Mrs. Elsing isAtlanta’s secondprominent lady and the wife of Hugh Elsing. Like Mrs. Merriwether, Mrs. Elsing disapproves of Scarlett’s association with the “traitor” Rhett Butler. After the war, Mr. and Mrs. Elsing turn their house into a boarding house where the Meades and the Whitings pay to stay when their houses burn down. After Scarlett marries Rhett, Mrs. Elsing refuses to call on them even though Rhett saved Hugh’s life during the Klu Klux Klan escapade that took Frank Kennedy’s life. This causes Mrs. Elsing to fall out with Melanie Wilkes, whom she’d known since Melanie was a little girl. Much later, Rhett charms Mrs. Elsing into liking him.
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Mrs. Elsing— Character Timeline in Gone with the Wind
The timeline below shows where the character Mrs. Elsing— appears in Gone with the Wind. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8
...people. Peter points out the different factories and war offices as he drives. Mrs. Merriwether, Mrs. Elsing , and Mrs. Whiting—the infamous “pillars of Atlanta” who’d heard Scarlett was coming—wave to her...
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Chapter 9
...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...
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Chapter 12
At Mrs. Elsing ’s musical for convalescents, Rhett ruins his reputation for good. Melanie and Scarlett sing a...
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Chapter 21
...to bring Mrs. Merriweather, but she’s busy at the hospital. Scarlett sends Prissy to get Mrs. Elsing , and to do so quickly.
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...time. Swearing to whip Prissy one day, Scarlett goes down to meet her. Prissy says Mrs. Elsing is at the hospital. Scarlett says she’ll give Prissy a note to bring to Dr....
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...coming!” Then she sees women and children rushing down the street carrying crates of food. Mrs. Elsing drives by, her carriage piled high with food. Scarlett hasn’t seen so much food in...
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Chapter 36
...her, she’d been sweet and feminine. Now she talks and makes decisions like a man. Mrs. Elsing and Mrs. Merriwether are commanding women, but they at least pretend to submit to men’s...
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Chapter 49
At a Ladies’ Sewing Circle meeting at Melanie’s, Mrs. Elsing waits until Melanie has gone into the kitchen before she says she won’t visit Scarlett...
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Mrs. Elsing jumps up, saying Melanie is ill-bred. Melanie says Mrs. Elsing is just bitter because Hugh...
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Chapter 52
When Mrs. Elsing questions why Rhett donates, he says he was moved by memories of his army days....
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Chapter 53
...of an old friend. Suddenly, Ashley wrenches away because he sees that India, Archie, and Mrs. Elsing are standing in the doorway.
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Chapter 55
...control her anger. She says that everyone is jealous because Scarlett is smart and successful. Mrs. Elsing hates Scarlett because she is more popular than Fanny. Archie is a bad man and...
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Chapter 60
...hardships she’s experienced. She wants to talk with her old friends, like Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Elsing , about hard times and tragedy. She understands now why ex-Confederates like to meet: they’re...
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