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Key Examples in Gone with the Wind
Chapter 49
Explanation and Analysis—Melanie and Scarlett :
Throughout the novel, Melanie and Scarlett serve as foils for each other. Melanie's humble and modest dignity offers a stark contrast to Scarlett's proud temper. Though both women realize during the war that they share certain key traits, including an ability to act bravely and decisively when necessary, the sharp differences in their attitudes and behavior become clear yet again in the years after the war, when Scarlett grows wealthy through morally and legally dubious means.
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Chapter 53
Explanation and Analysis—Rhett and Ashley:
Rhett and Ashley serve as foils for each other throughout the novel, with Ashley’s idealistic, dreamy, and impractical manner offering a sharp contrast to Rhett’s cynical pragmatism. In a pivotal scene, Ashley speaks frankly with Scarlett about the traits he shares with Rhett:
Unlock with LitCharts A+We came of the same kind of people, we were raised in the same pattern, brought up to think the same things. And somewhere along the road we took different turnings. We still think alike but we react differently. As, for instance, neither of us believed in war but I enlisted and fought and he stayed out till nearly the end. We both knew the war was all wrong. We both knew it was a losing fight. I was willing to fight a losing fight. He wasn’t. Sometimes I think he was right and then, again—
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