[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

Although the conversation with Tommy eased Scarlett's emotions to a certain extent, it is an indisputable fact that the atmosphere in Atlanta is becoming more and more tense day by day.

In the chilly spring of 1866, Scarlett looked around, painfully aware of what she and the South were facing.She can work harder than black slaves, find ways to make money, and overcome many difficulties.However, the family property earned by all the hard work may be snatched away at any time, and the law will never give her a little compensation-now, only black people have the protection of the law.The Yankees turned the South upside down, and the former masters were more helpless than their former servants.

Georgia is heavily guarded, and Atlanta is full of soldiers.The commanders of the garrisons in various cities exercised the power over the life and death of the common people, and abused their power indiscriminately.They arbitrarily made contradictory clauses, put people in prison, and deprived them of their property.Newspapers are strictly controlled, and speeches exposing military brutality and corruption are nowhere to be seen; the judiciary has been completely paralyzed, as long as a black man comes to accuse, the owner will be thrown directly into jail without evidence, and the trial after appeal is indefinitely.It is rumored that the Yankees will soon give blacks the right to vote, so as to help them completely control the world.The Bureau of Freedmen's Affairs also instigated the blacks to act mischievously and provoke troubles.The life and property of the white people are under great threat but without any protection, everyone is frightened.The atrocities committed by the blacks emerged endlessly, houses were set on fire for no reason, poultry was stolen, and all kinds of crimes appeared one after another, but the criminals were rarely punished.

But all this is nothing compared to the dangers white women face.The attack Scarlett received in her previous life was not isolated or accidental, the same atrocities happened all the time in the southern land.A large number of single women were raped|raped by thugs, men were worried about the safety of their wives and daughters, hatred accumulated day by day, and the 3K Klan grew rapidly.The northern authorities lashed out at this illegal organization, but knew nothing about the source of its tragedy.Antagonisms intensified rapidly, and a shocking scene appeared: half of the nation forced the other half of the nation to accept the rule of blacks who had left the African jungle for less than a generation.People are restless day and night, fearful and trembling, for fear that disaster will befall their heads at any time.

Today, after war and reconstruction, Atlanta seems to be thriving again, but beneath the surface of prosperity lies countless deeply buried pains and fears.A bustling and noisy new city is rapidly rising from the ruins. The arrogance and ruthlessness of the conqueror and the tormenting hatred of the conquered coexist in this city, secretly stirring the abyss under the still water.This impetuous and uneasy mysterious atmosphere naturally infected Scarlett. She was no longer the girl who naively thought that politics had nothing to do with her in her previous life.Now Scarlett is very clear that every policy may hide poisonous schemes, and every transfer order may give a glimpse of the military's new attitude.Now she cared as much about the current situation as anyone else in Atlanta, about the new Yankee orders, and about what they were going to do to us.Her understanding of the situation in the south has reached an unprecedented level, so she feels doubly worried and uneasy. Thinking about it this way, maybe it is a good thing that she passed through these years recklessly and ignorantly in her previous life, after all, she was lucky enough to survive For the first few years after the war, and later married to Rhett for his protection.But such things as luck cannot be counted on forever, Scarlett knew that she still had to be fully prepared.What's more, Jonathan Wilkerson has always been haunted, and Scarlett doesn't know when and how he will choose to attack Tara.Such a heavy boulder weighed on her heart, coupled with the increasingly tense atmosphere in Atlanta, Scarlett couldn't help feeling irritable day by day.Her behavior became more and more daring, and she frequently drove openly peddling lumber in Atlanta in a horse-drawn carriage, as if this brave break with Southern rules could conceal her inner anxiety.

But even at such a moment, the ladies of the South still hold their heads high to defend their pride.Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Elsing came to visit again and again, making subtle but sharp criticisms, furious accusations after encountering soft nails, Aunt Pitt's expression of obvious disapproval but timidity, and Uncle Peter sending her off. The mouth that was always pouting when going out, and everything, on the contrary, aroused the most rebellious side in Scarlett's heart again.It's already a matter of life and death, yet there are still people who care about these matters!There are still people who insist on appearing as moral guards!It was impossible not to remind her that only a month before she had sat with these women and heard them mention Belle Watling and her new whorehouse with contempt and curiosity, and she and Ray special relationship!Oh, damn Bell Watling, damn Rhett!What business do they have to do with them!What does she have to do with them!Being able to survive is the most important thing, wouldn't it be ridiculous to talk about other things?

However, amidst the accusations, Scarlett was surprised to find a different voice——Dr. Meade, a respected old gentleman in Atlanta, publicly stood up at a party to fight back against Scarlett's accusations.The old doctor with the iron-gray goatee told everyone in his trembling voice an old thing he buried deep in his heart.

"Yes, Scarlett's current behavior may be a bit out of line, but since it comes from the good wish to protect the homeland, we shouldn't criticize this child too much... There is something I didn't tell you. Just before the fall of Atlanta Scarlett, who had been in the safety and comfort of her home in Tara for a month, returned to the war-torn city to find medicine for her seriously ill mother. Of course she didn't get this... Poor child, so many wounded That’s how she was waiting to die because of no drugs! But Scarlett left without turning around, her heart was deeply touched by the tragedy in the world, and she stayed... In the dangerous Atlanta full of gunfire, in the absence of An Atlanta where loved ones remained, when most of the ladies here were safely evacuated. No, I certainly don't mean to blame you, but Scarlett must have acted very bravely. She took care of the seriously wounded... Yes, You heard me right, as an unmarried girl... oh my god, I shouldn't have said this, I should have protected her reputation, just as I should have protected her before, not letting her do those jobs. But! Ladies and gentlemen, it would be base and disgraceful for any one to question Miss O'Hara's chastity because of her patriotic conduct! In , Miss O'Hara served as my assistant for a week, facing life-threatening and inner suffering. As an unmarried girl, she bravely treated the wounds of the seriously injured and dealt with those stumps... Oh my God, what a marvel ! And she offered to do it! This child has very noble sentiments..."

"We can never blame her for this, but to this day I am sorry and blame myself for what I did. I let a young girl break through the rules of the South's customary protection of unmarried women-even though it was a war. at that time, although it was out of patriotism and dedication. She took care of the seriously wounded, she broke the line, and she was very young at that time. I think Scarlett's awareness of the boundary bridge has become blurred since then, She believes that specific actions should not be blamed as long as they are done with good intentions, and she has been doing so... If you must blame one person, please blame me! I am the one who agreed to the request of a southern lady to take care of the seriously injured , I have been deeply disturbed by this for a long time...Since this is the case, how can I blame her together with you, and have to learn to do something against my will in order to make my family live a good life?"

Dr. Meade's eloquent words moved most of the people present, and the gentlemen almost immediately accepted the slightly out-of-the-ordinary behavior of such a brave and gentle lady, and expressed their deep respect.As for the ladies and wives, on the one hand they unquestionably respected this behavior, and on the other hand, their deep-rooted defense of tradition still made them feel uncomfortable with Scarlett's behavior.In any case, Scarlett was much better off.Especially after the doctor's words spread rapidly in Atlanta's social circle, she could feel a little more inexplicable respect for her, mixed with some inexplicable contempt—after all, there are still stubborn wives who think that the unmarried lady It's really inappropriate to take care of the seriously wounded and see a man's naked body.

Scarlett was very surprised by Dr. Meade's generous help.She really didn't expect the doctor to think so much about what she did to relieve her inner fear, and she took care of the seriously wounded only because the situation was tense at that time, and the lightly wounded would not even leave the battlefield at all, and almost all of them were sent to the city. Only half breath left!And she was married in the previous life, so she will not be too conservative in some places.But no matter what, the doctor's move was really a wonderful misunderstanding, and Scarlett was happy to give up.It was an unexpected joy to win the understanding and a certain degree of acceptance of her behavior from the upper class of the South under such special circumstances.As for some ladies and wives who think it's bad for her to see a man's body?Ha - if she does marry the notorious speculator Rhett Butler in the future, what was all that before!Besides, this just happened to make those ladies and ladies prevent their sons and brothers from pursuing her spontaneously. Scarlett is so busy now that she doesn't have the heart to talk to others except Tommy who comes to help from time to time! (She's ashamed to admit that this wins respect and discourages people from marrying her, and may make Rhett easier for Ellen to accept—although they're still at war, Scarlett doesn't want to marry anyone other than him just yet. people.)

Apart from the remarks about Scarlett, Dr. Meade actually said a lot of things under people's questioning, including "the speculator Butler threw him a pack of urgently needed medicines like trash on the eve of the city's collapse", and There was a little controversy among Southerners as to whether this was evidence of Butler's repentance.It's just that Rhett, as always, ostentatiously associated with friends from the Yankees, and the rumors that he funded Bell Watling to open a brothel intensified. Le attacked more violently.

But now Scarlett didn't care about these things—in mid-March, she received a letter from her mother asking about her recent behavior.Although Ellen's letter can be called gentle, it does not urge Scarlett to go home immediately.But after careful consideration, Scarlett decided to go back and talk to her mother in person.She entrusted the lumber factory to Tommy's care, and entrusted the small shop to Hugh and another clerk. She picked up the light luggage and set foot on the train back to Tara alone.