Mammy Character Analysis

Mammy is initially enslaved by the O’Haras; after the Civil War, she continues to work for them. She is large and old, with small shrewd eyes, and came with Ellen to Tara from Charleston. She feels as though she owns the O’Haras, and she always knows all their secrets. She shows her love and pride for the family through scolding each of its members and holding herself above free Blacks and poor white families like the Slatterys. After Ellen dies, Mammy follows Scarlett closely. Although she disapproves of Scarlett offering to be the “scoundrel” Rhett Butler’s mistress for money, she is fine with Scarlett marrying the gentleman Frank Kennedy for practical reasons. When Scarlett first marries Rhett, Mammy hates him, and criticizes both him and Scarlett for thinking they can better themselves by earning lots of money. However, when she sees how wonderful Rhett is with children, her feelings change. After Bonnie dies, Mammy goes back to Tara, insisting she heard Ellen’s voice tell her to do so. At the end of the story, Scarlett feels that Mammy is “the last link to the old days.”