Charles Hamilton Character Analysis in Gone with the Wind

Charles Hamilton is Scarlett’s first husband and Melanie Hamilton’s brother. He is shy with curly hair and blushing cheeks. Scarlett thinks that he looks like a calf. Before the Wilkes’s barbecue, Charles is unofficially engaged to his cousin Honey Wilkes. At the barbecue, he falls in love with Scarlett, and she marries him to make Ashley Wilkes jealous. They are married for two weeks before he goes away to the war and dies soon after of pneumonia. Although Scarlett never thinks highly of him and tries not to remember him much, their son Wade Hampton grows up idolizing his father’s weapons and thinking of him as a hero.

Charles Hamilton Character Timeline in Gone with the Wind

The timeline below shows where the character Charles Hamilton appears in Gone with the Wind. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...briefly runs into India, and is distracted when a shy voice calls her name. It’s Charles Hamilton, a timid boy with brown curls and pink cheeks. Scarlett usually ignores him, but... (full context)

Looking Forward vs. Looking Back Theme Icon

Outwardly, Scarlett is the “belle of the barbecue.” Charles Hamilton, emboldened by Scarlett’s attention, sits right beside her, fanning her. Honey looks ready to... (full context)

Practicality, Tenacity, and Selfishness Theme Icon

Charles stays by Scarlett. He tells her that he plans to join a troop in South... (full context)

...to marriage proposals, Scarlett gives the practiced response that it all seems a little fast. Charles is filled with hope, mistaking Scarlett’s annoyance over Ashley as shy love for him. Scarlett... (full context)

The Civil War and Reconstruction Theme Icon

...guilty for breaking them up. Finally, the barbecue ends. Ashley strolls over to Scarlett and Charles and proclaims Rhett an “arrogant devil,” comparing him to the Borgias whom Scarlett doesn’t know.... (full context)

...Melanie, that “mealy-mouthed little mess” defend her. Then Honey insinuates that she is engaged to Charles. Hetty chimes in that Scarlett is as good as engaged to Stuart, but Honey says... (full context)

...She hates everyone and is determined to hurt them worse than they hurt her. Suddenly, Charles hurries towards her. He tells her the news: Mr. Lincoln had called for soldiers. Scarlett... (full context)

Charles leads Scarlett to a bench, and they sit. Scarlett is beautiful when she’s upset, and... (full context)

Charles asks if Scarlett will wait for him. Scarlett says she doesn’t want to wait. Stammering,... (full context)

...and Ashley standing with Melanie on his arm. It feels like a nightmare. She remembers Charles’s stammering voice and her own responses. After the wedding, Ashley kisses her cheek and Melanie... (full context)

...man she hates. She regrets her choice and wishes she’d listened to Ellen. That night, Charles again approaches the bed. This time, Scarlett breaks down and cries in his arms. A... (full context)

Months later, Scarlett gives birth to Charles’s son and names him Wade Hampton. The birth is surprisingly easy on her, but Scarlett... (full context)

...to send her and Wade to Atlanta. There, Melanie has been staying with her and Charles’s aunt, Miss Pittypat Hamilton. Scarlett hates the thought of staying with Ashley’s wife, but the... (full context)

...he sees that Scarlett has put young Prissy in charge of Wade. Scarlett recalls that Charles said Peter practically raised him and Melanie after their parents died. He is “the smartest... (full context)

...is with her dead husband’s family. Peter also expects Scarlett to stay, wanting to raise Charles’s son himself. Scarlett evades these invites until she’s sure she likes Atlanta. (full context)

Charles’s Uncle Henry Hamilton also urges Scarlett to stay. He points out that Wade should grow... (full context)

Living with Charles’s family helps Scarlett understand why Charles was so shy and delicate. His only role models... (full context)

...into tears. Melly runs in, wondering what’s the matter. Pittypat says Scarlett is upset about Charles. As Scarlett sobs hysterically on the bed, Melly and Pittypat tell her to think of... (full context)

...mourning. Scarlett suggests that she and Melanie should do it; it’s a good cause and Charles would’ve wanted them to. At last, Melanie consents. (full context)

...she is different from these “loving women.” Melanie notices her gloominess but thinks Scarlett misses Charles. Really, though, Scarlett is only 17 and wants to dance, but she can’t. She doesn’t... (full context)

...Melanie is foolish and can’t see through it. Even worse, Rhett knows Scarlett didn’t love Charles. Will he tell everyone? Scarlett tells Rhett to leave her alone. Melanie apologizes for Scarlett’s... (full context)

Rhett asks Scarlett how long she’d been married before Charles died, and smirks when she says only two months. Scarlett can’t even pretend she’s mourning... (full context)

...Scarlett laughs at how ridiculous this is. To those around her, it looks as though Charles’s widow is having too much fun with a handsome stranger. (full context)

...that she has nothing to give but then notices her gold wedding ring. She sees Charles’s face, but then is annoyed that it’s his fault that she’s miserable. She grabs her... (full context)

...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... (full context)

...she sneaks quietly into Melanie’s room. It is neat and spare, with an altar for Charles in the corner. Scarlett goes right to Melanie’s letterbox and takes out the letters from... (full context)

...him, but she deeply admires him. She still feels as if she’s never been married; Charles’s timid passion hadn’t touched her deeply. To her, marriage was only servitude. She is done... (full context)

...is. Scarlett shouts at her to hush. Upset with herself, Melanie apologizes for forgetting that Charles is dead and reminds herself that Scarlett is grieving. Scarlett asks Melanie to leave her... (full context)

...up gently. As they start downstairs, Melanie gestures at her altar, telling Scarlett to take Charles’s photo, pistol, and sword. Scarlett obeys. She looks at Charles’s photo. He’d been her husband,... (full context)

Rhett starts to give Scarlett a pistol, but Scarlett says she already has Charles’s. Rhett teases her for not ever having had a husband, but Scarlett tells him to... (full context)

...she’s changed her mind about being his mistress. He kisses Scarlett’s neck and chest like Charles never kissed her, making Scarlett feel hot and then cold. Scarlett comes back to herself... (full context)

...children; Wade is nothing but a burden and a reminder of her stupid marriage with Charles. Prissy wonders if anyone is at Tara. Scarlett fears the same thing but hushes her.... (full context)

...hoped to be the mistress of this house. She watched Ashley marry Melanie here, and Charles proposed here. Scarlett hopes Ashley is dead so he’ll never see this awful sight. Ashley’s... (full context)

...thinks of their precious food and decides she can’t let him steal it. She gets Charles’s pistol and slips off her shoes. She tiptoes into the hall and down the stairs,... (full context)

...and a clanking upstairs. She looks up to see Melanie in a tattered nightgown, dragging Charles’s sword to the landing with pride in her eyes. Scarlett realizes that Melanie is just... (full context)

...the hall as the Yankees run around breaking things and stealing. A man appears holding Charles’s sword. Scarlett had given that sword to Wade on his birthday as a token of... (full context)

...had no idea. She insists Carreen will get over it, just like Scarlett got over Charles, but Will disagrees. Will stays at Tara after he recovers to pay the women back... (full context)

...The thought of being his wife is repulsive, especially when she remembers her honeymoon with Charles. Scarlett recalls that Rhett said he’d never marry—but he also said he wanted her. Marrying... (full context)

...dismayed to see how devastated Atlanta is. The warehouses and hotels are gone. The warehouse Charles left her must also be destroyed; someday she’ll have to repay Uncle Henry for the... (full context)

...love when she is loyal to her dead beau the way Scarlett is loyal to Charles. (full context)

...here. Carreen is joining a convent; she never got over Brent. Scarlett scoffs and says Charles died but she didn’t join a convent. Will says that Charles’s death didn’t break Scarlett’s... (full context)

...soft voice and says they should put flowers on Yankee graves. She says that if Charles had been buried on enemy ground, she’d want a nice Yankee woman to put flowers... (full context)

...Scarlett do lots of things that would’ve hurt Ellen. She’s stood by while Scarlett took Charles from Honey and Frank from Suellen, and while Scarlett lied to lumber customers and starved... (full context)

Scarlett learns a lot about marriage. Unlike Charles and Frank, Rhett isn’t afraid of Scarlett and does whatever he wants whether she likes... (full context)

...jealous of Scarlett. India says she isn’t sorry, thinking of how Scarlett trapped Stuart and Charles, and how it seemed she wanted to trap Ashley too. Melanie says Scarlett is closer... (full context)

...thinks back to when she killed the Yankee and Melanie stood on the landing with Charles’s sword. At the time, Scarlett had laughed at her frailty, but now she knows Melanie... (full context)