare. Murder! She could have ground her heel into the gaping wound which had been his nose and taken sweet pleasure in the feel of his warm blood on her bare feet. She had struck a blow of revenge for Tara - and for Ellen. (Mitchell, 1936 : 166)
Scarlett who is formerly a sweet and gentle lady, now in order to defend Tara and ;to survive, has to kill a
Yankee soldier and then takes his money. 44
During this long war , Scarlett becomes a drunkard.
Scarlett feels everything is dull, because she has to
take up all maternal duties in her family after her
mother has passed away. There are many sick, hungry,
and helpless people who need her help. She cannot stand
watching all of them suffer. She has too much burden to
carry on. Therefore, she tries to find a way to escape
from this bad condition. She turns to wine, and it
becomes her companion in this bad condition. When she
becomes drunk, she can forget this terrible war,
which destroys everything she had in the past. It is
stated in the novel that:
Scarlett did not know she was drunk, drunk with fatique and whisky. She only knew she had left her tired body and floated somewhere above it where there was no pain and no weari ness and her brain saw things with an inhuman clarity. (.Mitchell, 1936 : 158)
In her drunken state, she becomes cheerful and begins to
forget her burden for a while. She does not care even if
it is very destructive for her health and her life.
The pressure of war also alienates Scarlett from
God. Scarlett is not close to God anymore. She rarely
thinks about her religion because of the trouble and
Buffering she experiences during this American Civil War.
She loses her belief in God because what she wants from
God does not happen. She wants peace, but war goes on and on even too long. She does not go to church for months. She does not feel so sinful as she formerly did 45
for staying away from church. She has forgotten the
discipline her mother has stressed on her before. She
does not think about her spiritual needs anymore; she
only thinks about her material and physical needs in
order to save her family. She even mocke at religion:
For some time Scarlett had; felt that God was not watching out for her, the Confederates or the South, in spite of the millions of prayers ascending to Him daily. (Mitchell, 1936 : 126)
This quotation shows that Scarlett has left God and does
not believe in Him anymore, because she thinks that God
cannot help her to solve her family problems. It proves
that war results in her rejection to religion.
In order to survive, as the eldest daughter,
Scarlett has to take care of her two sisters. They are
stili weak with disease after their mother's death
from-iyffttiidL Meanwhile, their father, who refuses to
accept the reality of his wife's death, has become men
tally incompetent during this American Civil War and
cannot do anything to take care of his family. Besides
family duties, she has to do many things for the bazaar,
such as knitting socks, baby caps, and embroidering
half a dozen sofa-pillow cases with the Confederate
flag with them. She works twice as hard as any girls
in town. She cannot stand nursing at hospital, because "the hospitals were filled with dirty, bewhiskered, verminous men who smelled terribly and 46
bore on their bodies wounds" (Mitchell, 1936 : 60).
However, she tends the wounded soldiers at hospital
because it is expected of her. This shows how strong
she faces this great uncomfortable condition.
She makes a great effort to survive and to rebuild
Tara and at the same time to get back her ’ luxurious
life, and also to get back Ashley's love. When Ashley is
foing to Virginia to join the war, Scarlett gives him a
long yellow sash that is made from thick China silk and
edged with beauty fringe. She thinks Ashley will always remember her when he is in Virginia. Meanwhile, Ashley begs her to promise to take care of the fragile, innocent Melanie when he is away. Scarlett promises so because she thinks that Ashley will love her one day due to her kindness. This time her plan works, Ashley feels attracted to her and praises her:
Scarlett! Scarlett! You are so fine and strong and good. So beautiful, not just your sweet face, my dear, but all of you, your body and your mind and your soul. (Mitchell, 1936 ; 103)
The Northern troops have -freed the 0'Haras'field slaves, leaving only the loyal, but relatively useless servants. Despite this hardship, Scarlett is able to keep her family fed by ignoring others War also makes
Scarlett selfish. Scarlett s present life is very hard, because the Yankees try to take their store of food.
She is afraid that if she shares her food with the 47
soldiers, her family will starve because food is
difficult to get in this hardest time. She says:
Let these men go hungry. They can stand it. They've stood it for four years and it won't, hurt them to stand it a little while longer. (Mitchell, i936 : 191)
It seems that Scarlett does not care of the soldiers'
fates whether they will starve to death or not. The
most important thing for her is to save this limited
food for her family.
The American Civil War between the South and the
North sweeps away all of her family's properties except
Tara. This red land on which she stands is the only
thing left, so it makes her more determined than ever to
save Tara. It is because Tara is the most
valuable thing in the world for her since this fertile
land can produce a iarge amount of cotton which can protect the next generation in her family. Therefore,
she plans to maintain Tara as a working plantation after the war. The quotation below will prove Scarlett's strong determination in saving Tara and her family.
Yes, Tara was worth fighting for, and she accepted simply and without question the fight. No one was going to get Tara away from her. No one was going to set her and her people adrift on the charity of relatives. She would hold Tara, if she had to break the back of every person on it. (Mitchell, 1936 : 164)
To fulfill this ambition, she has to forget her past life, and she should begin with her new iife. Optimis 48
tically, she thinks that happiness and peace will come
again in the world after this cruel war is over. She
says :
Some day,,when this war is over, I'm going to have lots of money, and when I do I'll never be hungry or cold again. tlone of us will ever be hungry or cold. We'll all wear fine clothes and have fried chicken everyday and (Mitchell, 1936 178)
Due to her vows that she will never be hungry again,
Scarlett struggles hard against this cruel world during
the American Civil War. Although she has bitter
experiences in her present life, she still manages to
live on and does not mourn the passing of her pleasant
life before the American Civil War. She tries hard to
bear her sufferings, and she attempts to adjust to the
reality of the situation during this violent war. This
shows that she still has the strong will to survive in
searching for a better life.
The seriousness of war causes great changes in
Rhett's life. Because war is' cruel, Rhett becomes cruel
as well; he loses his pity towards others. He tries
everything to get the advantages of war, and he does not care whether his actions are giving pain to others or not.
This empire we're living in - the South - the Confederacy - the Cotton Kingdom - it's break 49
ing up right under our feet. Only most fool won't see it and take advantage of the situa tion created by the collapse. I'm making my fortune out of the wreckage. (Mitchell, 1936 : 73)
This quotation shows that for Rhett money is the most
important thing in the world so that he fears of losing
his wealth during this American Civil War. He is afraid
of becoming poor for in hie early youth he has
experienced the misery of having no money in'his pocket.
His fears make him aggressively disregard the good aspects of human values. He becomes selfish and materialistic.. His lust for money is shown when he talks to Scarlett:
I'm going to be a rich man when this war is over, Scarlett, because I was farsighted - pardon me, mercenary, I told you once before that there were two times for making big money, one in the upbuilding of a country and the other in its destruction. Slow money on the upbuilding, fast money in the crack-up. Remember my words. Perhaps they may be of use to you some day. (Mitchell, 1936 : 90)
All of his improper conducts indicate that Rhett has become unscrupulous. Here is Dennis Poupard's comments on him :
Formerly, Rhett wins his way into the good graces of ■ conventional Atlanta ladies (and no doubt conventional ladies everywhere) by becoming a model family man. American Civil War have brought changes that call for new modes of behavior. Rhett changes from good guy in the earlier chapters to the tough guy until the final chapter. (1983 : 378, 384)
It seems that he does not keep his ideals anymore. This
American Civil War makes him lose his Southern chivalric 50
virtues which he formerly has.
Rhett'e selfishness is seen when he, without pity,
inflicts pains upon others especially the poor ones.
Rhett's good relationship with his neighbors is broken by
this violent war. He becomes indifferent to other
people's problems or sufferings. it seems, that he
neither pays attention to them nor cares for them
anymore. There is a comment on him in the novel which
shows his selfishness:
How dared he sit there on that fine horse, in shining boots and handsome white linen suit, so sleek and well-fed, smoking an expensive cigar when all the other boys were fighting the Yankees, bare-footed, sweltering in the heat, hungry their bellies rotten with dis ease? (Mitchell, 1936 : 96)
This shows how indifferent he is. The most important thing for him is getting a lot of money during this
American Civil War.
From the very early stage of his life, Rhett believes that money can give everything he wants, including love and happiness. It seems that he is too absorbed by money arid becomes a slave of it. Thus, because of money, he ignores other people's fates. He has seen his neighbors suffer greatly because of this violent war, still he acts as if he does not see their misery. People are in despair, because they have lost everything, jobs, houses., cotton plantations, and properties. Large number of people especially soldiers 51
and children die because of hunger and disease.
However, Rhett lives comfortably with good-clothing,
well-bred horses, and luxurious outfits.
Rhett used to give presents and help others without
wanting anything from them back. However, in a difficult
. \ situation like this chaotic war, he loses his goodness.
Now, when he gives something and helps someone, he has an
intention behind his kindness. He says to Scarlett:
Always remember I never do anything without reason and I never give anything without expecting something in return, I always get paid. (Mitchell, 1936 : 92)
When he brings Scarlett a dark-green watered siik for a
frock to match her bonnet, he wants her to return his
kindness one day. His attitude shows that he still
thinks that money can buy love.
Besides, this shows that Rhett s attitude towards women has changed because of this bitter American Civil
War. He does not respect women nor care about their feelings anymore. His words show his impolite manner towards woman. He says:
Then you aren't a nice girl, Scarlett, and I'm sorry to hear it. All really nice girls wonder when men don't try to kiss them. They know they shouldn't want them to and they know they must act insulted if they do, but just the same, they wish the men would try. Well, my dear, take heart. Some day I will kiss you and you will like it. But not now, so I beg not to be too impatient. I'm waiting for you to grow up a little more. You see, it wouldn't be much fun for me to kiss you now and I'm quite selfish about my pleasures. I 52
never fancied kissing children. (Mitchell, 1936 : 117)
He becomes a cynical man, and he also acts without any
control. He mocks at Scarlett and does not care whether
his words hurt her or not.
During the American Civil War, Rhett's main aim is
to have pleasure as much as he can. Mot caring about peo
ple's opinion, he goes to the prostitute's house in
order to get some entertainment for his own pleasure.
It seems that he has rejected traditional and social
values. There is a comment on him which shows his
immoral act:
So Rhett consorted with that vile Watling creature and gave her money. Scarlett had always thought that only common vulgar men visited such women. Before this moment, it had never occured to her that nice men - that is, men she met at nice homes and with whom she danced - could possibly do such things . . . Oh, men were all so vile, and Rhett Butler was the worst of them all. (Mitchell, 1936 : 94)
For him, going to the prostitute's house is only an outlet of his natural physical desire, so he does not care if the people consider him of being immoral.
Rhett's present life is very hard, because the
Yankees have tightened up restrictions on South's ships that slip through the blockade ports so that he cannot sell cotton to the other countries and bring, in goods from other countries as he formerly did. This war ruins his • former job and almost causes him to starve. Still, he does not give up so easily to his difficult condition; 53
he makes plane to find another job. He is so confident
that he will succeed after this cruel war is over. He
says ;
The South threw me out to starve once. I will never be starved again when this war is over., and I'll make enough money out of the South's death throes to compensate me for my lost bright. (Mitchell, 1936 : 90) _
Due to his vows that he will never be starved again,
Rhett struggles hard to become a blockade runner for the
Confederacy or the person who evades and gets through the
forces that surround the place. At that time Wilming
ton, the chief blockade port, is sealed by the Yankee's gunboats. It is difficult to bring in and out boatloads of goods. Eventhough the job is very dangerous, Rhett still manages to go on. To overcome the challenges and obtacles that emerge from his job, he makes friends with the Yankees. He runs his boat to Nassau where he buys powder, shells, and hoop skirts from the Yankees. Then he sells these goods to the Confederacy and gets a lot of money. Here is a comment on his effort to get the money:
Rhett's boats were singularly lucky boat in taking out cotton for the Confederacy and bringing in the war materials for which the South was desperate. People complimented him on his bravery in running the blockade. (Mitchell, 1936 : 84-85)
Besides, he buys several thousand bales of cotton at dirt-fcheap prices, and takes them to England. He hides them at the warehouses in Liverpool. He sells them when 54
the English need cotton and give him any price he asks,
a dollar a pound. He is willing to risk his life in
order to survive.
Later, when Rhett visits Scarlett, he always
brings her ■ many gifts: bonnets, new clothes, and
accessories. All these gifts make Scarlett like him,
because she thinks that Rhett is kind and pays a great
attention to her. Rhett also lends her money to buy a
mill, and even accompanies her to drive to the mill in
the rain because it is not save to drive alone.
Gradually, Scarlett sympathizes him due to his kindness.
This shows his strong will to achieve his ambition to
make a lot of money and to get Scarlett.
It is clear that the American Civil War between
the South and the North brings a great disaster to the
people. They suffer from the terrible effects of it. A
lot of people die of the attacks of bombs, guns, and
diseases. They lose everything, families, jobs,
houses, cotton plantations, and properties. All of
these sufferings influence greatly Scarlett O'Hara and
Rhett Butler s ways of lives. Scarlett and Rhett lose
their virtues, and' do not regard Southern chivalric
virtues anymore. Since basically they are strong- willed characters, they are not easily desperate during
this hardest time. Instead, they struggle hard against the cruelty of war and can take advantages from this 55
situation. They are forced to be cruel and selfish to
other people in order to save their own lives. This shows
that this American Civil War brings moral degradation to most of the people. War does not make them good;
instead, they become cruel and selfish.