Hello everybody, hope you're doing well this
October night. It is dark and stormy here, so
I apologize if you can hear rain in the background
during this episode. I tested it and I don't
think you will be able to, but we'll see when
this is done. So this episode is going to be
another novel analysis, and this time it's going
to be about Melanie Wilkes. One of these days
I do have to do one about Rhett as well. But
the question of the day is, does Melanie know
about Scarlett's feelings for Ashley and vice
versa? So this is a question that I've seen people
ask in other circles. And I was really surprised
when I found out that the resounding answer to
this question by most people was yes, Melanie
does know. Because to me, this kind of contradicts
a lot of what is put into the book. Obviously,
people can have their own interpretations. But
at the end of the novel, we are left with the
idea that Melanie never had any idea that. scarlet
and ashley had this background affair going on
in fact i think we're led to believe that she
very much was against anybody even thinking that
so it really really surprised me that everybody
seemed to think that this was the case everyone
was like melanie's not an idiot obviously she
knows that there's something going on she knows
people well she's able to read people so i would
like to figure out again where these claims are
coming from. So once again, we're going to go
through different parts in the book and see how
Melanie reacts to this idea of Scarlett and Ashley.
So I'm not going to go through every single one
of Melanie's scenes. Obviously, there are way
too many of those, but I am going to highlight
ones that come to my mind when this question
is brought up. So let's get started. We meet
Melanie and we aren't really sure who she is
at first other than a really nice person. But
we do find out pretty early on that she really
admires Scarlett. And when we first see her with
Scarlett after she and Ashley get married, Melanie
comes up to Scarlett and she's like... Oh, Ashley,
you must kiss her. Scarlett's my sister -in -law
now. Let me go to the exact scene. Hold on. We
want... Let's hold on. Okay, so it says, Melanie
said, you must kiss Scarlett, Ashley. She's my
sister now. And Ashley bent and touched her cheek
with cold lips, his face drawn and taut. Scarlett
could hardly take any joy from that kiss, so
sullen was her heart, and Melanie's prompting
it. Melanie smothered her with an embrace at
parting. You will come to Atlanta and visit me
and Aunt Pity Pat, won't you? Oh, darling, we
want to have you so much. We want to know Charlie's
wife better. So at this point, Melanie is totally
convinced that Scarlett is in love with her brother
Charles and that Scarlett is going to be this
amazing sister -in -law. I honestly think that
if she has any inkling here that Scarlett is
after her husband, then this scene is almost
kind of cruel because she tells Ashley to kiss
her like a sister right after the two of them
got married. Like if she did know anything, it
would also be like, ha ha, he's mine and you
can't do anything about it. Can we agree, at
least at this beginning part of the book, that
Melanie has no clue what's going on with Ashley?
And then come to think of it before that, when
she is talking with Honey Wilkes, before Scarlett
gets engaged to Charles, before Melanie and Ashley
really announce they're engaged. Melanie gets
almost offended at this idea of Scarlett being
in love with Ashley because it says, if you ask
me, said Honey with mysterious importance, there's
only one person she does give a rap about, and
that's Ashley. So this is the girls gossiping
together, and they're saying, oh, Scarlett was
being so fast today, and she was really laying
it on thick with Stuart and Brent and Charles
and all them. And Honey's like, oh, but she actually
only has a crush on Ashley. So that's the context.
And Melanie responds, Honey, you know that isn't
so, and it's so unkind. It is too, Mellie, and
if you weren't always so busy looking for the
good in people that haven't got any good in them,
you'd see it. So that's all we really see there.
But Melanie is disapproving of anybody saying
that Scarlett and Ashley have a thing for each
other. And I can't help but take her at face
value here. So the question we have going on
from this point is, does Melanie eventually come
to realize that the two of them have some sort
of attraction? So let's move on to when Scarlett
goes to Atlanta. So Scarlett, when she first
goes to Atlanta, doesn't want to go because she
doesn't want to live with Melanie. But when she
does get there, she comes to at least concede
that Melanie has some good sense. And that's
going to be something that gets repeated over
and over throughout the book. often mentions
how Melanie has tact, how she reads people well.
A good example of that, not to jump ahead too
much, but a good example of that is when Kathleen
Calvert gets married or is going to get married
to their former overseer. And it's this big step
down and Scarlett's like, oh, she can't be in
love with him, can she? And Melanie responds.
Oh, Scarlet, of course she's not. How can you
think such a thing? And Scarlet gets annoyed
because she realizes that Melanie grasped the
emotional climate of the situation while she,
Scarlet, didn't. And so despite Melanie being
so naive about the reality of Scarlet, if she
indeed is, because that's what we're investigating
right now, Scarlet does acknowledge several times
that Melanie is the more empathetic of the two
and that she... kind of gets people. So living
with Scarlet while Scarlet is infatuated with
Ashley, one would think she would be able to
pick up on it. But also, Melanie really admires
Scarlet. She has for a really long time. And
when you admire someone, I think that could make
you kind of blind to their faults. So back to
what I was saying when Scarlet first comes to
Atlanta. Scarlett says that Melanie mentions
Ashley so often. And I think that this is another
example where if Melanie knew that Scarlett had
a crush on Ashley, then she would not be constantly
talking about Ashley and how proud of him she
is and how in love with him she is. Because Melanie
does often say things like, For example, when
they're talking about when Ashley might be dead,
she says, I think that I would rather just die
if he were dead. And then one significant scene
where she tells Scarlett that she's pregnant.
This seems to be a scene where she is totally
out of touch with reality. So let me see if I
can find it. Hold on just a second. Okay. So
she tells Scarlett that she's going to have a
baby. It says the hideous blow fell. She says,
I've so envied you, Wade, and so wanted a baby.
And I was so afraid that maybe I wasn't ever
going to have one. And darling, I want a dozen.
And then it goes on. Oh, Scarlett, I don't know
how I shall ever write Ashley. It wouldn't be
so embarrassing if I could tell him or, well,
not say anything and just let him notice gradually,
you know. Then Scarlett is really rude and has
this terrible moment where she's like, Dear God,
said Scarlett, almost sobbing, as she dropped
the comb and caught at the marble top of the
dresser for support. So Melanie then assumes
that Scarlett is just worried about her because
she is not really supposed to be having a baby
because of her health and her figure or something
like that. But then she asks Scarlet, Scarlet,
did you write Charlie and tell him when you found
out about Wade? Or did your mother do it? Or
maybe Mr. O 'Hara? Oh, dear, if only I had a
mother to do it. I just don't see how. Hush,
said Scarlet violently. Hush. Oh, Scarlet, I'm
so stupid. I'm sorry. I guess all happy people
are selfish. I forgot about Charlie just for
the moment. And then Melanie feels really bad.
Scarlett says, you leave me alone. She's super
mean. And Melanie assumes that it's because she
reminded Scarlett of Charles. So another important
thing to remember is that Melanie seems completely
under the impression that Scarlett really was
in love with Charles and that she's mourning
him. Because to go back a little bit, when they
first go to the bazaar, there's this little scene
where Melanie is like, pity Pat, don't bring
up Charles so much. I know she's always about
to cry when you bring him up. She gets this weird
look on her face. And then later when they're
at the bazaar and they're first talking to Rhett,
Melanie says something like, oh, Scarlet, you
shouldn't be here in your condition as a widow,
blah, blah, blah. And she seems like she really
means these things. Sorry, I have to keep skipping
around in the book to find these parts. But it's
actually the scene that first convinces Rhett
that Melanie is a genuine person. Hold on just
a second. Okay, so here's what it says. Scarlet,
darling, Captain Butler, you must forgive her.
She isn't herself when she hears poor Charlie's
name spoken, and perhaps, after all, we shouldn't
have come here tonight. We're still in mourning,
you see, and it's quite a strain on her, all
this gaiety and music, poor child. I quite understand,
he said with elaborate gravity, but as he turned
to give Melanie a searching look that went to
the bottom of her sweet, worried eyes, his expression
changed, reluctant respect and gentleness coming
over his dark face. I think you're a courageous
little lady, Mrs. Wilkes. So my point here that
I'm trying to make is that when Scarlett first
comes to Atlanta, Melanie sees Scarlett as a
woman who is in mourning, who is genuinely mourning
her husband. Now we know that Scarlett was not
really mourning Charles at all. She was mourning
the loss of her youth and the fact that she was
cut off from all social life, but she isn't actually
missing this dead husband who to her was, pretty
much a stranger who she regretted marrying almost
instantly. But Melanie doesn't see any of that.
And I think that if Melanie did see any of that,
that it would be evident somewhere in the text.
Or Melanie is just the most sarcastic person
ever. And I don't see Melanie as anything but
genuine. Because in this scene here, Rhett is
somebody who is known for reading people really,
really well. He's able to tell when people are
lying or putting up a pretense. And with Melanie,
she's the one person he feels is just a genuinely
good, kind, sweet lady. A great lady, as he calls
her. And he can see that she actually cares for
Scarlett and isn't just pretending. So, anyway.
Throughout this whole sequence where Scarlett
is living in Atlanta, Melanie, in my opinion,
doesn't seem to have any sort of clue or else
she wouldn't really say a lot of the things she
does say. And then if we move on to a little
further, when Melanie is even more pregnant,
Melanie mentions that Scarlett has to stay with
her during the shelling because that means, because
she had ashley ask scarlet to promise to take
care of her and if she knows that ashley in fact
did kiss scarlet at christmas furlough if she
had any idea that scarlet was just waiting for
a moment alone with him i don't think she would
have asked ashley to make that sort of promise
to scarlet because or to ask scarlet to make
that promise because That would just honestly
be a weird thing to say. I mean, this is a married
couple and the sister -in -law is living in the
house and has an infatuation with the husband.
And you're telling me that the wife is like,
oh, I'm going to ask my husband to go tell this
sister -in -law who I know is in love with him
that she has to take care of me. I think that
that is just way too generous on Melanie's part
that she could just not care that the two of
them have this thing for each other or even if
she just thinks it's one -sided that Scarlett
is only the one in love. And there's even one
part where Melanie is telling her about this
promise and it says that Scarlett looked down
at her in wonder and she was like... How possibly
can she not understand that I love Ashley? I've
given myself away a million times. So I think
that this is the question that I am asking the
rest of the fandom. Because, I mean, Scarlett
is somebody who, from our perspective, is pretty
obvious about her crush. And other characters
do pick up on it. Honey Wilkes talked about it,
as we said. India Wilkes picks up on it, and
she spreads that gossip around later on, so there
are other people who believe it. And then the
whole scandal erupts in the last part of the
book, and that causes a lot of issues for everybody.
And that means that the secret is eventually
out in the open, and that's only because people
noticed. But for Melanie to think that Scarlett
is in love with her husband, that is just not
something that I see anywhere in the text. And
I think that if she did have any idea of it,
her behavior towards Scarlett would just be different.
I don't think that she would be as grateful to
Scarlett. I don't think she would worship her
in the same way that she does. I don't think
that she would talk about Ashley so much. I don't
think that she would... give scarlet all of this
you know pain if she really loves scarlet by
mentioning him all the time and talking about
how much she loves him because melanie really
does talk about ashley all the time there's this
one part when they're at tara i'm bringing up
a lot of random little parts that are coming
to my mind i'm sorry but there's this one part
at tara where they have found out that ashley
is going to come home and Melanie is giving up
her food to hungry soldiers who come to Tara.
And Scarlet says something to her that's like,
Melanie, stop doing that. You're sick and hungry
yourself. You shouldn't be giving your food up.
And Melanie says, don't scold me, Scarlet, because
I can only think that maybe some woman is giving
Ashley her dinner as he's on his way home to
me. So she says these very sweeping romantic
things about Ashley all the time in Scarlet's
presence. So let's say that Melanie really does
love Scarlett as we're led to believe. And she
really appreciates her and loves her for everything
she's done for her. But she knows that Scarlett
is in love with Ashley. Let's say that both of
those things are true. Then why would Melanie
talk to her like Ashley is her one true love
and she... and him have this really pure relationship,
and Scarlett is in love with Charles and could
have remarried a billion times but never did,
and yada, yada, yada. Why would she not understand
that you shouldn't say those sort of things to
someone who is so in love with your husband?
Because if she did understand that, it would
be like she was teasing her. And it would be
really tactless. And as we've established in
other scenes, Melanie is not tactless at all.
She has wonderful tact. She has tact when Gerald
comes to Atlanta to try to take Scarlet home.
She has tact when they kill the soldier. or when
Scarlet kills the soldier and she lies to everybody
about Scarlet accidentally setting off Charles's
gun. She has tact when she saves Scarlet's reputation
at the end of the book. Melanie's not a tactless
person at all. She is somebody who... is always
able to have a grasp on a situation, but she
is very naive. She's very blind to what is really
going on. So I personally don't think that the
two things can be true, that Scarlett is completely
under Melanie's radar or that Melanie She realizes
what the truth is, and she's just laying it on
thick for no reason. It doesn't make any sense
to me that both of these things are true. Now,
obviously, as we've talked about, if Melanie
understands people so well, why can she not see
the reality of Scarlett? I think that's a whole
different question. I think that Scarlett is
somebody who... has been through a lot and Melanie
has seen that and Melanie is one of the only
people who gives her credit for that I think
she sees during the suffering at Tara and when
they're in poverty and all that that Scarlett
is really giving her all for the family and I
think that even before that she sees Scarlett
as somebody who stayed with her throughout the
shelling who got her to Tara who helped her birth
her baby and who has really done so much for
her And this is something that everybody else
who lives at Terra seems to kind of gloss over.
Nobody else really gives Scarlet the credit she's
due for basically saving all of them, pulling
them all out of starvation, and keeping them
from losing Terra eventually, even if she does
so in unscrupulous ways. I think Melanie is the
one person in the book who... not only understands
that side of Scarlet, that desperate side who
is trying to take care of everyone, but also
doesn't shame her for it. Like, for example,
Rhett. He understands Scarlet, but he also makes
fun of her for her pretenses and her lack of
scruples all the time. Melanie is different.
Melanie appreciates Scarlet for everything, and
I think that she... is indignant that everybody
else is so hard on Scarlett because she feels
that she sees a reality that nobody else sees.
And I think sometimes when you become convinced
of an idea, it can lead you to be kind of naive
about another hidden side of somebody, especially
if you feel like you are seeing a truth that
nobody else is seeing. And I think that for that
reason, Melanie is able to kind of pass over
everything that happens with Scarlett and Ashley.
Now, in Melanie's defense, we don't really see
any direct evidence in the book from Melanie's
perspective that Scarlett is in love with Ashley.
Scarlett says in her internal narration that
she is always very obvious about it, that she's
giving herself away a million times. But if we
just look at what we see throughout the book,
So Melanie did not see them kiss at Christmas
furlough. She did not see them kiss at Tara.
She never saw them declare love for one another
or share anything but like a chest chased peck
on the cheek or something like that. So we, from
our knowledge, don't have any sort of evidence
that Scarlett ever expresses her love for Ashley
in front of her other than showing concern for
him. For example, when he might be dead. It might
be plausible from Melanie's perspective that
Scarlett is just grieving a lost friend, somebody
whom she's known for a really, really long time.
So I think that. even though other people are
able to pick up on Scarlett's infatuation, Melanie
not doing so is not something that is necessarily
stupid. I think the part where Scarlett is most
obvious is probably when Melanie tells her she's
pregnant because Melanie misunderstood that scene
completely wrong. It's almost kind of comical
how she turns it around so much. But other than
that, there aren't really a ton of examples where
Melanie is just, Not noticing how Scarlett feels.
Now, when they're at Tara, Will Bentine quickly
picks up that Scarlett is in love with Ashley,
even without knowing her for that long. So perhaps
Scarlett is doing something to make herself pretty
obvious, but... For whatever reason, I think
Melanie is just seeing Scarlet as somebody who
is worried about a friend. And perhaps, you know,
she sees that Scarlet must love her because she's
done so much for her, Melanie, that she is so
worried about Ashley for Melanie's sake. I mean,
it might really be that she's thinking that too.
But throughout all of this, we haven't really
talked about the end of the book. Let's move
on to probably the most prominent parts about
Melanie and Ashley and Scarlett in part five.
So hold on just a second. Let me find this one
important part. Okay. So this is the part where...
Scarlett and Rhett have just returned from their
honeymoon, and they're staying at the National
Hotel. And Melanie is hosting some sort of get
-together in her living room, some sort of sewing
circle, I think. And she leaves the room, and
everybody starts gossiping about Scarlett. And
when Melanie comes back, she gets really angry
at everybody for saying stuff she believes is
untrue. So let's listen to just everything Melanie
says in this scene. Scarlet is my sister -in
-law too, said Melanie, meeting India's eyes
squarely as though they were strangers, and dearer
to me than any blood sister ever could be. If
you are so forgetful of my favors at her hands,
I am not. She stayed with me through the whole
siege when she could have gone home, when even
Aunt Pity had run away to Macon. She brought
my baby for me when the Yankees were almost in
Atlanta, and she burdened herself with me and
Bo all the dreadful trip to Tarot when she could
have left me here in a hospital for the Yankees
to get me. And she nursed me and fed me, even
if she was tired and even if she went hungry.
Because I was sick and weak, I had the best mattress
at Tara. When I could walk, I had the only whole
pair of shoes. You can forget those things she
did for me, India, but I cannot. And when Ashley
came home, sick, discouraged, without a home,
without a scent in his pockets, she took him
in like a sister. And when we thought we would
have to go north and it was breaking our hearts
to leave Georgia, Scarlett stepped in and gave
him the mail to run. Okay, so I'll just end it
there. She actually does say a little bit more.
But one of the last things she says is, how can
you forget the favor Scarlett has done me and
Ashley? So the way that she makes this passionate
speech, this is in part five. This is towards
the end of the book, okay? We have like 200 pages
or less to go. And I think we can really tell.
through this whole heated discussion, this claim
that she's making, that she does not see anything
between Scarlett and Ashley. Because she describes
Scarlett as taking him in like a sister, which
could not be farther from the truth. Scarlett
was not thinking of him in a sibling -like way,
and Melanie was completely naive to that. So,
also, the way that she thinks that Scarlett also
gave him the mill to run because she wanted them
to come back to Atlanta instead of wanting just
to keep a hold on Ashley she's acting like he
she did it for the whole family and that is another
thing that we know isn't true so Melanie defending
Scarlett here I can only think this is what Melanie
really passionately believes and if she believes
all of this then why Would anybody think that
she thinks there is something going on between
her sister -in -law and her husband? I think
that if Melanie did believe that, then it would
completely crush her world. It would completely
devastate her. And we can see right here from
part five that Melanie is not going to budge
on this. This is... Always what she's going to
think and nothing's ever going to change her
mind about it. So then moving on further in the
book, when the actual scandal between Scarlett
and Ashley happens, Scarlett goes to Melanie
to... try to explain what happened because it
really just was an innocent hug that they had
at the mill but she goes to her to try to explain
and melanie says she doesn't want to hear anything
from her that she would never believe anything
that she said um if she tried or not that she
would never believe anything she said but she
didn't want to listen to any sort of explanation
from her because it would be insulting to even
think so that scarlet would ever cheat With her
husband. And Melanie just seems totally repulsed
by this entire idea. She describes them as being
like three soldiers fighting against the world.
The three of them are a team. And she doesn't
seem to have any sort of knowledge that that
isn't how Scarlett really thinks of Ashley. Yeah,
she says, we've been like soldiers fighting the
world together for so many years. I'm ashamed
of you for thinking idle gossip could come between
us. Do you think I'd believe that you and my
Ashley? Why, the idea. Don't you realize I know
you better than anyone in the world knows you?
Now, the two of them are alone. And I think that
if Melanie had any inkling of what was going
on, Melanie could have very well just said to
Scarlet, hey, I know you have a thing for Ashley,
but I'm okay with it. Because if Melanie does
know about it, then that means she must be okay
with it. She would not be defending Scarlett
like this if she wasn't okay with it, if she
did know about it. So I can only think that she
doesn't know and she would refuse to ever even
think of the idea. And then Scarlet says something.
It's a big turning point for her. It's in her
mind. But she thinks to herself, once the thought
of flinging the truth tauntingly in Melanie's
face and seeing the collapse of her fool's paradise
had been an intoxicating one, a gesture worth
everything she might lose thereby. But now all
that had changed overnight and there was nothing
she desired less. So Scarlet is also. under the
impression that Melanie knows nothing. Rhett
is under the impression that Melanie knows nothing.
Ashley, we don't really know. He's a bit of a
mystery. Melanie talks like she knows nothing.
So what evidence is there that Melanie actually
knows about Scarlett and Ashley? I'm asking this
of everybody because the only... explanation
people seem to have for why she might know is
that she understands scarlet well or that she
understands people well that she's empathetic
that she's not stupid and it seems to me like
people just love melanie so much that they don't
want to think anybody actually could be that
naive but to be quite honest i think that it's
plausible that she could be that naive I think
that that is Melanie's one tragic flaw is that
she doesn't really see Scarlett for who she is
that for years and years she protects this woman
who has been in love with her husband and Scarlett
does deserve her protection to some extent she's
done a lot for Melanie and It is a touch of irony
there in the writing that the one person who
has a lot of justification to hate Scarlett is
the one who defends her the most fiercely. But
Scarlett doesn't come to appreciate Melanie until
the very end, even though Scarlett is the one
Melanie loves most, besides maybe Aisling and
Bo. I think that that is the point that the story
is trying to make. And to try to say that Melanie
knows something is to kind of cheapen that theme
a little bit, I think. Because if Melanie just
knows everything, then there's no tragedy in
the way that Scarlett treated her. And I think
that the end where Melanie dies and Scarlett
finally appreciates her is a little bit of a
tragedy. played this woman all along. Now, Scarlett
didn't really do anything outright after the
scene in the paddock to try to get Ashley. She
did at one point try to convince him to run away
with her. But I mean, other than that, they didn't
really do that much. So it's not like the two
of them actually hooked up at any point. But
even so, Scarlett has not really been that great
to Melanie behind her back. And I think that
the whole point is really that Melanie defended
Scarlett even when she didn't deserve it. And
if Melanie had really known and continued to
defend Scarlett, that completely changes her
motivations and makes her seem like somebody
who would defend somebody who cared nothing about
them. When Melanie seems to think of her and
Scarlett as two besties who love each other so
much. So let's go to the very, very end of the
book, when Melanie is dying. And let's just see,
there's one really, really important scene where
Scarlett thinks that Melanie might know. So hold
on just a second. Okay. All right, here's what
it says. Ashley said Melanie feebly and her fingers
reached out to touch Scarlett's bowed head. Her
thumb and forefinger tugged with no more strength
than that of a baby at Scarlett's hair. Scarlett
knew what that meant, knew Melanie wanted her
to look up, but she could not, could not meet
Melanie's eyes and read that knowledge in them.
So Scarlett's afraid that Melanie knows. Ashley,
Melanie whispered again, and Scarlet gripped
herself. When she looked God in the face on the
day of judgment and read her sentence in his
eyes, it would not be as bad as this. Her soul
cringed, but she raised her head. She saw only
the same dark loving eyes, sunken and drowsy
with death, the same tender mouth, tiredly fighting
pain for breath. No reproach was there, no accusation,
no fear, only an anxiety that she might not find
strength for words. For a moment, Scarlet was
too stunned to even feel relief. Then, as she
held Melanie's hand more closely, a flood of
warm gratitude to God swept over her, and for
the first time since her childhood, she said
a humble, unselfish prayer. Thank you, God. I
know I'm not worth it, but thank you for not
letting her know. So Scarlet is stating in this
scene, and mind you, this is at the very end
of the book, that Melanie, does not know a thing
that God was that good to her that Melanie never,
ever knew. And Scarlett is grateful for that.
And she's judging this based on what she reads
in her eyes. Now, also on her deathbed, Melanie,
of course, could have confessed, oh, I knew everything
about you and Ashley. And why wouldn't she, if
she did know, why wouldn't she be like, hey,
I knew, and I just let you get away with it.
because I understood, or whatever she's thinking.
Why wouldn't she admit it? Why have this whole
scene where it's explicitly stated that Melanie
did not know, at least in Scarlett's eyes? And
then it keeps going, and Melanie dies, and then
she goes and talks to Ashley. And one of the
last things she says to Ashley is, remember she
doesn't know anything she never even suspected
god was that good to us don't cry sweet she'd
want you to be brave she'll want to see you in
a moment and you must be brave she mustn't see
that you've been crying it would worry her so
this is the scene where scarlet realizes ashley
really is in love with melanie and she reassures
him that melanie in fact knows nothing about
their whole emotional affair and i think that
Since Margaret Mitchell now has repeated this
twice, I can only take it at face value. I don't
know why Melanie would have known. I'm really
trying to understand that aspect of the book.
Because to me, it seems like there are no specific
scenes, no specific evidence that really makes
it seem like Melanie would have any idea. Melanie
seems to be totally repulsed by the idea that
it could be true. So anyway, that's pretty much
everything there is to do with Melanie. Melanie
does make Scarlett promise to take care of Ashley
after she's dead. So maybe that could be a little
bit of evidence. But from my perspective, that's
just Melanie wanting her husband to be taken
care of because he can't really take care of
himself. And she thinks that Scarlett cares for
him and could, you know, potentially help him.
She would have given her her blessing for them
to get married if Scarlett were unmarried, but
Scarlett is married to Rhett. And Melanie's not
passing her husband over to Scarlett. She's just
asking for him to be taken care of after she
dies. So my whole idea about this is that Melanie
is pretty much the most... genuine person in
the book. She is not someone who ever tells any
lies. She has a lot of honor. She's honest and
she believes only in the goodness of others.
That is stated over and over that she can only
see goodness and honor in other people that she
loves because she's only ever known goodness
herself. So the book never gave me the impression
that Melanie knows anything about Scarlett and
Ashley. And yet this is an opinion I've seen
crop up over and over. So if this episode did
not convince you that Melanie doesn't know anything,
then please leave a comment on some platform,
leave a review, something, and make that argument
and let me know why you think she might have
an idea. But thank you for listening. And I hope
that this wasn't too preachy. Um, have a wonderful
week ahead of you and I'll see you next time.