Scarlett (novel)
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| Author | Alexandra Ripley |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Warner Books |
| Released | September 1991 |
Scarlett is a novel written in 1991 by Alexandra Ripley as a sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. It was adapted as a television mini-series of the same title in 1994 starring Timothy Dalton as Rhett Butler and Joanne Whalley-Kilmer as Scarlett O'Hara.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
[edit] Return to Tara
The book picks up right where Gone With the Wind left off, with Scarlett attending the funeral of her ex-sister-in-law and rival for Ashley Wilkes' affection, Melanie Wilkes, at which her estranged husband, Rhett Butler is not present. Scarlett, heartbroken and aggravated that Rhett has left her completely, sets out for Tara and is saddened when she learns that Mammy, one of their only remaining freed slaves, is dying. When she arrives at Tara, she also sends off a telegram to notify Rhett about Mammy under the name of her sister's husband because she knew that he wouldn't come if he knew she was there. After Mammy passes away and Rhett and Scarlett have another snipe-filled encounter, Rhett leaves and Scarlett returns to the Atlanta house, determined to win Rhett back.
[edit] Going to Charleston
Scarlett, in her haste to win Rhett back, travels to Charleston to visit Rhett's family and try to corner him by winning his mother's affection. He instead secludes himself in the family's old plantation on the river. Scarlett talks Rhett into taking her for a sail on the harbour, where their boat capsizes during a terrible storm and they have a celebration of ill-advised passion while shipwrecked after which Rhett leaves Scarlett, near death at his mother's house, for good, telling her that he's finished playing her games.
[edit] Savannah
After Scarlett has regained her strength, she leaves Charleston with her two aunts to travel with them to Savannah for her maternal grandfather's birthday celebration. Her grandfather, a cranky old man, treats her aunts horribly and offers Scarlett his entire inheritance if she would remain with him in Savannah until his death. Scarlett refuses the old man and storms out of the house, furious at his heartlessness for cutting out his own daughters. She happens to meet her paternal cousin, Colum, from Ireland and later agrees to travel to Ireland with him, tired of her grandfather's hospitality. She has realised that she is pregnant with Rhett's child, but wishing him to take her back for herself and not the child, she keeps it concealed.
[edit] Ireland
In Ireland, Scarlett is heartily welcomed by her Irish kin, including her grandmother, Old Katie Scarlett, Gerald's mother. Exploring one day with her cousin Colum, they pass by an old house which the latter explained was called 'Ballyhara' and the land surrounding it; apparently it was O'Hara land long, long ago before the English seized it and other lands from the Irish. Scarlett is mildly interested until she receives a notification of divorce from Rhett. Scarlett makes plans to leave for America at once but is stunned by more news; Rhett was married to another woman, a Charlstonian named Anne Hampton. Heartbroken and remorseful of her past deeds, Scarlett decides to remain in Ireland to raise her unborn child. Through Lawyers, she leaves her two-third share of her father's plantation, Tara, to her son Wade Hamilton (fathered by her first husband, Charles Hamilton, brother of Melanie Wilkes), buys Ballyhara and settles down in Ireland, to her Irish folks' delight.
[edit] Katie Colum O'Hara
As Ballyhara is slowly restored, Scarlett eagerly awaits the birth of her child, praying it would be a girl and vowing to be a good mother. One stormy Halloween night, her water breaks. Her housekeeper, Mrs Fitzgerald, and the midwife Colum managed to summon, are unable to handle the situation and it looks like Scarlett will die. Instead, she is saved by the wise old woman who lived near the haunted tower, who suddenly appears and after a careful operation, where she pulls out the womb along with the child, Scarlett's daughter is born, dark like Rhett, rosy cheeks and blue eyes that slowly turned as green as Scarlett's. Full of love and thanksgiving, Scarlett named her Katie Colum O'Hara, 'Cat' for short. However, she was still mad about what Rhett did to her that she decides not to tell anyone and instead if anyone asked she just says that she is widowed.
[edit] Lord Fenton
Lord Fenton, one of the wealthiest men in Europe, pursues Scarlett, and wants to marry her. He wants Scarlett to bear his children after seeing Cat's fiery spirit and fearlessness. His plan was to unite their estates, he owned Adamstown which was next to Scarlett's Ballyhara, which would both go to their son upon their deaths but Cat would have his name and the best of everything. Angered by his arrogance, Scarlett refused and ordered him out of her house. He laughed at her and asked her to consider it and left. Scarlett left for Dublin and was a great success much to the delight of Mrs Montague. She later decided to accept Lord Fenton when she heard that Anne was pregnant. The news leaked out and Rhett in a drunken state insulted her. When she realized that Anne and Rhett's baby died she rushed back to Ballyhara but found the English there, murdering Colum who was the head of the Fenian Brotherhood. Rosaleen Fitzpatrick set fire to the entire Fenian arsenal to avenge Colum. The villagers thinking Scarlett to be in league with the English burn her house down but she is rescued by Rhett. Rhett gets to know about Cat is furious with Scarlett. However they decide to live happily ever after.
[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
It was adapted as a television mini-series of the same title in 1994 starring Timothy Dalton as Rhett Butler and Joanne Whalley-Kilmer as Scarlett O'Harade:Scarlett pl:Scarlett (powieść) it: Rossella (romanzo)
