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Chapter 9
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Gone with the Wind, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Civil War and Reconstruction
Looking Forward vs. Looking Back
Classism and Racism
Practicality, Tenacity, and Selfishness
Women and Power
Summary
Analysis
The next morning over breakfast, Miss Pittypat wails over how “conspicuous” Rhett Butler made Scarlett. Melanie says Rhett must be a brave gentleman for running the blockade. Scarlett repeats what Rhett said about doing business with Yankees and the South losing the war. Scarlett then says that she’s bored and will do what she likes. Pittypat laments that Ellen will think she’s a terrible chaperone. The thought of Ellen makes Scarlett guilty, but she decides her mother probably won’t hear of the scandal. Melanie hugs Scarlett and says she understands; times are hard and they know she loved Charles. Scarlett hates being defended by someone she dislikes. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks and is happy about getting so much attention last night.
Scarlett and Rhett’s dancing together at the bazaar is universally recognized as scandalous. Significantly, Melanie defends Rhett’s character. She grants him the same unconditional trust that she gives to Scarlett, though she barely knows either of them. According to proper Southern society, both Rhett and Scarlett have scandalously disregarded conventions and their reputations. But even when Scarlett is reminded of Ellen—a woman who would agree with Southern society—Scarlett refuses to change her behavior, calling into question whether she’ll ever become a great lady like Ellen.
Themes
Prissy comes in with a letter for Melanie. Melanie opens it and lets out a cry, and Pittypat screams “Ashley’s dead!” Scarlett, who had not been paying attention, feels her blood go cold. Melanie revives Pittypat with smelling salts and assures her Ashley is not dead. She opens her fist to reveal her wedding ring. Rhett Butler returned the ring with a letter saying how brave her sacrifice was. Melanie says she knew he was a gentleman. She and Pittypat agree to invite him to dinner Sunday to thank him. Scarlett observes that Rhett did not return her ring. She realizes he sent Melanie’s just so he could see Scarlett.
Rhett’s gesture of returning Melanie’s ring seems genuine. Scarlett thinks his kindness is only a ruse to get himself invited to dinner so he can see her, but she also reasons that the gesture is specifically for Melanie, or else Rhett would’ve returned Scarlett’s ring too. While he mocks Scarlett’s pretense at love for the Cause, he seems to truly admire Melanie’s patriotism—one of the only things he doesn’t mock.
Themes
Scarlett receives a letter from Ellen scolding her for her conduct at the bazaar. Ellen must have heard from Mrs. Merriwether. Ellen is heartbroken that Scarlett would forget her upbringing and flirt so soon after her husband’s death with a man of ill-repute like Rhett Butler. Ellen says that Gerald will come to Atlanta the next day, speak to Rhett, and escort Scarlett back to Tara. Scarlett is frightened of her parents’ anger, and she doesn’t want to leave Atlanta.
At the moment, Tara represents confinement for Scarlett whereas Atlanta represents freedom and the chance to reclaim her youth. At Tara, Scarlett has to obey her mother’s strict rules, but in Atlanta, she has no parental figure to stifle her. Although she loves her parents and Tara, she longs for independence.
Themes
Scarlett tells Melanie and Pittypat about her letter. She asks them to stand by her when Gerald arrives the following day. Pittypat says she feels too faint and will spend the whole next day in bed. Melanie promises to defend Scarlett as best she can. No one wants Scarlett to go back to Tara; they love having her too much.
So far, neither Melanie nor Miss Pittypat have proven to be strong or commanding. Their weak disciplinary skills have allowed Scarlett the freedom to have excitement again, but they aren’t brave enough to confidently stand up to Gerald.
Themes
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The next day, Pittypat stays in bed while Scarlett and Melanie greet Gerald. Gerald kisses Scarlett and pinches Melanie’s cheek, too shy to reprimand Scarlett while Melanie is present. Gerald tells them news from the County and cracks a few jokes. He tells them of Brent and Stuart’s “dispatches of bravery,” and Scarlett feels proud as if they still belonged to her.
Gerald is notorious for having a soft heart inside a rough exterior. Scarlett has always been able to convince him not to punish her, or to tell on her to Ellen. In this instance, Gerald might be shy enough around Melanie not to punish Scarlett as harshly as he’d promised to.
Themes
Then Gerald shares that Stuart is courting India at Twelve Oaks again. They’d always adored each other till Scarlett stole him. And Brent is courting Carreen at Tara. Scarlett, upset to lose two beaus who had been obsessed with her, protests that Carreen is too young. Gerald reminds her that she’s only a year younger than Scarlett was when she married. Then, Gerald rants about the war. After dinner is over, he asks to see Scarlett alone. He harshly lectures her and tells her not to cry, that her crying will not soften him this time. He leaves to confront Rhett Butler.
While Scarlett has been away from Tara, a lot has changed. Both Brent and Stuart have found new love interests since Scarlett married. She takes this as a personal loss. She doesn’t understand that Carreen could have feelings at such a young age, or that India and Stuart might be glad to be reunited; she only feels jealousy at having lost what she believes was rightfully hers. She sees the men as objects to possess, not people.
Themes
Scarlett lies awake that night, dreading facing Ellen at Tara. Then, she hears the familiar sound of Gerald coming home drunk, singing raucously as he comes up the path. Hearing another voice, Scarlett realizes he’s with Rhett Butler. Afraid that he’ll wake the house, Scarlett puts on her robe, takes a candle, and goes quietly downstairs. She opens the door to find Rhett supporting Gerald, who’s clearly drunk. Rhett gives her a look that seems to see through her robe. Scarlett instructs him to bring Gerald in and lay him down on the settee. Rhett arranges Gerald on the settee then leaves, saying he’ll see her Sunday at dinner.
Gerald often comes home drunk, but not so drunk that he can’t support himself. So this creates some tension, as Gerald’s drunkenness is unusual. Rhett continues to treat Scarlett in a way that she believes is improper, but he's also surprisingly generous and caring to bring Gerald home like this. At this point, though, it’s unclear why he’s doing such a thing for Scarlett’s family.
Themes
Scarlett rises early the next morning and finds Gerald awake on the sofa. Scarlett scolds him for his embarrassing behavior the night before. She tells him that if he tells Ellen that Scarlett’s misdeeds were nothing but rumors, then she won’t tell Ellen of his drinking and gambling. Gerald reluctantly agrees. Scarlett is triumphant. Now she can do whatever she wants. She sees nothing but picnics, dances, and adventures in her future. Suddenly, it occurs to her that Gerald can usually hold his liquor just fine. Is Rhett responsible for getting her father so drunk?
The implication here is that Rhett Butler has intentionally gotten Gerald drunker than usual so he couldn’t reprimand Rhett as he planned to. This suggests that Rhett feels no guilt for helping to ruin Scarlett’s reputation. It also suggests that Rhett doesn’t want Scarlett to leave Atlanta and go back to Tara; he wants to keep seeing her. And now that Scarlett has gotten around Ellen, there’s nothing stopping her from ruining her reputation.
Themes
