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Saturday, September 29, 2012

Part II : "GONE WITH THE WIND"



EVENT READ A LONG “GONE WITH THE WIND” by Margaret Mitchell 

[ source ]
Judul Asli : GONE WITH THE WIND
By Margareth Mitchell
Copyright © 1936 by The Macmillan Company
Copyright renewed © 1964 by Stephens Mitchell and Trust Company of Georgia as Executors of Margaret Mitchell Marsh
Copyright renewed © 1964 by Stephens Mitchell
Cover illustration © 1939 Turner Entertainment Co.
Penerbit PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Alih Bahasa : Sutanty Lesmana
Sampul dikerjakan kembali oleh David
Cetakan II : Juni 2009 ; 1.124 hlm 

Part II : Chapter VIII – XVI | p. 159 – p. 322 
[ Period : start on May 1862 - early 1864 | between  North Georgia, but mostly on Atlanta  ]

~ a very young widow ~ [ source ]
Pada bagian pertama dikisahkan bahwa Scarlett akhirnya menikah dengan Charles Hamilton, dan pernikahan yang hanya berusia 2 bulan itu menjadikan Scarlett berstatus janda muda pada usia 17 tahun, karena Charles tewas akibat penyakit campak di kamp serdadu Konfederasi. Selain itu, Scarlett melahirkan seorang putra diberi nama Wade Hampton Hamilton, yang sayangnya tidak membuat Scarlett bangga maupun sayang kepada sang bayi, karena ia hanya mengingatkan akan penderitaan yang dialami Scarlett selama mengandung hingga melahirkan.  Bahkan status janda membuat Scarlett yang gemar hura-hura dan keramaian, serta pakaian mewah, harus menjalani masa berkabung yang sangat membosankan.  

~ Melanie & Miss Pittypat ~ [ source ]
Ditambah dengan peperangan yang memanggil para pria untuk berjuang, membuat hidup Scarlett tak tertahankan. Kondisi stress membuat fisiknya berubah. Khawatir dengan penurunan yang berlarut-larut, Ellen O’Hara mengirim Scarlett ‘berlibur’ di tempat-tempat kerabat mereka, agar bisa mengganti suasana hatinya. Perjalanan dari kediaman satu ke kediaman lainnya justru membuat Scarlett semakin muak dan sengsara akan nasibnya. Hingga ia diundang untuk tinggal di Atlanta, kota kelahiran Charles, di sana ada walinya Miss Pittypat dan tentu saja kakak Charles, Melanie – istri Ashley. Ditemani oleh Prissy – budak kecil anak Pork, kepala pelayan Tara dengan Dilcey, yang bertugas menjaga dan merawat bayi Wade ( Scarlett tak memiliki kesabaran merawat bayinya ), ia berkunjung ke Atlanta yang ramai dan penuh kesibukan di sana-sini. 

[ Olivia de Haviland as Melanie Wilkes ]
Scarlett menyukai kota yang energik itu, semangatnya tergugah, apalagi saat ia dilibatkan dalam berbagai kegiatan organisasi pelayanan di rumah sakit dan perkumpulan wanita di kota tersebut. Mulai dari merawat para serdadu yang terluka, membersihkan kain pembalut luka, menyiapkan bahan-bahan, melakukan kunjungan menghibur mereka yang butuh perhatian, dan lain-lain. Satu-satunya hal yang menjengkelkan diri Scarlett adalah status dirinya sebagai janda. Ia tak mampu bergabung dengan golongan janda dan wanita-wanita tua. Namun ia tak diperkenankan bergaul serta bersenang-senang dengan gadis-gadis sebayanya yang belum menikah. Yang lebih membuatnya keki, ia tak diperkenankan bergaul bebas dengan para pria muda, karena sebagai janda yang belum setahun setelah kematian suaminya, hal itu melanggar norma susila. 

Persiapan pesta dansa menyambut para serdadu yang berjuang, membuat Scarlett semakin sengsara saat mendapati dirinya tak akan diperbolehkan hadir di acara itu. Namun keajaiban terjadi. Para petugas salah satu stan berhalangan hadir, maka Scarlett dengan cerdik mengatur agar dirinya dan Melanie bisa datang menggantikan mereka. Dan tanpa disangka-sangka, di sana ia kembali bertemu sosok yang membuatnya malu serta marah sedemikian rupa. Scarlett bertemu kembali dengan Rhett Butler – satu-satunya orang yang mengetahui rahasia Scarlett dan Ashley. Setahun telah lewat, Rhett Butler menjadi sosok yang dianggap berjasa karena berhasil menembus blokade musuh dan membawakan bahan-bahan yang dibutuhkan oleh penduduk Konfederasi. 

[ source ]
Maka Scarlett yang semula tak berniat menanggapi perhatian aneh dari Rhett Butler, lama kelamaan tidak berani menolak lebih keras.  Apalagi Rhett sangat pandai menebak isi hati kaum wanita. Ia membawakan barang-barang kesukaan Miss Pittypat dan tentu saja bagi Scarlett yang menyukai benda-benda indah dan mahal. Sedangkan Melanie telah menjadi pembela setia Rhett semenjak pria itu ‘membeli’ dan mengembalikan cincin pernikahan Melanie yang disumbangkan bagi perjuangan kaum Konfederasi. Rhett Butler yang namanya dicoreng dari daftar kalangan atas, kini mulai diterima oleh kaum terhormat karena dianggap telah bertobat dan melakukan kebaikkan. Hanya Scarlett yang mengetahui secara persis bahwa Rhett melakukan semua itu demi uang. Ia melakukan perjanjian perdagangan gelap dengan kaum Yankee dan mengalirkan pasokan barang-barang ke Konfederasi dengan imbalan yang tidak sedikit. 

[ source ]
Peperangan tidak ada yang membawa kebaikan. Maka setelah setahun berlalu, menginjak tahun kedua, dan ketiga, korban berjatuhan, keluarga kehilangan anggota keluarga, kehidupan semakin suram dan serba kekurangan. Kaum kapitalis yang mampu melihat kesempatan, menjadi penyalur barang-barang kebutuhan sehari-hari yang semakin lama semakin mahal. Dalam kondisi terburuk, sungguh mengherankan bagaimana satu sama lain saling mencari perlindungan kekuatan, atau bahkan sebaliknya, menyerang orang-orang yang ‘berbeda’ paham dengan mereka. Perpecahan alih-alih persatuan yang sangat dibutuhkan mulai menipis. Masing-masing berusaha mencari keselamatan diri masing-masing. Rhett Butler sudah memprediksi hal ini jauh sebelumnya, namun siapa yang mau mendengarkan nasehatnya ? Bahkan Scarlett tak bersedia membuka pikirannya, menghadapi kenyataan pahit yang akan menimpa mereka semua....

My Random Though :
[ Clark Gable as Rhett Butler ]
On the second part of this stories, takes place on 1862 -1863, where the American Civil War between the Confederation and the Union (also known as the Yankee) already give so many victims, wounded and dead. But the South still believe that they could win this war, only few of them knows the truth or admitted the real situation. Rhett Butler was the one told everyone about the Yankee would win this war even when this event start. But being out-cast and person who not welcome among the gentlement and high society, his words again all those people. 

Maybe if he act and say it with gentle manner (such as Ashley Wilkes will do), everyone will listen to him. But he accidentaly act so cinical and arogant, makes people angry especially when their ‘holly-war’ being mock by him. Even Scarlett say it many times, don’t just say it out-loud your mind, people may disagree even hating them. But Rhett always says that he prefer being honest to himself than being hipocrit like Scarlett, ‘cause he knows deep down in her mind Scarlett agree with his though, that war is useless and waste time and life of many people. 

[ Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes ]
Margaret Mitchell give more portion decribing the war, placing some character on the setting of true event, how far the Confederation  wins, and how long they can survive against too many soldier and powerfull the Unions. She opens our mind through conversation between Rhett and Scarlett, how she (MM) thinks about this war, and give us a glimpse how there’s no winner in this situations. Everybody both side had suffer and lost beloved one or many of them. The topic ‘slavery’ was the main-object about this war, but that’s not the main issue. Those thing only ‘tools’ used by some party who after the big issue --- money, ‘cause the power to control always involve money. 

Part of political issue surrounding this stories, yet many readers still confused about the development on Scarlett’s character and others character too. Well, I have to say that I’m still confuse about Scarlett. Sometimes the authors discribe her as the very smart and sharp-mind, but occasionally I just found that she still egocentris and manipulating person, even close-minded, therefore I’m wondering why the author makes such contradictive personality on the same person ? She can be so bright young girl, but on some event looks like (sorry about this) so stupid regarding others people. So my quest, she was bright and can think if she want to tried harder, but she prefer to think something called ‘practical’ that can ease her mind and conscience.

[ source ]
The rumors about Scarlett’s worship to Ashley was another ‘enigma’ for me. Why oh why she choose guy like that, maybe because he so different and even opposite than her character. She is strong woman but falling with weak man (sorry for Ashley fans). And this sindrom seems habitate on Rhett too, ‘cause he falling for woman who similar to her character yet don’t have strong conscience or good-willing. Ok, I will stop right here before getting worse (like cursing or yelling), let’s see how far the progress on each character on part 3. I must say,  on this part my respect goes to Melanie Hamilton / Wilkes, not because she always sees the good and the best of people, but she can sees what kind of man Rhett Butler is, behind the sarcastic and cinical attitude he carrying everwhere --- she see someone with gentle heart that already wounded deeply in the past, so he build ‘the-who-cares-wall’ on his face, mocking people, instead being nice to everybody.   She even talk with Belle Watling – famous prostitute on Atlanta, something that really forbid among the honorable society to even look at that woman. 

Best Regards, 

3 comments :

  1. Unfortunately, I didn't see the part that shown Scarlett's intelligence. I just found her tricky, like when she used her charm over soldiers/gentlemen, as usual.

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    Replies
    1. I didn't say she was intelligence, but something she shows a glimpse of sharp-mind, especially when comes to gets what she want, yes that can be said as an selfish too ...
      but is she a smart person ? I don't think so, at least on the intelligence perspective.

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  2. Why Scarlett fell in love with Ashley? 'cause love is blind.... Sometimes there's no need to be a reasonable reason for love, that's why people call it "fall" in love. But I think Scarlett found something higher than herself in Ashley, qualities that she found in Ellen, that she wished she can be like, but she failed to.

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