Part IV "GONE WITH THE WIND"

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

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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 IV : Chapter XXXI – XLVII | p. 567 – p. 922

Period : January 1866 | House of Tara on Clayton, North Georgia ; Atlanta City 

Preview :

Scarlett berjuang membangun kembali Tara, dengan kondisi seadanya, berbekal tekad serta kerja keras. Kehadiran Will Benteen – pria yang semula sekarat di halaman rumah Tara, kini telah pulih dan tak segan-segan turun tangan membantu berbagai kegiatan di Tara. Scarlett menyukai Will yang pendiam namun memiliki kecerdasan untuk bertukar pikiran dalam mengambil berbagai keputusan. Ia sangat bersyukur Will tidak segera meninggalkan Tara setelah kondisinya membaik. 

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Terlepas dari rasa tertarik Will terhadap Carreen, Scarlett hanya berharap adiknya bersedia menerima Will, apalagi gadis itu seakan kehilangan semangat hidup semenjak kematian Brent Tarleton di medan pertempuran.  Dan yang lebih membahagiakan hati Scarlett, Ashley masih hidup dan berhasil menempuh perjalanan jauh untuk pulang ke Tara, menemui istri dan putranya, Melanie dan Beau. 

Penghuni Tara semakin bertambah, semakin banyak mulut yang harus diberi makan, namun yang bersungguh-sungguh bersedia bekerja keras membanting tulang hanya segelintir. Gerald O’Hara yang menjadi linglung semenjak kematian istrinya, mengandalkan diri pada Scarlett, sebagaimana seluruh penghuni lainnya. Cobaan dan deraan yang dialami Scarlett, juga dialami oleh semua orang, namun hanya satu-dua orang yang bangkit berdiri dan mencari solusi. Dengan kekerasan hatinya, Scarlett berhasil memberikan yang terbaik dari Tara untuk pera penghuninya, melihat situasi di sekeliling mereka.  

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Namun malaikat pelindung tak berada di sisi Scarlett, karena justru di saat-saat ia mulai sedikit bernafas lega, datang gangguan baru. Sebuah ancaman yang akan mengambil semua hasil kerja keras, keringat bercampur darah selama berbulan-bulan, pihak Utara yang berada di atas angin, bertekad menekan setiap kekuatan yang muncul dari pihak Selatan. Salah satu cara adalah dengan mengusir serta mengambil alih seluruh lahan dan kekayaan para tuan tanah Selatan yang masih tersisa selama peperangan.  Scarlett harus membayar pajak sejumlah 300 dolar, jika dalam batas waktu yang ditentukan pajak tersebut belum terbayarkan, maka seluruh aset Tara akan dilelang kepada umum.

Scarlett berusaha mencari jalan keluar di sana-sini, ia bahkan berharap Ashley mampu memberikan solusi. Tanpa disadari oleh Scarlett, jiwa Ashley telah hilang semasa peperangan, kini fisiknya ada di Tara, tetapi hatinya mengembara entah kemana. Dan ditengah keputus-asaan, pertengkaran sengit antara dirinya dengan Jonas Wilkerson – mantan mandor Tara yang dipecat, dengan istrinya Emmie Slattery,  yang dibenci oleh Scarlett karena dianggap penyebab kematian Ellen O’Hara, Scarlett teringat pada seseorang yang pasti memiliki kekayaan tersembunyi. Ia teringat akan Rhett Butler, yang berpisah dalam perjalanan menuju Tara.

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Dengan tekad bulat, Scarlett bersiap-siap berangkat ke Atlanta, mencari tahu tentang Rhett Butler. Tiada yang tahu tentang rencana ini, kecuali Will yang disumpah untuk menutup mulut, dan Ashley meski ia hanya menduga-duga, namun tak memiliki keberanian untuk mencegah Scarlett. Semua hanya tahu bahwa Scarlett hendak meminjam uang di Atlanta, namun tiada yang tahu kepada siapa. Hanya Mammy yang sangat mengenal dirinya, mencurigai adanya muslihat busuk. Dengan keras kepala, Mammy ikut serta menemani Scarlett ke Atlanta. 

Atlanta yang telah banyak berubah selama 4 tahun terakhir. Suasana  yang dikenal dan dirindukan oleh Scarlett telah hilang, digantikan dengan pemandangan lain yang tak menyenangkan. Dimulai dengan banyaknya pendatang baru, para tentara dari Utara serta keluarga mereka, dan para budak yang terbebaskan, berkeliaran luntang-lantung di sekitar kota. Scarlett berusaha mengenyahkan rasa sedih dan ketidaksukaannya, dan segera fokus pada tujuan utamanya : mencari dan menemukan Rhett Butler, kemudian berusaha meyakinkan agar ia bersedia memberikan dana 300 dolar untuk membayar pajak kebebasan Tara. 

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Ketika akhirnya Scarlett berhasil menemukan Rhett, ternyata dirinya berada dalam tahanan pihak Yankee dengan tuduhan membunuh seorang kulit hitam. Rhett Butler terancam terkena hukuman gantung jika pengadilan menyatakan dirinya bersalah. Pihak Utara mengambil tindakan tegas karena munculnya tindakan main-hakim yang dipelopori oleh Ku Klux Klan, yang para anggotanya memakai jubah putih dengan wajah tertutup, menakut-nakuti dan memberi peringatan terhadap orang-orang Yankee serta kaum kulit hitam.  Satu-satunya alasan mengapa Rhett masih ditahan dan belum diadili, karena beredar isu bahwa dirinya menyimpan sejumlah besar emas milik pemerintah Konfederat, yang tersembunyi entah dimana. 

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Dengan berbagai cara akhirnya Scarlett bisa bertemu langsung dengan Rhett Butler. Rhett yang berpisah dalam kondisi ‘terluka’ akibat kemarahan Scarlett karena ditinggalkan di tengah perjalanan menuju Tara, menerima kedatangan Scarlett dengan tangan terbuka. Namun bukan Rhett jika tak mampu melihat tipu-muslihat yang dilakukan oleh Scarlett, dan ia menghendaki untuk tahu alasan sebenarnya mengapa Scarlett membutuhkan uang darinya. Scarlett sangat yakin bahwa Rhett akhirnya bersedia menolong dirinya. Bukankah berkali-kali saat ia kesulitan, Rhett selalu muncul sebagai penolong, walau sikapnya tetap tidak mencerminkan tingkah laku seorang ‘gentleman’ – maka betapa terkejutnya Scarlett mendapati Rhett ‘menolak’ memberikan bantuan sepersen pun. Marah serta sakit hati, membawa Scarlett keluar dari rumah tahanan, dan tebak dengan siapa ia hampir ditabrak oleh kereta kudanya ....

My Random Though :

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Being rejected by Rhett Butler on her proposal, attempting to seek for loan or even generous offers  to pay-out the debt on tax-payment ... makes Scarlett blind-sided and so desperate to find anybody that can help on her situation.  And what a coincidence she tumble-cross with Frank Kennedy – an old bachelor who had feeling with Suellen, Scarlett’s sister.  Frank Kennedy now a business man, had his own shop, and looks like already establish quite steady living and good income for the future too. And how unfortunate for him, meeting with Scarlett that already lose hope and would do anything, anyway she can see to gets some money for the safe of Tara’s.

Scarlett’s mind and consience only works one way, whenever its good for her, it was ok to do it, everything else not important.  So she create a situation, makes Frank married her instead Suellen, and of course gets the money for tax-payment on Tara’s. Everybody shock and surprise, but Scarlett never looks back if she already makes some decision. And she also had high-hopes to build her own bussiness at Atlanta. After all, Frank’s seems pretty rick and his bussiness is developing. Then  Scarlett find-out something that really bother her mind. Frank bussiness is good, but Frank is not a good bussinessman. 

Just when Scarlett had headache for all the problems she sees on Frank’s bussiness, quess who show-up in front of her. None the less Mr. Rhett Butler him self, alive and not death being hanging as a prisoner. He laugh at Scarlett decision to married Frank Kennedy, because if only Scarlett had some passion to awaits for a couple weeks, he finally will gets-out from jail and give all the money she wanted. After several arguments (as usually happens when they meet), Rhett who many times can read Scarlett’s mind like seeing through glasses, finally offer her some agreement, to loan some money to start her own business, but with several rules --- rules that cannot be broken otherwise their agreement was terminate.

Scarlett never skip on opportunity, and she takes Frank’s idea to make her own bussiness.

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No one ever see a woman, a married woman, own her bussiness and works like a man. Peoples on Atlanta talking about it. And yes, half of them disagre with her doing. Everyone else think she disgrace her own status and her family too. Even Frank feels ashamed on his own wife. Frank idea about wife was the quite, pretty, always stay at home so he can provide and bought anything she want. Instead he find Scarlett so independent, had her own mind and need, and looks more happier to gets something on her self than from his husband. The situation gets more ugly when Scarlett makes some bussiness with the Yankee, because a lots of them need what Scarlett’s offer to sell. All the Atlanta community said Scarlett acts like a traitor, not only doing bussiness with the enemy, but being friendly with them too. 

On the otherside, Scarlett wondering why people can act so stupid and not realize to gets some profit, she must work smart and do anything, even makes friend with their enemy is acceptable, as long is gained a lots income and profit for hers.  The only person seems understanding her doing, is her donatur, Mr. Rhett Butler, who occasionally show-up to talk and be with her, accompany her travelling on the works. But this thing makes even worse, ‘cause people of Atlanta still brand Rhett Butler as an opportunist, that even worse than a traitor.

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This part of the stories taking a very long journey, starting with Scarlett seek some helps about money, end-up with her second marriage with her sister’s boyfriend, struggling on their marriage, having a baby girl (who finally neglected by her mother, no love only provide with things), gets Ashley (with his family who came along) living in Atlanta, stay close with Scarlett because she makes him as an employee in her factory, and as always, becoming trouble-maker that finally killed someone, killed her loyal-devoted husband for defending her honor. 

As much I ‘like’ to talk about Scarlett all the time,  this time I would also takes some perspective on another subject : Slavery.  This novel was build on the historis facts about American Civil War, but do you know the main reason why this war stays so long among the same peoples ??  When I read GWTW, I see two different point of view. First, as common knowledge, slavery is bad, ugly, horoable, need to be erase on the earth ‘cause treat others like things, sometimes worse than a animals. Slavery was a disgrace among human beings. And for the perfect example, in this book also mention the stories ‘Uncle’s Tom Cabin’ by Harriet Beecher Stowe (its a sad stories, and when you finished reading it, you will want to help every single slave you meet) ... but the second part also mention through dialoque on Scarlett’s mind. 

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Slavery is bad, but not all slave threated as bad as the discribetion on UTC, that’s why when many of them runaway to their freedom, some of them also choose to stay with their owner, ‘cause their be threated much more generous than other slave.  That’s doesn’t mean I agree with the term of slavery yet, but regarding this author, MM also mention how the Union use some propaganda to influence all those slave, so they can rebel from their owner and takes what supposed to be their right. Unfortunately, most of this slave was not educated enough, as simply as reading or writing term. Their mind was ‘brain-wash’ since who knows when, that path of their life is to become slave, own by higher peoples. What happens when non-prepaired and uneducated peoples let it lose to taste the freedom they never know, and what came along with freedom is You Choose Your Own Way, Your Own Decision, Your Own Act, Your Own Responsibility ... 

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I just read another book ‘March’ by Geraldine Brooks (this book win Putlizer Prize for Fiction in 2006), is based on character Captain March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, the period of time is the same time when American Civil War happening, and the slavery topic also come-across but yet another opinion was written. If on UTC the stories means to wipe-out slavery on the earth, GWTW just between agree and disagree (at least asking for audience to see from different point of view, that war also hurt the white people too), and in ‘March’ on the opening chapter, being said ‘slavery’ not to use them as a servant for life, but to teach them how to handle way of living in the future, ‘cause The African people can be identify as a baby – who knows nothing, learn nothing yet, and cannot thinking for themself. White people (in this case discribe as an Christian People) already appointed as the foster-parents, who had obligation to raise and teach African Peoples. Are the punishement neccesary to discipline them ? It was neccessary if it meants to teach, don’t ever give some punishment when its angry. 

Well so many topic and different agenda, I think I will stop for a while ... for now, to digest some of those insight. And what do you think about this topics ? Let me know if you had another insight (^_^) 

Best Regards, 

Part III "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 
Total Halaman : 1.124 hlm  

Part III : Chapter XVII – XXX | p. 323 – p. 566

[ Period  : start on May 1864, until September 1865 | beginning at Atlanta, then goes to North Georgia  at Tara's ]

Preview :

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Bulan Januari dan Februari 1864 merupakan masa suram bagi pasukan Selatan. Bukan hanya kekalahan besar  Gettysburg dan Viksburg, namun hampir seluruh Tennessee telah dikuasai oleh pasukan Union. Para pejabat yang dulu dielu-elukan, kini mendapat cemoohan dari penduduk sipil, seperti Presiden Davis yang dianggap tak mampu memimpin kemenangan pihak Konfederasi, apalagi beliau tak mampu mengggerakan jenderal-jenderal terbaiknya melawan para jenderal pasukan Union yang dipujui-puji keberaniannya. Seperti Jenderal Lee, Jenderal Grant, Jenderal Sherridan dan Jenderal Sherman. Dan Atlanta menjadi pusat perhatian kedua belah pihak, karena adanya jalur rel kereta api, pabrik pembuat senjata serta tentu saja pasokan bahan-bahan kebutuhan  sehari-hari, sebagai wilayah lalu-lintas penghubung antar kota-kota lain. 

Situasi Atlanta ini juga menjadi tempat terdekat untuk mengirim prajurit-prajurit yang terluka. Kesibukan tiada henti akan datangnya korban-korban setiap harinya, membuat para sukarelawan harus bekerja mati-matian demi menolong para korban dengan kondisi seadanya. Scarlet benar-benar tak mampu bernafas, melihat korban demi korban silih berganti. Apalagi belum ada kabar tentang Ashley yang tertangkap dan menjadi tawanan pihak Utara. Ditambah dengan kondisi Melanie yang sedang hamil tua, padahal fisiknya sendiri sangat lemah, maka kehamilan pertamanya ini justru semakin menyerap seluruh tenaga dan energinya. Scarlett yang sangat disayanginya, menjadi tumpuan harapan serta kekuatan pada diri Melanie, apalagi ia didera kecemasan akan nasib Ashley. 

Scarlett bagai dihadapkan pada ‘buah simalakama’ – di satu sisi ia sangat tidak menyukai Melanie, bahkan rekasi itu menjadi sebuah kebencian akan ketergantungan Melanie terhadap dirinya. Namun Scarlett tak mapu menolak karena ia merasa ‘terikat-sumpah’ untuk menjaga dan merawat Melanie, sebuah janji yang diminta oleh Ashley sebelum ia kembali ke medan perang saat cuti pertama beberapa bulan sebelumnya. Para tetua di Atlanta masih yakin bahwa pasukan Jenderal Johnston yang menjaga perbatasan akan mampu menahan serangan pasukan Sherman sebagai pendobrak barikade pasukan Selatan. Jika mereka saling berkumpul untuk saling menguatkan, tiada percakapan lain kecuali tentang keyakinan bahwa perang akan segera berakhir dengan kemenangan Selatan. Satu-satunya orang yang berpendapatan sebaliknya hanyalah Rhett Butler, maka ia tetap menjadi ‘musuh dalam selimut’ bagi penduduk Atlanta dan sekitarnya, bahkan beberapa pihak menjulukinya sebagai antek kaum Yankee.  

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Dan pada akhirnya bukti-bukti nyata mulai menunjukkan tanda-tanda yang meresahkan masyarakat. Pasukan Johnston yang meski sangat gigih, kalah dalam segi jumlah dengan pihak Utara yang berkali0kali lipat lebih banyak. Kelelahan, kelaparan, kekurangan obat-obatan untuk yang terluka, semua mulai menunjukkan efeknya. Maka pasukan Johnston harus mundur sedikit demi sedikit dari garis perbatasan yang dijaganya. Pasukan Union yang dipimpin oleh Jenderal Sherman menerapkan taktik penyebaran untuk mencari lubang-lubang pertahanan pasukan Selatan dari samping, selain tetap menyerang dari garis depan. Akibatnya pasukan Johnston seringkali terjebak, terkurung dan tak bisa maju, hanya bisa mundur sembari tetap bertahan. 

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Satu demi satu, kota-kota di sekeliling Atlanta dikuasai oleh pihak Utara. Para penduduk yang panik berusaha mencari keselamatan dengan mengungsi ke kota-kota lain. Scarlett hendak pulang ke Tara, Georgia, daripada mengungsi mengikuti Miss Pittypat. Namun Melly yang bersikeras mengikuti dirinya, justru mendapat larangan keras dari Dr. Meade, karena fisiknya yang lemah serta kehamilannya yang tinggal beberapa minggu menjelang kelahirannya, sangat riskan bagi Melanie untuk bepergian. Tiada jalan lain, Scarlett tak bisa kemana-mana. Ia harus berjaga dan menemani Melanie di Atlanta hingga kelahiran sang bayi. Scarlett sangat marah dan jengkel dengan situasi yang dihadapinya. Apalagi ia tak sempat mengirim putranya Wade dan Prissy kembali ke Tara agar lebih aman bersama keluarganya di sana. Karena peperangan akhirnya meletus di wilayah Atlanta.

My Random Though :

On this part, the civil war already spread and the South fight really hard to defends their land, their teritory. But like Rhett Butler says, the Union had much more people on his troops. If one soldier from South had to ‘face-to-face’ with at least two or three peolple from North, then you can imagine how long they can resist the war. Specially without proper food, proper clothes or even shoes on the cold winter, and the weapon are old compare to the North’s who had new weapon. Even the animal, likely horses who the most important tools on this war, was so thin and malnutrition just like the rider. The only thing keep them to stay strong on this war, are the pride as the South’s – they believe on the sacred-war or at least that was the first propaganda, and now everybody start to realiaze the truth...but it was to late.

Scarlett usually good on running away from trouble. But this time she had to face it. War are very close and happening on Atlanta.  And she cannot leave Melanie who had to pick the worse day to labor her first baby. Without anybody that can help the procedur, Scarlett trying to help Melanie with so much anger and scare at the same time. At last when the baby finally born after long period and hard process, Scarlet had to plan an excape – she wants coming back on Tara’s, but who can help her if most people of the town already runaway to another safe town ? Oh, there’s someone still left and Scarlett knows he would help her. Scarlett asking the man she hate but yet still need it like this time, she ask Rhett Butler to help her coming back home, on Tara’s. Judging the looks on Melanie’s conditions and the baby that so weak, and Scarett's histeria in front of his, Rhett agree to accompany and help them.  

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So Scarlett with her son, Wade and her little slave Prissy, with the very weak Melanie and her new born baby, ride alang with Rhett Butler, on the way to Tara’s. But on the middle of their journey, Rhett suddenly had ‘vision’ on the purpose of his life. So he leave Scarlett in charges to continou the journey, and he’ s going to join the army to defends their country.  Oh my ... I can understand Scarlett feelings on this one (well, not very often I agree with her), how could a man (or I should say a gentleman) just leave and walk away from people that need his help, especially after he promise to help ... I’ve been agree with Rhett Butler’s opinion even his attitude was less than charming, but why the authors makes sudden change on his mind, and very weird situation too. Just like some phenomenon, or maybe people should say ‘It’s a Miracle’ --- that the opportunities Rhett Butler had a wake-up call on his life. 

So on the brief version, Scarlett and her companion, succed to return Tara’s on very hard and slow journey. If Scarlett hopes to find some relief as soon she enter the house of Tara’s --- it was another nightmare waiting for her. His mother was past-away a day before she arrive, her father was very shock and become very different person, his beloved wife, his plantation, and all the slave was gone. Scarlett had to take offer all the responsibility on Tara’s. No one can help her, but she had so many people depending on her shoulder. Left with her two sister Suellen and Carreen who still very sick for the plague that kill her mother, Melanie and her baby, her son Wade, and Mammy, Pork and Dilcey (just those three person still wanna stay and help in Tara’s), Scarlett dreams of her own future was gone. Now she must fight and bring back Tara’s on the golden era, just before the war hit them like a meteor falling from sky. 

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I know Scarlett character wasn’t very pleaseant or even charming, but on this part of the stories, she show the courage or I can say added with the stubborn and strong willing, that give her motivation beyond everybody on those situation. Sometimes people find the power inside with positive input, but I know sometimes the negative one can also be the source to the power within. And Scarlett main source came from anger and bitterness, she claimmed her self not gonna be living in poverty, hunger and humiliating anymore in the future. So she do anything ( I mean really anything ) to makes that dreams will come true. She even do the hard-work she really hate, just because she refuse to stand still and crying about the past, like her two sister do. She order everyone without any exception, to do the same hard work for the future of Tara’s. 

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I really like her spirit on this stories, because it’s so hard to do and to think a very different ways on difficult situation, people are mostly just follow the common act based on the past, not think outside the box. If  I can compare from the first and second part, on this third part I can relate in Scarlett mind. For her fight, for her head-strong, for her decision to do uncommon thing, breaking the rules,’cause the only rules apply is how to survive and how to ‘come-back from the dead’ going to rising sun.  The only thing I really sorry, that MM still use the sudden changing personality on Scarlet’s character, specially on the topic of Ashley Wilkes. If you read my preview early, you know that I’m not a big fan of Ashley, and on this part of the stories, he proved my theory about him self – man without strong willing, only hold on to the past, doesn’t really wanna moved on to the future. Ashey was a man who living on the dreams, not the reality. And he the type of man Scarlett falling in love ??? What a contradiction and very weird too ... Just wonder if I finished this book quickly, I may had some answers on this subject (^_^)

Best Regards,