Now that the war has changed everything, no one has the same role that they had in the old society. Before the war, women in Scarlett’s wealthy class never had to work for anything they needed; the men managed all business affairs, and the enslaved persons did all the manual labor. Now that they are poor, however, these roles no longer make sense; everyone must work if they want to survive. As Scarlett realizes that what Ellen taught her was useless, and questions whether Ellen was the role model Scarlett always thought she was. Her sisters, though, cling to the past and refuse to work.