I think the movie plays up the whole “pampered southern belle” aspect of Scarlett and extends the antebellum naif she was into and long after the war. Even after the famous “I’ll never go hungry again” speech, the movie makes it look like Scarlett still doesn’t realize just how “gone with the wind” the entire basis of southern life was. That she regards the war, Emancipation and Reconstruction as mere speed bumps in the way of getting back to the genteel life of balls and gowns. Given how unrealistic that is, it’s no wonder the movie makes her look like an airhead. The book was more explicit about just how disillusioned she became and how cynically ruthless she was in doing whatever it took to become financially secure.
As I said, I had never heard her described that way. And people can dispay one-track minds about certain things without being generally labeled as dumb.
Good point. Now I really want to read the book.
I had a thought about the little daughter. It suddenly seems bizarre that Rhett in particular would be blasé about spoiler her rotten. He certainly seems both smart and rational enough to see where it will lead. Both he and Scarlett have first-hand experience of how many loops life can throw at you, and how severe some of them can be. Of course emotions are tremendously strong here – it’s his daughter, after all. But Rhett has lived by his smarts, and doesn’t seem to have the problem with blind stubbornness Scarlett has. (Except regarding the subject of Scarlett.)