Gone with the Wind: Chapter 9 Summary & Analysis

Scarlett leans out her window and sorrowfully watches people head out to gather woodland decorations for a bazaar later. The wagons are laden with picnic baskets, girls in flowery bonnets, young men, enslaved persons, and soldiers. Two Black men play banjo and sing. The caravan waves to Scarlett as it passes. She, Melly (Melanie’s nickname) and Pittypat can’t go because they are in mourning. Scarlett worked so hard for the bazaar, embroidering linens with the Confederate star and decorating the hall, and now she had to sit alone while everyone else has fun. She’s only 17. It isn’t fair.

Pittypat comes in and pulls Scarlett from the window. She scolds Scarlett for waving at boys from her bedroom, saying everyone will think she’s “fast.” Scarlett says Mrs. Merriwether, the “old cat,” will say that. Pitty starts to cry and Scarlett apologizes for leaning out the window. When Pitty says Scarlett must be careful to mourn more, Scarlett bursts into tears. Melly runs in, wondering what’s the matter. Pittypat says Scarlett is upset about Charles. As Scarlett sobs hysterically on the bed, Melly and Pittypat tell her to think of her baby. Furious at being misunderstood, Scarlett shouts at them to leave her alone.

Scarlett wonders how Melanie can stand that her life and youth are disappearing. Melanie is less miserable than Scarlett, and she has Ashley while Scarlett had no one. Scarlett stays in bed all day. After dinner, Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Elsing stop in. The women share that the McLure girls have left for Virginia to bring their wounded brother Dallas McLure home, leaving no one to man their booth at the bazaar. They ask if Melanie and Pittypat would take over the booth. The two start to refuse, saying they are in mourning. Scarlett suggests that she and Melanie should do it; it’s a good cause and Charles would’ve wanted them to. At last, Melanie consents.

That evening, Scarlett can’t believe her luck as she stands behind the booth at the bazaar. She is at a real party! The hall is decorated with flowers and candles, and ivy hangs from the chandelier. The Confederate flag hangs behind the dance floor, which is packed with girls in lovely frocks that a famous blockade runner snuck in from England. At the other end of the hall hang portraits of President Davis and the Vice-President of the Confederacy, “Little Alec” Stephens.

The elderly women who organized the bazaar glide around importantly, Pittypat at their heels. The Black musicians, led by Mrs. Merriwether’s coachman, Old Levi, take the stage and break into a slow song. Scarlett sways to the waltz. More guests arrive and suddenly, the hall floods with life: girls in extravagant dresses with enormous hoops, bare shoulders and heavy hairdos; soldiers in colorful uniforms waving, bowing, and dancing. Scarlett is proud of how handsome all the men are. Soldiers from the Home Guard join the party as well, though they’re uneasy—people wonder why they’re not out fighting.

As everyone sings along with “Bonnie Blue Flag,” Scarlett hears Melanie’s soprano and turns to see her face glowing with fanaticism. Every woman’s face is similar to Melanie’s. The women love the soldiers, and they love the “Cause.” They’d sacrifice anything, even the men they love, for the Cause. Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee’s victories make everyone hopeful: one more triumph and the Yankees will be on their knees. There are missing men and babies who will never know their fathers, but that’s all worth it. Besides, blockade runners are bringing in all the luxuries the ladies had to sacrifice for the war. And the English are coming to help because they want cotton. So, everyone is joyful.

As Scarlett looks around, she feels less joyful. Every person seems to feel emotions she can’t feel. Shocked, Scarlett realizes she shares none of these people’s fierce pride. The Cause means nothing to her, and the war is a boring nuisance, just like the hospital. She wonders what would happen if she stood up and declared that she thought the war should stop so everyone could have fun again. She pretends to look proud to try to conceal these thoughts, but she wonders why she is different from these “loving women.” Melanie notices her gloominess but thinks Scarlett misses Charles. Really, though, Scarlett is only 17 and wants to dance, but she can’t. She doesn’t fit in with the young girls or the wives—and she can’t brag that Charles died glamorously, since he died of measles.

Scarlett leans her elbows on the counter. Maybelle Merriwether swishes by in her apple-green dress with her beau. Scarlett thinks enviously of how good she’d look in that dress. She thinks how unfair life is when youth is so short and codes of conduct are so strict. She recalls what Mammy and Ellen taught her about being a young girl. With old ladies, she was supposed to be sweet. With old men she could be saucy to flatter them, and she was also supposed to flatter girls and married women. With young men, she could flirt and even kiss if it convinced the boy to propose. What use was it to learn all these tricks when she only got to use them for a few years? Scarlett decides she was an idiot to get married and end her life at 16.

The captain of the home militia mounts the platform and calls orders. The militia falls into line and everyone applauds. Trying to seem engaged, Scarlett turns to Melanie and praises the militia. Melanie says in a loud voice that they’d look better in grey uniforms fighting in Virginia. Noticing shocked looks from people around them, Scarlett reminds Melanie that the Home Guard protected the state from invasion. Melanie says coolly that the best way to prevent invasion would be to go help beat the Yankees in Virginia. She points out that her and Scarlett’s husbands weren’t afraid to go. Scarlett wonders what would happen if Ashley died.

Dr. Meade approaches Scarlett and Melanie and thanks them for coming. Then, he says he has a scandalous idea that will raise even more money for the hospital, but he walks away without telling them what it is. The other booths are crowded, but Melanie and Scarlett have only a few customers because they aren’t very lively.

The music suddenly breaks into a rollicking tune, and Scarlett desperately wants to dance. A newcomer recognizes her blazing eyes as an invitation and grins. He is a towering man with broad shoulders and a dark, rebellious face. He looks lustful and unashamed. Scarlett meets his gaze, smiles, and curtsies. He starts towards her and suddenly, she recognizes him. She tries to escape into another room, but her skirt catches on a nail. Rhett Butler comes up to her and untangles her skirt. Her face goes red with shame as she remembers their last meeting. Why is he here?

Melanie turns and recognizes Rhett Butler. She greets him warmly and asks what brings him to Atlanta. Rhett says he’s here on business. Melanie then realizes that he’s the famous Captain Butler, the blockade runner who brought all the dresses the ladies are wearing tonight. Scarlett sinks onto a stool, feeling faint. Rhett starts fanning her and offers to open a window. Scarlett’s rude “no” startles Melanie, who explains that Scarlett is no longer Miss O’Hara but Mrs. Hamilton. Rhett asks where their husbands are. Melanie explains that her husband is in Virginia, and Scarlett bluntly says that hers is dead.

Scarlett is enraged. Rhett is just pretending to look sorry for her, and Melanie is foolish and can’t see through it. Even worse, Rhett knows Scarlett didn’t love Charles. Will he tell everyone? Scarlett tells Rhett to leave her alone. Melanie apologizes for Scarlett’s behavior—she’s grieving, and they shouldn’t even be here tonight because they’re mourning. Rhett comments on Melanie’s bravery and Scarlett is indignant that he says nothing about her. Melanie thanks him and then is distracted by customers.

Rhett asks Scarlett how long she’d been married before Charles died, and smirks when she says only two months. Scarlett can’t even pretend she’s mourning because Rhett knew she loved Ashley, not Charles. Scarlett starts to say that this first social appearance of hers seems odd, but Rhett sarcastically finishes her sentence with “no sacrifice is too great for the Cause.” Rhett says he thinks this system of mourning in which the South “buries widows alive” is as harsh as the tradition in India that forces the widow to burn with her husband on the funeral pyre. Scarlett is angered by this comment, but she’s confused because deep down she thinks he’s right.

Scarlett stammers that she wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t for the cause; she wouldn’t want to appear as if she hadn’t loved… but she trails off. Rhett knows the truth, so it’s no use lying. Smirking, Rhett leans down and says Scarlett’s secret is safe with him. Scarlett calls him horrid. Rhett asks if he should have threatened to tell the truth unless she said she’d be with him. Suddenly, Scarlett laughs at how ridiculous this is. To those around her, it looks as though Charles’s widow is having too much fun with a handsome stranger.

Dr. Meade mounts the platform and calls for quiet. He thanks the ladies who patriotically organized the bazaar. Rhett whispers to Scarlett that Dr. Meade is a “pompous goat.” Scarlett is shocked, but she also agrees. She laughs. Dr. Meade continues that although the hospital raised a lot of money tonight, they need more. He introduces Rhett as the “intrepid captain” who has been running the blockade to bring them supplies. Rhett bows in a way that suggests he looks down on everyone. Dr. Meade says they need more gold, and he asks the ladies to sacrifice their jewelry for the Cause. Baskets are passed around and ladies toss their jewelry into them. Scarlett is thankful she is in mourning and has no jewelry to sacrifice.

The man with the basket for jewelry approaches Scarlett. Rhett carelessly tosses a gold cigar case into the basket. Scarlett shakes her head that she has nothing to give but then notices her gold wedding ring. She sees Charles’s face, but then is annoyed that it’s his fault that she’s miserable. She grabs her ring and tosses it into the basket. Melanie looks proud of Scarlett’s supposed bravery and hesitantly places her own ring in the basket. Melanie said she couldn’t have done it if Scarlett hadn’t, and Scarlett is annoyed that Melanie always misunderstands her actions.

Rhett congratulates Scarlett sarcastically for her sacrifice, making Scarlett angry. To try to get the better of him, Scarlett thanks him sweetly for his compliment. Rhett laughs loudly and demands that she say what she really thinks. Again, Scarlett pretends to be silly and sweet. Rhett says he is disappointed in her because when he first met her, he thought she was not only beautiful, but also courageous. Now he realizes she is a coward, not the girl who knew what she wanted, spoke her mind, and even threw vases. Furious, Scarlett tells Rhett he’s nasty and ill-bred for mocking all these people so devoted to the Cause.

Rhett says he’s tired of hearing about the Cause and expects that Scarlett is too. Caught off guard, Scarlett asks how he knows that. Rhett says that when he arrived, every girl looked proud of the Cause—but Scarlett clearly wanted to dance. Scarlett accuses him of being pompous because he’s the “great blockader.” Rhett laughs and says his position doesn’t make him a supporter of the Confederate Cause. Really, it’s all business. He sails into Yankee ports, buys goods, and resells them to the Confederate army. Aghast, Scarlett asks why he hasn’t been shot in the Yankee ports. Rhett explains that many Yankees sell to Confederates because they know it won’t make a difference: the Confederates will be beaten all the same.

Scarlett is appalled and asks Rhett to leave her be. He calls her “a red-hot little Rebel” and walks off. Scarlett is a bit disappointed now that she knows Rhett isn’t really a great blockader and that the Confederacy isn’t as strong as she thought. Melanie warns Scarlett to be careful talking to strangers—Mrs. Merriwether was staring. Scarlett brushes her off, saying Rhett is an “ill-bred boor.” Dr. Meade reveals his scheme for raising more money. The dancing will begin, and the gentlemen must bargain for the lady they want to dance with, like at an auction. Many of the older ladies clearly disapprove. Melanie whispers that it seems a little like an enslaved persons auction.

The men start bargaining for the ladies. Scarlett wishes she wasn’t a widow. She would be the most bargained for lady in her apple-green dress. She watches the bargaining over Maybelle Merriwether jealously. But suddenly, she hears her own name called, with an offer of 150 dollars in gold. The room falls quiet. The doctor starts to say Scarlett would not dance, but Scarlett hears herself say “Yes I will!” She jumps up, “sweet madness” sweeping over her as she realizes she doesn’t care what anyone thinks. She and Rhett approach each other on the dance floor.

While dancing, Scarlett chastises Rhett for making a scene by calling her name. Rhett insists that she doesn’t really care what people think, since she accepted. Rhett says that only once a person loses their reputation do they realize how free they are without it. With money and courage, no one needs reputation. Scarlett says money can’t buy all things, especially not happiness or love. Rhett says it can buy good substitutes for these. Rhett explains that he is rich, but not rich like everyone else here who got their money from civilizing wilderness. Instead, he’s profiting from the wreckage of an empire—the South.

Scarlett asks if Rhett really believes the South will lose the war, and then asks to stop talking about the war—it’s boring. So, Rhett compliments her eyes, comparing them to green fishbowls dancing with fish. Scarlett says he must not hold her so close, since everyone is watching. Rhett says he will bid on Scarlett for the next song and the next. Scarlett fears her reputation will be ruined, but Rhett points out that it already is. She tells him again not to hold her so tightly, or she’ll get mad. He says she’s beautiful when she’s mad, as she was when she threw the vase at Twelve Oaks, a precious memory he will never forget. The music ends as Scarlett sees Miss Pittypat across the room, her eyes wide with horror.