Gone With the Wind Chapter 47 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Scarlett is sad and feels guilty for killing Frank, since women are responsible for being attacked and men can't help going on a spree of racist terror and getting shot while doing so.
  • Scarlett does a lot of drinking.
  • Rhett shows up, and figures out right away that she's been drinking.
  • She confesses that she feels she killed Frank, and she tells him about her dream in which she's hungry.
  • Rhett tells her that she doesn't really care about Frank, but is just worried she'll go to hell; then he asks her to marry him.
  • She doesn't want to, but he sweeps her off her feet and kisses her and she says yes.
  • Then she explains that she's marrying him because she's fond of him, not because she really loves him.
  • He is pained, but she doesn't get it because she's really oblivious.
  • They announce their marriage and Atlanta determines to hate them—they're both too friendly with the Yankees.
  • There's an election and the Republican Bullock wins.
  • Mrs. Merriwether breaks with Scarlett, while Mammy is angry about the marriage and calls Rhett a mule.
  • Rhett thinks that's funny.