Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell up to page 130

I'll save all my comments for the end of this summary this time, simply because if I comment now, it wont make any sense. So here's the summary!

Twelve Oaks is bustling with people for the ball and barbecue. Scarlett notices a tall, dark, and powerfully built man staring at her without proper deference and his boldness thrills and shocks her. She learns that he is Rhett Butler, a scandalous man from an aristocratic family in Charleston, South Carolina. Rhett once took a girl out without a chaperon and then refused to marry her, even though he should have married her after such a socially unacceptable ordeal. In defense of his sister’s honor, the girl’s brother challenged Rhett to a duel who ended up killing the brother. Scarlett commands the largest circle of suitors and admirers at the barbeque, including Charles Hamilton. Charles, Melanie’s timid brother, showers Scarlett with awkward attention. He even proposes to her, although he is already Honey Wilkes’s beau. Scarlett hardly hears Charles, fixing her attention on Ashley. Sitting with Melanie, he seems oblivious to Scarlett’s admirers. The talk of war has attracted men young and old, who boast that they will defeat the Yankees in a month or less. Rhett contemptuously interjects that there are no cannon factories in the South, only a few iron foundries, and no naval power to keep the Southern ports open. He claims that the Yankees will prevail easily and excuses himself before the outraged men can respond. After the women and girls go upstairs to take their afternoon naps, Scarlett slips into the dark library to intercept Ashley. When Ashley enters, Scarlett confesses her love. To her dismay, he says that he plans to marry Melanie and tells her that she would come to hate him if they were married because they are too different to make a good match, which reminded me of what she thought of her parent's relationship. Scarlett slaps him out of angst. He walks quietly out of the room and she hurls a bowl at the wall, shattering it. Unfortunately for Scarlett, Rhett has been lying on the couch, and he now he sits up and teases her about her unladylike manner. Furious and humiliated, Scarlett storms out and goes upstairs and overhears Honey jealously telling Melanie that Scarlett is “fast.” To Scarlett’s disgust, Melanie, who can see only the good in people, defends Scarlett. Scarlett runs back downstairs just as news arrives that President Lincoln has called for troops, signaling the start of the Civil War. Charles spots Scarlett and again asks her to marry him. Strange enough, Scarlett says yes to him, except her motivations are only to hurt Ashley and Honey.

This section really surprised me. The last thing I expected to happen at this get together was Scarlett to accept a proposal...from a boy in the family of the girl she has come to hate for stealing her man. I guess her plan to hurt the two is kind of genius and I have to give her credit for her courage in accepting such a proposal. Maybe it just seems so odd to me because of the difference in setting. Like these days, nothing so bizarre would have occurred. Anyways, I can again relate to Scarlett in some ways, since she is so angry and hungry for revenge. I can't say I would have done exactly what she did in the situation though. But I'm interested to see how it plays out!