Are we supposed to feel sorry for Frank Kennedy?
No, right?
Scarlett's behavior is becoming increasingly ruthless in this part of GWTW. But her behavior isn't selfish since she's only tricking Frank Kennedy into marrying her because she wants to use his money to save Tara. Besides, we're 60% of the way through GWTW (according to my kindle), and MM has done such a great job of making Suellen out to be a spiteful brat it's impossible to feel anything but amusement for Scarlett's swindle. If Scarlett had stolen a man from Colleen--sweet, pious, quiet Colleen--I'm pretty sure we'd feel differently about Scarlett's marriage to Frank Kennedy. But Suellen is mean and lazy and a cry-baby, so we giggle and laugh when we read this chapter. Even MM is laughing at poor Suellen, particularly when Scarlett receives
"....a letter from Suellen, poorly spelled, violent, abusive, tear splotched, a letter so full of venom and truthful observations about her character that she was never to forget it nor forgive the letter writer."
Stay classy Suellen!
Anyway, I think that any sympathy we might have for Frank Kennedy is lessened because he is vain and lacks courage. Scarlett concocts a huge lie about Suellen running off with Tony Fontaine, and Frank could have easily uncovered her deception if he'd been willing to break the bonds of their polite society by simply contacting Suellen to hear the facts straight from her. But "she never wrote him and naturally he could not write her and explain." Scarlett and Rhett both have courage, but they're successful (or anyway, successful at making money in a time when everybody else is broke) because they know the rules of polite society so well they are able to game the system. Everybody else sticks to the same pre-war, southern chivalry playbook, but Rhett and Scarlett get ahead by essentially playing chicken because they know the people around them lack the personal courage to test the boundaries of polite society. Scarlett knew she could finagle Frank away from Suellen because she knew neither her sister nor Frank would ever have the gall to communicate directly with each other, even at this critical juncture in their lives.
So anyway, Frank Kennedy gets a head cold and Scarlett heads into town and immediately starts investigating the accounting books at his store, and here we finally arrive at what I think is one of the most important parts of the novel. GWTW is 75% apolitical and irreligious, but there are moments when MM deviates slightly from post-war historical events and Scarlett's own mind and delivers what I consider to be surprisingly progressive ideas, and this is one of those moments:
Why, why, her mind stuttered. I believe women could manage everything in the world without men's help--except having babies, and God knows, no woman in her right mind would have babies if she could help it.
With the idea that she was as capable as a man came a sudden rush of pride and a violent longing to prove it, to make money for herself as men made money. Money which would be her own, which she would never have to ask for nor account for to any man.
Some people argue that GWTW is not a feminist novel, but I certainly think it is. Of course the Rhett--Scarlett--Ashley--Melly love triangle drives most of the plot, but I've never understood why that means GWTW gets dismissed as a silly romance novel. Interpersonal relationships drive almost every part of everyone's life, and it's not fair to label GWTW a soap opera just because Scarlett loves Ashley.
Anyway, Rhett's back ya'll!
He's out of prison, and he's wearing a "spotless pleated shirt" and a cape (!), and he shows up at Frank's store just to jeer at Scarlett for marrying Frank so quickly. He's out of jail and he's full of laughter and good advice, including one little nugget that makes me laugh out loud every time I read it:
Influence is everything, Scarlett. Remember that when you get arrested. Influence is everything and guilt or innocence merely an academic question.
If I were half as good at insulting people as Rhett Butler--well, I'd probably be dead since I would have been shot in a duel years ago. He's a good shot and rich and clever and practically a superhero, so he gets to live forever without even working up a sweat. He's out of jail and worth half a million dollars now (some of it Confederate gold), and Scarlett tries to call him out for stealing, but he stops her cold and smokes his cigar and is oh-so-cool while Scarlett seethes about how he's rooked the entire world while she's got nothing but Frank and a dirty store. And then Rhett changes the subject and starts asking Scarlett about Ashley. He's happy to give her a loan, he says, but not if it's to give Ashley money. Interestingly enough, Rhett doesn't seem the least bit threatened or preoccupied by the fact that Scarlett is currently married to Frank Kennedy, but he's still focused on Scarlett's relationship with Ashley.
"Among men, there's a very unpleasant name for men who permit women to support them," He tells Scarlett after they argue about Ashley for a little while. Scarlett tries to switch subjects, but Rhett is having none of that, which makes me wonder if he spent his entire time in prison doing a graduate level thesis on Ashley Wilkes and his kind. He's been honest with Scarlett about all of his sins, so he expects her to be honest with him about the current status of her relationship with Ashley, to the point where he just straight up asks her if Ashley is still in love with her. Which...
Hold on.
Is Ashley in love with Scarlett? I do realize Rhett Butler represents clear-eyed, rational thought in GWTW, but I think he's dead wrong here. Ashley is probably in lust with Scarlett, but I don't know if I'd call it love. But then again, I have the benefit of having finished the novel so I can look at the characters with full-knowledge of how it all ends. And perhaps, well.... perhaps Ashley really does love Scarlett but maybe his love transitions into something else the same way every things else in GWTW eventually transforms. Certainly the movie makes it seem like Ashley never really loved Scarlett, but that's Hollywood for you. Food for thought.
Anyway, Scarlett settles into domestic life with Frank Kennedy and it seems like she's headed for a dreary existence since she'll have to live out the rest of her days as Mrs. Frank Kennedy. She's got enough money to save Tara and buy food and shelter, and the war is over and certainty has once again returned to her world. It's a bit boring, but it's a good life considering that most of her friends and neighbors are still starving. But still--I'm sure Scarlett misses the excitement of the old days, and I can imagine her at the end of Chapter 36, casting an eye toward the future and wondering when or whether she'd ever be delivered from her dull life in Atlanta.
No comments:
Post a Comment