Uncle Peter— Character Analysis in Gone with the Wind

Uncle Peter is Miss Pittypat’s personal enslaved man; he continues to work for her after the Civil War ends. He raised Melanie and Charles like they were his own children and takes care of Miss Pitty faithfully through her constant fainting spells. Like Mammy, Uncle Peter always knows everything that everyone is up to and is critical of his enslavers’ conduct. Uncle Peter claims to be proud of his position.

Uncle Peter— Character Timeline in Gone with the Wind

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

Looking Forward vs. Looking Back Theme Icon

...thin Black man with grizzled hair approaches her, holding his hat. He introduces himself as Peter, Pittypat’s coachman. Despite his frailty, he picks her up and carries her to the carriage.... (full context)

Peter settles Scarlett in the carriage and tells her to make sure Prissy doesn’t drop Wade.... (full context)

...Europeans to operate machinery. The streets bustle with Yankee prisoners, Confederate soldiers, and sick people. Peter points out the different factories and war offices as he drives. Mrs. Merriwether, Mrs. Elsing,... (full context)

As Peter and Scarlett pass, Mrs. Merriwether makes Scarlett promise to work in her hospital instead of... (full context)

Peter and Scarlett say goodbye to the Meades and continue on. Scarlett already feels that Atlanta... (full context)

...because they love her, and they insist her place is with her dead husband’s family. Peter also expects Scarlett to stay, wanting to raise Charles’s son himself. Scarlett evades these invites... (full context)

...fighting, and rowdiness of Tara. Here, everyone is polite and deferential. Scarlett soon discovers that Peter’s expectations about Scarlett’s behavior are even stricter than Mammy’s. Scarlett slowly regains her youthful energy.... (full context)

...stairs and bursts into Scarlett’s room, looking guilty. Melanie says she might faint because Uncle Peter is threatening to tell Miss Pitty that Melanie was talking to Belle Watling. Scarlett is... (full context)

...her help? Melanie holds out a heavily perfumed handkerchief and wails that at that point, Peter yelled at her. There’s $10 in gold in the handkerchief. Melanie wonders if it’s okay... (full context)

...him that she knows, because a lady can’t mention those things. She goes to tell Peter not to tell on Melanie and throws the handkerchief in the fire on her way. (full context)

The Civil War and Reconstruction Theme Icon

...melon or share it. Scarlett takes charge and hides it. Prissy cries that it’s Uncle Peter. They all run to greet him. Peter starts scolding Melanie and Scarlett for not returning... (full context)

Practicality, Tenacity, and Selfishness Theme Icon

Melanie faints and Mammy catches her, telling Peter not to touch her. Everyone swarms around Melanie, but Scarlett looks at the letter Peter... (full context)

...train in Atlanta. The depot is a pile of ruins. Instinctively, Scarlett looks for Uncle Peter, but of course he isn’t here; Aunt Pitty doesn’t know Scarlett is coming. The quietness... (full context)

...the Whitings’ houses had been. Scarlett is happy when she sees Aunt Pitty’s house. Uncle Peter runs out, smiling; Scarlett tells him to get Miss Pitty. (full context)

...putting ideas in the “poor darkies” heads. They want to let Black men vote! Uncle Peter, she says, is too “well-bred” to vote. Then, she says Rhett Butler is in jail... (full context)

The next morning, Scarlett stays in bed faking sickness until Pitty, Mammy, and Uncle Peter leave. Then she jumps up and puts on her new dress. She is excited for... (full context)

...Scarlett sees how wide the gap between North and South is. She is driving with Peter when three Yankee wives hail her. One says her nurse went back North because she... (full context)

Scarlett realizes Peter is breathing heavily. One of the wives points at him and laughs at that “old... (full context)

Scarlett sees a tear trickle down Peter’s nose. She feels sad for him; it’s as though someone had been mean to “a... (full context)

Scarlett says aloud that the Freedman’s Bureau set Peter free, but Peter says he won’t let “trash” free him. He says Pitty will be... (full context)

...he became more and more afraid Scarlett would die. At noon, he snuck away from Peter and ran back home. Everyone ran up and down the stairs and once, he heard... (full context)

...fires nurses every week for mistreating his baby. He sends for Prissy and Lou, Uncle Peter’s great niece, tactfully telling Mammy that they’ll be her helpers (Mammy is getting old). Scarlett... (full context)

Scarlett opens the door and walks into the parlor. The tearful faces of Dilcey, Peter, India and Pitty greet her. India and Pitty come to her, but she snaps at... (full context)