The Decline of the Old South, part 1: Gone with the Wind (1939)

Gone with the Wind (1939) 

Gone with the Wind is one of the great romances since it seeks to overturn the romantic tradition ruthlessly. By the end love of the land seems more important than romance which is shared with another human being.  This film, in seeking to overturn the romantic tradition in favour of love of the land, also seeks to document the decline of the slave economy of the Old United States south. It is this slave economy which constitutes the romantic tradition of the film. It’s decline is relative for despite the defeat of the confederacy in the Civil War (1861-1865), there were still those that clung to the tradition of this slave economy. Therefore although the decline was effected a new mode of expression evolved with Jim Crow legislation following the end of the Reconstruction era where the impoverished blacks were relegated to a menial state of living despite being able to work for wages. The concept of master and slave still persisted although Jim Crow was defeated by the civil rights movement. The racism still persists among some whites. In the film Gone with the Wind the two main characters  Rhett (Clark Gable) and Scarlett (Vivien Leigh) represent a more modern streak which is in line with the new mode of economic development instituted by the North following the defeat of the South: profit associated with capitalist production. The doom of their romance lies in the regressive element and the modern element. Both are caught up in the romantic tradition of the south however the two exhibit a ruthless ambitious streak  to reach where they are and it is this that undermines their relationship. I mention the regressive element for when you have attained all that you can possibly can, which in the capitalist mode of economic development is overwhelming profit, you tend to regress to more humane activities such as charity, romance, or communal sharing instead of spending your whole life maximizing as much profit as possible. The contradiction is that for capitalism to survive the bourgeois class has to have the incessant drive for profit even if it results in the relative impoverishment of the proletariat. (thank god for the middle class who earn high wages). When the two characters seek to regress and enjoy the love of each other it is not reciprocated. Scarlett continually regresses unknowingly with her love for Ashley Wilkes yet the devastation caused by the civil war forces her to be ruthless in her ambition. Her love for Rhett also has an interesting element for he represents a higher form of love for her, since he is her equal by having similar ambitious selfish streaks, yet the two are unable to reconcile their differences.  This is why the romantic tradition seems topsy turvy and chaotic and hence absurd. Annie Hall (1977) also came to this conclusion about modern relationships. This is why the main romance of this film falls flat. In fact all the romances in this film fall flat. In All about Eve (1950) the relationship between the critic Addison Dewitt and Eve Harrington reflects the tradition set by Gone with the Wind where the two recognize in each other the ruthless ambition that sees one attain a high position in society. This relationship was preceded by Rhett and Scarlett for even their courtship throws dirt in the face of the romantic tradition with it s mocking gestures. The relationship between the two characters is essential when discussing the decline of the slave economy of the Old south for the Old South represents the romantic tradition of master and slave.

This film won 10 academy awards, two of which were honorary in pioneering film techniques, including Best Picture (famous producer  David O. Selznick), Best Director (Victor Fleming although the film had at least 3 different directors with Fleming directing most of the scenes), Best Actress (Vivien Leigh who would reprise the role of a southern belle in A Streetcar Named Desire for which she won her second Best Actress Oscar), Best supporting actress (Hattie McDaniel as Mammy, the chief domestic slave at the Tara plantation in the film, was the first black individual to win an Oscar. Her character is significant), Best Screenplay, Best colour cinematography, Art direction and Film editing. It beat out other classics for the Best picture award such as The Wizard of Oz (also filmed in Technicolor). The film was based on the famous novel of the same which was a great success that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1936. In order to streamline the narrative several elements of the book were removed in order to lay the focus primarily on Rhett and Scarlett and for censorship considerations. The Ku Klux clan element for instance was removed but there is a notable mention that could not be avoided and it all ties into supporting the Scarlett character and her relationship with Rhett. They were not removed simply because of consideration to length since most of the elements are included and 6 hours of footage was eventually cut down to 3 hours and 44 minutes.  It was important that the filmmakers captured the essence of the novel as seen through the eyes of Rhett and this they did successfully. I did read the novel and was amazed at how much the film was able to capture with regards to the decline of the Old South despite having Rhett and Scarlett at the centre. I eventually realized that Rhett and Scarlett are the characters that represent the break with the Old South so that the focus on the two is the best way to understand its decline.

 I have read several poor critical interpretations of this film by certain top critics. There are some that cite that the film has not aged well and is an old fashioned melodrama. This is rubbish and reflects an infantile presentation of the facts on display. Again the lack of a philosophical interpretation undermines their criticism. Other critics focus on the film’s enduring popularity (such as James Berardinelli) as the reason why the film must be considered great thereby excusing themselves of a rigorous critical examination. This is another poor method of critiquing: giving power to the audience. It follows that every popular film should be considered great. The popular approach sees the film from the perspective of the romance and the dazzling color palettes considered remarkable for the year 1939. This again is a poor critical interpretation since the year 1939 was still relatively early for the film industry and so to say it has aged well in light of the present context is stupid. The visuals are supposed to enhance the thematic elements and this film does that superbly. Few films today are able to use the visual element so effectively. These poor critical interpretations are now at an END since I will now assess the film’s main thematic elements and why it is considered great or influential as a document of American history.  There are critics who do touch on the decline of the Old South in their reviews by quoting the introduction however that is where it remains in their analysis so they choose to see the relationship between Rhett and Scarlett as a soap opera when in fact it is essential in documenting the decline of the Old South. Their criticism (Berardinelli) then comes across as shoddy and inconsequential by trying to emphasize the soap opera/melodramatic elements instead of incorporating these soap opera elements within the context of the Decline of the Old South. I say that these interpretations are at an end because this is the approach I will be taking to my review for I will be the first to emphasize the philosophical and historical context of the film. If these critics were forward thinking they would also see the film as sharing a similar premise with A Streetcar Named Desire. They missed the boat unfortunately and still they seek to see greatness as a frivolous ideal independent of a film therefore some films are almost great (Berardinelli) like Gone with the Wind. What does that mean ‘almost great’ apart from a philistine way of assessing something? Films are great when you assess their interconnectedness with other films. (See my commentary on this subject of great films)

In this review I will discuss the pastoral elegy which is a testament to the love of the land and the relative decline of the Old South. The land may represent decline but it also represents the hope for a new beginning which is evidenced by the final scene. I will argue that despite the sustenance of the land it is still reflective of a irrevocable decline of the south due to the emphasis on the land without any form of advancement. The land therefore looms like a great abstract for all humanity but this does not excuse the fact that once land remains exalted in this pastoral sense there can be no hope of advancement in light of the capitalistic forms of agriculture. This is how the land is exalted in the Gone with the Wind and explains why Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire fades into the new style of human economic expression, associated with capitalism, by accumulating debts. This is why I dub it a pastoral elegy.  I will discuss the decline of the South within the context of the Civil War and the reconstruction Era and in this section I will focus on the role played by the black characters in this film, particularly Mammy who stubbornly adheres to the values of her masters, and the essential characteristics of the slave economy and why it is incompatible with economic growth. I will discuss how decline manifests itself in this film. Lastly I will discuss the rise of Scarlett  Rhett above the rest of the other southern folk and the regressive elements that undermine their relationship within the context of advancement in the new mode of economic production.

A Pastoral Elegy: The Abstract presentation of the Land

The pastoral elegy in Gone with the Wind is the primary theme for this is how the concept of decline is infused within the structure of the plot. The land is seen as a source of strength for Scarlett however it can be seen as a form of illusory strength. Illusory because the strength she derives from the land as an abstract does not account for growth but a sort of clinging, romantic urge to be at peace with the world. If it were seen within the context of economic advancement the supposed strength she derives from the land would be a mere figment of her imagination. Land untouched by industry always has an idyllic quality devoid of pretension and thus becomes exalted as an abstract form in the imagination. When man’s state of consciousness first developed i.e. when he begins formulating ideas about the environment he tries to lay claim to the land that must be the product of the gods. The animals he must subdue and an edifice he must build on this great land so that eventually an empire must emerge with the support of the individuals in his social group. This social group will lay claim to the land. Eventually within the walls of his civilization man becomes domesticated and his numbers expand at a more rapid rate than they would in the open space of organic nature. Within the confines of the edifices that house domesticated man and his so called civilization, the economic values that emerge become the basis for the harmony of the society. These economic values are always, and will always be, based on landed property i.e. who owns land as opposed to who does not within the social sphere that emerges among the social group. Those who do not own vast tracts of land are not as prestigious as those that own a vast number of acreages. A class struggle inevitably develops on this foundation however it is kept in check by those that own most of the landed property within that particular social sphere. The edifice therefore that contains the civilization still lays it basis on the continual struggle to acquire land which is a natural instinct of man.  A distinctive identity emerges within that edifice and modes of communication are developed which constitute a literary style, whether oral or written. With the development of this literary style and the mode of economic development established alongside the class structure and division of labour, the means to educate the populace become essential in reinforcing the values of the society built on the land. Inside of the walls of the edifice great tales of the land are formed and these tales are formed on the basis that man conquered this land a long time ago in his effort to suppress the open space of nature. Oftentimes these tales become mythical or fanciful elements and include the exploits of great heroes or warriors that defeated their foes and preserved the fortunes of the kingdom by conquering the landed property of their foes and expanding their own resources on its ruins. Mythical elements surrounding the birth of a civilization oftentimes involve a character (great hero or warrior) discovering a unique physical space among the landscape and there he would establish his kingdom by building on that physical space within the vastness of the land that surrounds. There are times when he would have to defeat a dragon or giant or an army etc before he can establish  this edifice.  Religion takes a hold here since the mythical element normally includes tales of the gods who would often populate the land. It therefore occurs within the walls of the edifice that contains the society or group of social humans the natural world on the outside seems magnificent for it is populated by divine elements. This element of associating the gods with the nature comes when expansion has reached a certain limit for the more man subdues nature to his will the more he comes to realize that nature is not as grand as he supposed. With the limit of his expansion reached man holds the land dear as a measure of his accomplishments and as a possible measure of future accomplishments. If he continues to see the land as a hope for accomplishments then it is possible that there is more to conquer. If land is merely a source of the values of the civilization which he holds dear; a civilization content with its myth of grandeur  then the land becomes a source of stagnation especially if the idea of development becomes limited within the confines of that civilization. This is the pastoral elegy evident in this film since the physical space that comprises the civilization of the Confederate states is limited in terms of expansion beyond the boundaries of their territory. This is a primary feature of decline when a civilization fails to expand beyond it’s confines and inevitably implodes since contradictions in the economic mode of society overwhelm the social fabric associated with the mythic qualities of the land that was supposed to maintain unity. Contradictions in the economic mode of society normally result in a change that cannot be reconciled by the myths of the current civilization for it is the economic mode of civilization that takes place within the confines of the land associated with that particular society. When tension erupts along class lines i.e. those at the lower rung of the social scale wish for more of the pie or with regards to disputes regarding expansion then the society is under threat internally. If an enemy threatens to expand his territory into that particular civilization thereby eroding the economic mode of development that keeps it functioning then it is under threat externally.  

The pastoral elegy is captured in the epigraph that opens the film following shots that feature the opening credits. The epigraph goes as follows: ‘There was a land of cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South… Here in this pretty world gallantry took its last bow…Here was the last ever  to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair, of Master and Slave…Look for it only in books, for it s no more than a dream remembered…A civilization gone with the wind…’ The epigraph is worded in such a fashion to capture the romantic mood of the lost civilization. All civilizations crumble that fail to expand. The tradition of master and slave mentioned in the epigraph suggests a slave economy and a stagnant one. The epigraph obviously paints a pretty melancholy picture however one cannot be so naïve as to believe it was so pristine for some slaves were treated brutally to keep them in order and to prevent them, as a property less class, from seeking claims to the land within the confines of the confederate states.  The romantic notions abound with the ‘Knights and their ladies fair’ and these notions suggest that these qualities are in keeping with the pastoral tradition of the vastness of the land where one might encounter a beautiful maiden/nymph along the streams or bathing in the lakes or a mighty knight astride his horse off to slay a dragon or rescue a damsel in distress trapped in a tower guarded by a dragon (Shrek (2001). This epigraph gives a false impression since the pastoral tradition associated with the Old South was stagnant and unproductive and one should not come away with the idea that it was a land of wild beauty where man was at peace with the world. This epigraph is misleading but it does give a sense of the false perception of the inhabitants who are the protagonists of this film.

The opening scenes of the film featuring Scarlett do give the viewer a sense of the tradition where the belle of the county entertained their beaux. Scarlett is the most sought after belle in the county and we see her as the film opens surrounded by the Tarleton twins discussing the possibility of war. The enthusiasm is an element of derangement since it is all in keeping with the perception of the outside world and the possibility of adventure as Knights of the Round Table. She gives her trademark fiddle- dee- dee (whatever) and the expression ‘I’ll think about it (grief) tomorrow’. She has heard Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) is about to marry his cousin Melanie (Olivia de Havilland). She starts to wander around the estate when she encounters her father (riding his horse and leaping obstacles like a true knight or cavalier) and eventually reveals her feelings for Ashley.  Her father says that it does not matter who she marries as long as he is a ‘Southerner and thinks like you.’ Her father makes her aware of the Land and that he will leave it to her when she dies. It is the first elaboration of the concept of the land for Scarlett says, ‘I don’t want Tara. Plantations don’t mean anything when-’ He stops her by saying, ‘You mean to say Katie Scarlett O’ Hara that land doesn’t mean anything to you? Why land is the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for because it’s the only thing that lasts… and to anyone with a drop of Irish blood (Scarlett is half Irish and this is probably where the myths surrounding the land originate in Southerners since Ireland and other states of the United Kingdom are known for their myths. These myths were then transposed to the world of America that appeared new to the British settlers who were members of the poor working classes forced to flee due to the rapid expansion of capital. Capital creates a surplus population of workers especially when it destroyed the social fabric of the yeomanry/ peasant class. America represented a land of opportunity simply because land was plentiful. ) why, the land they live on is like their mother. Oh but you’re just a child. It’ll come to you, this love of the land. There is no getting away from it if you’re Irish.’ After he says this there is a shot from the camera that steadily pulls back revealing the silhouettes of Scarlett and her father, on the knoll, overseeing the Tara estate. This shot is nothing if not idyllic although the backdrop is pasted on. Scarlett is reminded two more times of her love for the land however not in the same context. After the Northern states have pillaged the Confederate states Scarlett returns to Tara, having left to stay with Melanie and Miss Pittypat, in Atlanta to find it in ruins. Her father has become deranged and there is no food in production on the esteemed land. She also hears that the Yankees or Northerners are owed $300 (A lot of money in 1865) in taxes and after her efforts in seeking to re grow cotton Scarlett is frustrated. She goes to Ashley, recently returned in disgrace as a former confederate soldier, to ask for help in paying the taxes. He cannot help and she says the two of them must run away, to Mexico perhaps. He refuses since he is married to Melanie and has a child with her. Scarlett despairs and says she hates Tara but Ashley lets her know that she loves Tara more than him: the red earth of Tara. On the third occasion Scarlett hears the same thing from Rhett after they are married and living a life of luxury. While stopping awhile at Tara Rhett informs Scarlett that she draws her strength from Tara and offers to assist her in revamping the fading edifice by spending as much  money she wants on it. These three instances come in handy for Scarlett who recollects these interactions after Rhett leaves her with his famous line ‘Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn.’ (I will come to this later). The land therefore is elevated as some mythic source of energy for Scarlett or an abstract, idyllic place where she can find refuge from the storms. It is mythic and abstract for one cannot identify how the land enriches her as it is a regressive element without the productive element. The idyllic shot with her father suggests a space with a fantasy like accompaniment. It seems like an element that one would refer to in dreams as opposed to seeing it as a place for expansion. Tara will remain within its confines while Scarlett will return following the disappointment associated with Rhett’s departure however what she does with the land will be significant. If she simply returns there to be reminded of past glories then it is regressive and will only be symptomatic of decline however if she returns to expand production of the land then it is progressive. It is a feature of agrarian societies however that a return to the land is seen as your only security despite the migration to the urban centres. Perhaps it is the communal feel however in Scarlett’s place there is nothing to return to for she shunned her sisters and mammy, the rock, is aging, Melanie is dead and Ashley, the sap, cannot look forward. It then begs the question what will she go back to upon her return despite the decline of her former way of life? The idyll of the Tara she once knew will be no more and has encountered an irrevocable decline since all the characters associated with it are no more. When she returned to Tara at the end of the war there were still the characters around her to assist in the rebuilding process however now that those characters are gone or are fading she will have to try desperately to recreate the idyll however an abstract is stagnant like a still painting or a moment in time for there comes a time when it cannot advance any further and only the lofty image remains. Even if Scarlett were to convert Tara into a thriving plantation along capitalist lines she would lose the essence of Tara since if she is successful she will have to lay waste to the soil due to intense cultivation and the structure of the landscape would be altered. She would probably have to expand beyond Tara’s bounds and her fields will be swamped with crop and machinery however the house will be empty and bereft of life since the communal setting would eventually disappear and Tara as it once was would be no more. The pastoral legacy would eventually disappear even if she tried to revive it for the rapid advance of industry would make sure of that. Increasing productivity in the urban centres would either make her land more productive or drive her out of production due to the increased productivity of other estates. She would have to rely on mortgages to stay afloat if the latter were to occur or resort to finding a job.

 The Destruction of the Slave economy as a result of the Civil War and the change in perception.

War, admittedly, brings with it destruction however no war is fought in vain. All wars in modern times precede economic expansion. With the great empires war was also seen as civilizing force or a means to enhance one’s prestige with your neighbours who did not share your world view. Since you had the military might you were able to impose your view on the neighbouring states that did not share your views. In Gone with the Wind the major war fought is the Civil war (1861-1865) between the confederate states and the Northern States following the secession of the former and the attack on Fort Sumter. The Confederate States wish to cling to their slaveholdings and, prior to the war, resisted the calls of the republicans to end slavery and encourage the growth of wage labour or variable capital. The perception at the beginning of the film is that the Confederates or the knights in shining armour will lick the Yankees and this is in keeping with the tales of great adventure associated with the pastoral tradition where the warriors would ride off to battle and return home victorious. This perception all changes with the arrival of Rhett Butler who offers s a more realistic outlook on the possibility that the confederates will win the war. Prior to the introduction of Rhett butler the pastoral tradition is in full swing with the social gathering at Twelve Oaks (The Wilkes plantation). The southern belles strut either with their man or potential beaux or with the intention of catching the eye of a potential husband since this is the only role a woman can play in such a stagnant economic mode of development.

A successful man, in a slave economy, is determined by the extent of the plantation he owns and the amount of slaves under his command. He simply ensures that enough cotton is produced to secure the well being of his estate for he does not necessarily occupy his thoughts with the idea of expansion since the extent of the land that he owns should be enough for him. The slaves constitute his constant capital despite generating surplus value however this surplus value cannot be measured since the slaves are not paid wages. It is the so called master who provides for them as he would for a machine. The slaves are paid in means of subsistence as opposed to wages in cash and this is done at the plantation owner’s expense. He also has to provide for their dwellings as opposed to having them pay rent. If he only paid them wages in the form of money which would be spent on their means of subsistence then he would be more able to measure the surplus value being generated. This is in sharp contrast to providing the actual means of subsistence. Money is the independent commodity in which all other commodities are measured. It is with money that the capitalist generates wealth for the commodity takes on a life of its own in the circulation sphere and it becomes fool hardy for him to pay out his wages in actual commodities which would be the same thing as him paying for it himself. This would cut into his profits since the surplus product generated by the wage earners under his command would be denied him and would return in the form of wages. The slave owner pays the rent of the slave which is also unheard of in capitalism since that would also cut into his profits. Why would the man who hires you and pays you wages also pay your rent? You do with your wages what you will for the capitalist only needs your labour power to generate surplus value or unpaid labour time. A slave economy dictates that the slave owner provide all the means of subsistence of the worker and so there is no other way to see the slave other than chattel for if they saw them as wage earners the slave owner would realise how  they eat away at his profits. Slaves are significant when land is being cleared and settled only since there is hardly any capital available in clearing the land in unknown territory which promises little return. If one were able to purchase a couple slaves then they would be able to work the virgin territory and all you would have to worry about is that they eat. Slaves become a feature of your constant or fixed capital based on this perception however the more slaves you employ the more you have to maintain them and the profits you generate go either into maintaining them or in purchasing new stock. The rate of profit, most of the time, declines in capitalist societies when the proportion of  constant capital to variable capital or wages increases following a high centralization of capital (smaller returns on a large capital although the amount is much greater than a smaller capital which might have a higher growth rate). In the case of the slave economy the slaves as constant capital do not generate profit  or if they do it is jumbled with the slave owners maintenance of them. Profit does not become distinguished and it becomes an endless cycle of stagnation since there are not only the slaves but the equipment to maintain and the seeds to buy. The slaves are seen as a form of equipment however when industry advances in the capitalist nations the maintenance of the slaves become a hindrance for the capitalist in the metropole who has to pay too much for the constant capital of the slave plantation. The capitalist seeks to cheapen the products generated in this mode of agriculture and to institute a new form of development that will produce agricultural goods in greater numbers for the market as opposed to those produced as a means of maintenance of the estate. The institution of wage labour as opposed to slave labour will see an accurate measure of surplus value or unpaid labour time which is variable and is measured in the product which is divided between the paid labour time, which allows the worker to replenish his labour power by purchasing his means of subsistence, and the unpaid labour time which goes to the capitalist. High levels of productivity will eventually cheapen the commodity which will drive down the individual price but will increase the quantity of commodities on the market and so a relative increase in value will take place.  Therefore in the slave economy enough profit is generated to, perhaps, buy luxury goods from the metropole and to construct a great house which is more than likely to be old fashioned and bereft of much technological improvements in design (unless you try to copy styles from houses in the metropole).  With industry comes technological improvements which is reflective of the increased productivity generated by the wage earners. This is why today under capitalist forms of agriculture more products are generated now than under the slave economy which simply saw the slaves as a form of equipment to be maintained and without any means to measure profit other than hiking up the price of the product(profit by expropriation) which was encouraged by the metropole at first until the capitalist increased production to overwhelming amounts.  In order to continually expand he would have to drive down the price of raw materials. Profit is calculated based on the rate of surplus value generated by the worker on the capital advanced by the capitalist. In the slave economy there is no surplus value to be generated since there is only capital without the wage labour. This is why it (the slave economy) is an intermediate stage and only serves as a form of accumulation, through its method of profit by expropriation, by hiking the price. In the capitalist mode of development the objective conditions of labour (constant capital) must confront him as something not belonging to him. He must not be a part of it and this is why he is cast off the estate or if he does stay on the estate he has to pay rent. His wages must be enough to sustain him (wages representing necessary labour time) however with the increasing division of labour the shares among the working class become smaller and smaller whereas the surplus value for the capitalist class grows to overwhelming proportions.

    This façade is shattered by the comments made by Rhett who has had experience in the Northern states. Prior to his introduction the optimism is high and Gerald O’ Hara is here speaking about the imminent war that will be waged: ‘We’ve borne enough insults from the meddling Yankees. It’s time we made them understand we’ll keep our slaves with or without their approval. ‘Twas the sovereign right of the state of Georgia to secede from the Union! The South must assert herself by force of arms. After we’ve fired on the Yankees at Fort Sumter, we’ve got to fight! There’s no other way. The situation is very simple: the Yankees can’t fight and we can.’ ‘One southerner can lick 20 Yankees, ‘says one of the fools. What one can take from this optimism is that they are preparing to fight to preserve their holding and not to expand their territory; this is a puerile mode of thinking. Scarlett, in the meantime who does not care for discussions of war, is seeking to get the attention of Ashley (her main purpose as a southern belle although later she will see the significance of all this war talk) who is about to say a foolish thing after the gentlemen ask for his opinion as a captain: ‘Well gentlemen if Georgia fights, I go with her. But, like my father, I hope the Yankees will let us leave the Union in Peace. (insertion here ‘Ashley you cant mean you don’t want war.’) most of the miseries of this world were caused by wars. And when the wars were over no one ever knew what they were about.’ This is foolish since there is a clear objective to the civil war: the destruction of the slave economy and this manifests itself in the reconstruction era. In this case it was for economic expansion on capitalist grounds I am sure the capitalists will not let the government forget what the war is really about. The gentlemen now ask for Rhett Butler’s opinion since he has had experience with the North. this is what he says: ‘ I think it’s hard winning a war with words gentlemen.  I mean there’s not a cannon factory in the whole South. (Insertion here by one of the fools ‘What difference does that make sir to a gentleman?) I’m afraid it’s going to make a great deal of difference to a great many gentlemen, sir. (they ask he if he is hinting that the Yankees will beat them)No I’m not hinting. I’m saying very plainly that the Yankees are better equipped than we. They’ve got factories, shipyards, coal mines and a fleet to bottle up our harbors and starve us to death. All we’ve got is cotton and slaves and arrogance.’ There is uproar by the gentlemen but Rhett is alluding to the advance of industrial capital that is expanding rapidly and has forced the government to wage war so that linkages with the agrarian south can be established by abolishing the stagnant slave economies and introducing wage labour on a wider spectrum which will increase the tax bracket. After tempers are cooled Rhett takes his leave with the following statement: ‘I apologize again for all my shortcomings. Mr. Wilkes perhaps you won’t mind if I walk about and look over your place. I seem to be spoiling everybody’s brandy and cigars and dreams of victory.’ Rhett is therefore the only one with insight about the doom of the confederacy which is why his character is so important. The slave holding states will not be able to advance since they are resisting the more productive mode of economic development that is capitalism.

I will briefly show here why it was  difficult for capital to break the barriers of landownership associated with the slave holdings in the United States south at the time. Here I make reference to Karl Marx in Capital Vol. 1 and the section on ‘The Modern Theory of Colonization’ where he discusses the views of E.G Wake field. Here he speaks about the domination of capital in western Europe:

‘Here the capitalist regime has either directly subordinated to itself the whole of the nation’s production, or, where economic relations are less developed, it has at least indirect control of those social layers which, although they belong to the antiquated mode of production, still continue to exist side by side with it in a state of decay… It is otherwise in the colonies. There the capitalist regime constantly comes up against the obstacle of the producer, who, as owner of his own conditions of labour (Slave economy or subsistence farming), employs that labour to enrich himself instead of the capitalist. The contradiction between these two diametrically opposed economic systems has its practical manifestation here in the struggle between them. Where the capitalist has behind him the power of the mother country, he tries to use force to clear out of the way the modes of production and appropriation which rest on the personal labour of the independent producer.’

Marx refers to the mother country here however in the context of Gone with the Wind it is the capitalists in the Northern states that are seeking to open the market of the south. Marx was correct to see, from an economic perspective, the southern states as colonies of Western Europe where capitalism was rapidly developing for why else would they choose to secede from the North? The major markets for their cotton were located in Western Europe. The Northern states were rapidly developing however and the decision to invade the southern states can be seen as a capitalist venture for according to Marx, ‘Capitalist production advances there (from North to South) with gigantic strides.’ Marx also summarizes the extent of the defeat of the Southern states, ‘ On the other hand the American Civil War has brought in its train a colossal national debt (like most wars do) and , with it, a heavy tax burden (the government expanding the tax bracket), the creation of a finance aristocracy (the carpet baggers who imposed the taxes and provided loans for reconstruction etc) and the granting of immense tracts of public land (the expansion of capital’s productive forces) to speculative companies for the exploitation of railways and mines etc. In short it has brought a rapid centralization of capital. The great republic has therefore ceased to be the promised land for emigrating workers.’ Marx had this wrong if one looks at the early twentieth century where emigrants flocked to America following the expansion of capital within that local economy. He is still right however when discussing the impact of the civil war for America was the promised land of emigrating workers from Europe since the expansion of capital destroyed the peasant class or the yeoman of England and Ireland. This is why Scarlett’s father speaks of the land so fondly since he is a Irish man. His family was a member of the peasant class that was displaced by capital which expropriated their land in the name of expansion creating a surplus population of wage labourers. The members of this surplus labour population would eventually emigrate to the US where vast idle tracts of land were available so that they could resume their farming on the grounds of a slave economy or as simple peasants. The civil war was to again erode that promise thereby destroying the dream of the O’ haras including Scarlett. This is why Marx makes that statement about America no longer being the promised land for this type of emigrant. This is why Rhett Butler was far ahead of the southern gentlemen.

The civil war brought with it destruction of the slave economy and the way of life of the members of the confederate states. When Scarlett, in Atlanta, goes looking for Dr. Meade, amidst the  cannon fire of  the Yankees, to assist in delivering Melanie’s baby, she is confronted by a whole host of dying confederate soldiers who once said they would lick the Yankees but good. Their tall tales of adventure having ended in ignominy. When Ashley is on his furlough, for instance, he mentions that some confederate soldiers.  fight barefooted etc. Rhett also keeps reminding Scarlett of the fading chivalry of the doomed southern folk. Scarlett eventually says to him following the famous burning of Atlanta scene, ‘You can be glad Rhett. Glad you were smarter than all of them.’ Scarlett as mentioned before returns to despair: Tara pillaged, her mother dead and her father gone insane. Her once boastful father is now reliant on recovering his confederate bonds, which are practically useless, which are the last vestiges of his property. His lunacy is a sign that he refused to alter his perception despite defeat.  All the slaves have runaway or have been freed apart from the loyal domestics Mammy and Pork whose perceptions do not change since they still see themselves as slaves. Mammy’s performance is significant for her perceptions do not change throughout the film and she is proud near the end of the film to have overseen three generations of the O’ hara family when Scarlett’s daughter, Bonnie, is born.  It is significant but it is a bit ironic that the popular black characters from this film still see themselves as slaves despite the decline of the old slave economy and this evokes the old debate about the field slaves vs. the domestics. The field slaves were more likely to flee from the plantations since they were the ones who felt the whips whereas the domestics cherished their position as ass kissers since they were privileged to reside in the white man’s household. It is sad but these characters such as Mammy, Pork and Prissy (Malcolm X was right to state in his auto biography that he was embarrassed when the character of Prissy appeared on screen. There are too many Prissys everywhere) still persist to this day. These characters refuse to adhere to the new  age of wage labour although the successive generations would have to adopt it. Prissy sounds like a buffoon and an idolater when she says she is not a field hand and has no experience in tying cows when she is asked to perform that particular duty. Had the film been more daring it would have featured perspectives of the field slaves that ran away or who were not as loyal as the domestic servants  such as Mammy. There is the field hand Big Sam however his type is similar to a sycophantic buffoon ‘ I says  it’s quitting time. Quitting time.’ The closest the film comes to showing a change  of the perception with regards to the  former grandeur of Tara is the former Overseer for the estate John Wilkerson, who married Emmy Slattery, the so called white trash or member of the lower class, who offers to buy the ruined estate from Scarlett. His offer is refused by Scarlett and he makes clear that they shouldn’t fool themselves since he knows the father has become an idiot and that they can’t pay their taxes. It seems he was not at all taken with Tara’s former glories and this perspective was a necessary one to have although it would be more poignant coming from a former slave. Everyone is aware of the decline but it is Wilkerson who puts it into words.  Scarlett’s deluded father chases Wilkerson with his horse which fails to clear one of the hurdles and sends him crashing headlong into the grave. I say it would be good to get the perspective of a slave for we see Wilkerson riding around in his carriage with a freed black from the North dressed like a Yankee who must have arrived with the carpet baggers to encourage the former slaves to work for wages although this was an illusion. The former slaves would face sterner tests in the long road to freedom. We see therefore that some perspectives failed to change and those that did not were condemned to live like saps or ignominious victims of the war. We see this with Scarlett’s father and Ashley and the former domestic slaves such as Mammy, Pork and Prissy who are doomed to the glories of the past and are unable to make the leap forward.

The Reconstruction Era: The Rise of Rhett and Scarlett and the end of the romantic tradition

The end of the romantic tradition through the characterizations of Rhett and Scarlett all boils down to their ambitious nature. When I say the end of the romantic tradition I mean that all romantic notions are put aside in light of pressing needs to survive. The romantic tradition will more than likely revive itself following the stabilization process which is not featured in this film although it occurs near the end. The stabilization process occurs when all matters of security are dealt with so that a smooth transition can be effected within the economic mode of development. In the case of the blacks in the south this stabilization process resulted in Jim Crow legislation that enforced segregation in the south and relegated the blacks to a  station of poverty that is now akin to a hereditary disease amongst this group. There was a time in America when blacks were the poorest ethnic group in America. The film makes a brief mention of the lives blacks were to live following the war when we see them being offered the deal ’40 acres and a mule, gee.’ This offer would convert them into subsistence farmers who would be taxed mercilessly until debt would crucify them and the vultures in the form of capitalists would swoop down and seize the land and benefit from whatever improvements to the land would have been made by the blacks as subsistence farmers. In this film, therefore, when one of the blacksays ‘gee’ because he is astonished by the deal you feel some form of sympathy.

 In any case during the reconstruction era there is no time for romantic notions of ‘Knights and their Ladies Fair’. One must be ruthless in acquiring property so that one will be able to stabilize one’s fortunes and ensure that a secure framework is laid which will guard against any form of regression to the state one originally found him or herself when your fortune was on the rise. War does bring destruction but there are those that will be responsible for the reconstruction effort that follows and it is they that will outlast the rest who will be forever condemned to their former way of living.  Romance has no place in the reconstruction effort simply because for a romantic tradition to emerge within a society it presupposes some form of stabilization. This is what we are made aware of when the film opens where tranquility and by extension stability is the predominant mood of the society. The romantic tradition is always a sign that society has reached its pinnacle since there is no form of tension within the class structure and this belies security. Expansion has reached its limit and the ruling class is content to live off the regular profit. Disruption occurs when someone wishes to expand even further despite the prevailing orders of society saying that enough is enough. This black sheep does not listen and so war is waged. In this film it is the civil war which brings with it destruction. The reconstruction effort suggests that the new edifice that will emerge will be much different from the previous mode of economic development and so expansion will be ensured despite the heavy cost of war (national debt).

Rhett and Scarlett come together during the reconstruction era despite Rhett’s previous attempts to woo her. Scarlett does not go initially for Rhett especially since he does not adhere to the gentlemanly values of her own southern folk. When Scarlett first sees him at Twelve Oaks prior to the declaration of war she says, ‘Kathleen who’s that? (who?) That man looking at us and smiling. The nasty dark one.’ ‘My dear don’t you know. That’s Rhett Butler. He’s from Charleston. He has the most terrible reputation.’ Scarlett reveals her uneasiness with his stare, ‘He looks as if he knows what I look like without my shimmy (underwear).’ This approach by Rhett therefore seems ungentlemanly. This is why he is not perturbed when he eavesdrops on Scarlett after she takes Ashley aside at the garden party at twelve oaks and slaps him since she claims he lead her on. Ashley says he is better off with Melanie since they understand each other and rejects her advances. After Rhett reveals himself Scarlett is annoyed since he should have made his presence known. He assures her that her secret is safe with him. Although Scarlett sees Rhett as ungentlemanly, Rhett sees in her ruthless ambition. Rhett too made his profits ruthlessly  as a blockade runner during the war. He would ship cotton from the confederate states that was supposed to be blockaded to the markets of Western Europe. At the same time he would run supplies to the confederate states from the north. As a smuggler his profits would triple since to smuggle implies high risk taking. It is no wonder he ends up in jail at the end of the war since the Yankees rightfully suspect that he has loads of cash stashed away. Cash which he earned as a blockade runner. In times of war illegitimate activities abound and allow some to endure the hardships of the times especially as the money stored through so called illegitimate means will then be invested in legitimate enterprises.The mysterious nature of Rhett is not really there since he merely engages in illicit activities.this is why Belle Watling, the madam, is one of his friends. The ambitious nature of Scarlett, however, is still here (when she first  meets Rhett who must wait until this nature flourishes) in its infancy and is seen in her detest for certain traditions such as wearing black as a widow after her first husband Charles(Ashley’s brother. She married him to try and get Ashley jealous) dies during the war. Rhett encounters her at the dance and bids for her to dance with him despite the outrage of the members of the party. Scarlett surprises everyone by accepting his bid to dance and it becomes clear that the true Scarlett is slowly emerging out of her conservative shell. It only requires someone to give it a nudge as Rhett realizes. Rhett knows this.  Another important encounter between the two is during the war when Rhett returns from Paris with bonnet for Scarlett. He can’t believe that Scarlett is not in keeping with the latest fashion especially as she still wears pantalets. After Scarlett says she can’t go on accepting gifts here is what Rhett says, ‘I’m not kind. I’m just tempting you. I never give anything without expecting something in return. I always get paid. ‘ ‘If you think I’ll marry you for paying for the bonnet. I wont.’ ‘Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not a marrying man.’ ‘Well I won’t kiss it for you either.’ She postures for a kiss. ‘Open your eyes and look at me. No, I don’t think I will kiss you although you need kissing badly. That’s what’s wrong with you. You should be kissed and often. And by someone who knows how.’ He speaks about a battle that will possibly determine the outcome of the war (the battle at Gettysburg) and Scarlett asks if Ashley is in it. ‘So you still haven’ t gotten the wood headed Ashley Wilkes out of your mind.’ Rhett and Scarlett meet on a couple of other occasions during the war but in the famous scene where Atlanta is being bombarded and a great fire erupts there is another interesting interaction where Rhett is about to leave her to fight in the last stand being made by the ‘gallant’ confederate soldiers. It is here Rhett reveals the similarities between them and shows why he is drawn to her as he asks for a farewell kiss, ‘ But there is one thing I do know and that is that I love you Scarlett. In spite of you, me and the whole silly world going to pieces around us I love you because we’re alike.  Bad lots, both of us. Selfish and shrewd but able to look things in the eyes and call them by their right names. I love you more than I’ve ever loved any woman and I’ve waited for you longer than I have for any other woman.’ He kisses her and she slaps saying that ‘everyone was right. You’re not a gentleman.’ He says farewell and gives he r a pistol. This is significant for she will have to use it to defend Tara from a Yankee deserter but because Rhett has empowered Scarlett by allowing her to fend for herself. Traditional southern belles rely on the man to protect them while they refuse to lift a finger.

Scarlett’s ambitions come to the fore after she returns to the Tara plantation which has been ravaged by war. She gives her famous dramatic testament against the backdrop of the sunset. She is so hungry at that moment that she has to eat a small carrot out of the earth. She says, ‘As God is my witness they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this, and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folks. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As god is my witness I’ll never be hungry again.’ Here the ambitious streak comes to fore and there is the break with the romantic tradition. This ambition only emerges following the crash where everything is laid to waste. This ambition will be unceasing until she can be content that she will never be hungry again and so romantic ideals cannot be featured in this phase of the reconstruction until some form of stabilization occurs.

 Scarlett becomes ruthless following this statement although she still clings to the tenderhearted Ashley Wilkes. The Tara plantation owes $300 in taxes and so how will Scarlett deal with this? She goes to visit Rhett in jail and pretends to be sympathetic when in fact she wants only the money. This does not work since Rhett sees through the ruse since the two are alike. Immediately after this she pounces on Frank Kennedy who just asked Scarlett if he could wed her sister Suellen. After Scarlett realizes that Frank Kennedy’s lumber business has turned $1000 in profit she immediately sets her sights on him even inventing a story about Suellen moving on with another man while simultaneously putting her hand in his pocket. Mammy, who accompanied her, is stunned.  Scarlett then marries Frank and is able to pay off Tara’s taxes however her ambition does not rest there and she takes over the lumber mill, which expands the lumber business so that she can get her lumber when she wants it,  and when one considers all the destruction caused by the war a constant profit is inevitable. Look at how she runs the business like a true capitalist in that scene with frank where she pressed all his friends for money since he must have been running a charitable institution or when the convicts are lined up and, after a brief discussion with the foreman, she allows him to extract as much surplus value out of them as he wishes. These convicts are white. After frank leaves Ashley who is now helping her with the business (due to another underhanded trick by Scarlett to keep him close to her) says she must not be so cruel; the foolish Ashley says, ‘Scarlett I don’t like to interfere but I do wish you would let me hire free darkies instead of  using convicts. I believe we could do better.’ ‘ Darkies! why their pay would break us, and convicts are dirt cheap (true capitalist) and if we just give Gallagher a free hand-‘  ‘ Free hand! You know what that means. He’ll starve them and whip them.  Some of them are sick, underfed…’ ‘Oh Ashley how you do run on. I f I let you alone, you’d be giving them chicken three times a day and tucking them to sleep with eiderdown quilts.’ She unconsciously understands that slavery was unproductive here. The fool Ashley continues,’ Scarlett I will not make money out of the enforced labour and misery of others.’ ‘ You weren’t so particular about owning slaves.’ The fool Ashley is wrong It is not slave labour for wages would be paid but perhaps not to the convicts but the jail warden. Ashley says he would have freed the slaves if his father died; not to convert them into wage earners but because he was sympathetic to their plight. Scarlett even starts to talk like Rhett by saying her fellow southerners stay cling to their honour although they are starving.  Scarlett even has her own carriage which she rides in alone and is assaulted in a lonely road where it is suggested that the white trash and his black friend intended to rape her.  She is saved by the sycophantic  buffoon, Big Sam. The Ku Klux Klan tries to defend her honour by burning out the shacks in the vicinity where Scarlett is attacked. The KKK was originally formed, it seems, to defend the fair ladies and the  gallant southerners however it evolved later along racial lines when they wanted to preserve the old relationship of master and slave. The fool Ashley Wilkes is wounded in the raid and frank is shot dead. The time for Rhett to step in is now.  She is a widow yet again and Rhett is the one to rescue her again from this archaic tradition and he proposes to marry her. In the scene where he proposes to marry her the romantic tradition is mocked and it seems that Scarlett agrees to marry Rhett because he has millions. This is how the romantic tradition is mocked: Rhett goes to ask for her hand in marriage on the same day of Frank’s funeral, he knows that she is the only woman for him ever since he saw her at Twelve Oaks and he sees that she is prosperous and will have to marry her by offering her his millions. He goes to his knees, after Scarlett again reminds him of his ungentlemanly behavior, and says, ‘forgive me for startling you with the impetuosity of my sentiments my dear Scarlett. I mean, my dear Mrs. Kennedy. But it cannot have escaped your notice that for some time past the friendship I have felt for you has ripened into a deeper feeling. A feeling more beautiful, more pure, more sacred. Dare I name it? Can it be love?...I can’t go all my life waiting to catch you between husbands… you’ve been married to a boy and a old man. Why not try a husband with the right age with a way with women. ’ ‘You’re a fool, Rhett Butler, when you know that I will always love another man (Ashley).’  Rhett gets upset and kisses her deeply like no man ever will since they are two of a kind and Scarlett even feels as if she will faint. After the deep kiss Scarlett agrees to marry him and Rhett asks if she said yes because of his money. ‘ Well yes. Partly. Well you know, Rhett, money does help, and of course I am fond of you. If I said I was madly in love with you you’d know I was lying.’ ‘ Heaven help the man who really loves you.’

  Rhett and Scarlett’s mocking gestures throw dirt on the romantic tradition and even if they were genuine the reconstruction phase would not allow them to be anything but practical. Scarlett is now filthy rich and has security yet there is still tension between her and Rhett for she still clings to the ever mourning Ashley Wilkes who pines for the good old days and she still runs the lumber business she inherited from Frank. The two are also very competitive as one tries to outdo the other. She still asserts her independence of Rhett despite marriage and Rhett is bothered that not even he can subdue her in a loving way. This is all as a result of the reconstruction phase and the end of the romantic tradition.  They have a child called Bonnie and she is spoilt rotten and this results in her downfall when she tries to clear a hurdle too high for her pony only to end up in a grave. Bonnie was the only thing that could have brought them together since they alienated each due to their ambitious streak and the endless drive to gain profit. Rhett still seeks out the Madam Belle Watling who shares that ambitious streak as well and she gives sage advice when she makes it known that he is taken with her as if she poisoned him and she says to focus on the child because it is worth ten of the mother. Why? Because, if Rhett focused on the child it is more likely that it would be more loyal to him than Scarlett ever would.  The alienation experienced in this relationship comes because they are two mules as Mammy says: you can dress up to be a horse but a mule is still a mule. This means that despite the attempts to show love these mules will never fit in to society since it is obvious that the endless drive for profit is their ultimate goal which normally isolates you from everyone else. After Melanie dies and Ashley becomes free Scarlett realizes, too late, that Rhett is the one she loves. It is a higher form of romance and recalls the statement of her father that it does not matter who she marries as long as it is a southerner and he thinks like her. The only one to fit that description is Rhett. Rhett says three important things before he leaves her: 1. ‘I want peace.’ since he and Scarlett are so competitive he wants to just lay down and rest. This is the outcome of competition and the incessant drive for success. When you have accomplished all the time comes when you must learn to let go and regress a little and try to enjoy the comforts of life and share in the fellowship of others. In Rhett’s mind he has achieved some form of nirvana or stabilization for he is not prepared to fight anymore. When one achieves this state then you can engage in amorous pursuits and let loose. When Scarlett returns to Tara it is hoped that she will learn this lesson since she no longer hs to be worried about being hungry again. 2.’ If only Bonnie were alive there was a chance we could work things out.’ Since Bonnie would reconcile their ambitious streaks. Due to circumstances beyond their control (such as when Scarlett fell down the stairs and Rhett felt she didn't call for him) the two never expressed their true feelings for one another due to the fear of being trapped. Bonnie however would give them that chance to form some form of merger. 3. ‘Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.’ He sees her posturing and tears as the beginning of another cycle of pain as she clamours for attention still thinking she is the belle of the ball and that everyone must bow down to her ‘Never, at any crisis of your life, have I known you to have a handkerchief’. Her tears also seem like compensation for her fool hardy behavior in her regressive attitude towards the romantic tradition of the Old South by clinging to the sap Ashley Wilkes instead of seeking the new form of stabilization with Rhett Butler who was pushing steadily forward within the more ruthless capitalist mode of economic development that emerged following the war.

 The Old South that is gone with the wind.

Introduction to The Decline of the Old South Series: Gone with the Wind (1939) part 1 and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) part 2

The Decline of the Old United States South

This is a two part review that will focus on the decline of the Old United States South. When I refer to the Old United States South I am referring to the slave economy that was destroyed with the victory of the Northern states, led by Abraham Lincoln and his generals, over the Confederate states in the South in the United States Civil War (1861-1865). I will focus on two films of note when discussing this theme: Gone With the Wind (1939) and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). These films address the decline of the Old United States South although the context of both films is different in many regards. In Gone with the Wind the destruction of the Old United States south is visible with the characters being embroiled in the events of the Civil War and the reconstruction effort that followed the changing of the guard where the slave economy was replaced with a wage/ subsistence economy. In A Streetcar Named Desire the decline of the Old United States South is more evident on a personal level with the character Blanche Dubois (Vivien Leigh), who is forced to encounter the rapid advance of industry introduced by the North and the characters that emerged in its wake represented by Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando) ,a  semiliterate member of the proletariat class, who represents, to Blanche, a primal character because of his lack of decency or notions of chivalry which were a feature of the old slave based economy.  A Streetcar Named Desire takes place at a time where racial segregation was enforced in the south following the reconstruction efforts of the North. Discrimination on racial lines was institutionalized with whites and blacks disallowed from sharing the same facilities. Racial segregation was enforced by renegade groups such as the Ku Klux Clan, led by white red necks, with violence; the lynching of blacks was a common occurrence following the reconstruction efforts after the civil war. If a black man moved within the vicinity of a white community he or his family risked losing their lives or having their houses burned out.   The concept of master and slave still persisted among the old white guard of the south and the civil rights movement emerged in light of this institutionalized discrimination.

The true decline of the south is reflected not so much in the negative racial attitudes of some whites towards blacks, which is a feature of several American states even to this day, but in the refusal to acknowledge the decline of the old slave society associated with the confederacy. The discrimination is hardly material to my discussion because although the North instituted wage labour it is now universally known that it (wage labour) is a modified form of slavery where the capitalist class and their lackeys in the government extract surplus value from the labour power of the proletariat. The Government declared war on the south since they would be able to expand the tax bracket for, with the erosion of the slave economy, there would be more avenues for taxation:  the wages of the working class and the small farmer and the profits of the capitalist as well as room for the expansion of industry. Surplus value drives economic expansion in the capitalist mode of production and this is achieved with the relative extraction of unpaid labour time from the working classes with the increased levels of productivity that ensue in this mode of economic development. The southern states seceded from the north, with the ascension of Abraham Lincoln to power, since the basis of their slave economy ensured massive profits due to the demand for cotton, particularly from Western Europe, which was the main staple of the confederacy. With the threat that slavery could end with Lincoln the act of secession seemed justified to the southern states. The expansion of the North into the South, following the War, would create linkages with the agrarian based South thereby ensuring some form of unity within the country and, more essentially, the union of industry and agriculture.

There are other emotional reasons since the culture of the South was developed along these economic lines. The concept of master and slave seemed almost feudal but it represented an intermediate mode of economic development between the medieval culture and the capital growth of the bourgeois class. The slave economy encouraged the chivalrous encounters more akin to the age of romance where the primary concerns of the ruling class were amorous pursuits or high tales of adventure; the females likewise only saw progress in landing a husband with their high romantic notions.  It seems almost fantastic to have lived that way in these modern times but it is a feature of the low levels of productivity in that form of economic development where one lives primarily for one’s own needs as opposed to the need to ensure as much profit as possible which would involve increased investment in technology, which would be the natural outcome of increased productivity of the working classes. In a slave economy development is restricted with the growth of constant capital for the slaves which represent chattel in the minds of the so called masters become a feature of the constant capital. The labour of the slaves does not become a variable element as it is under capitalism since there is no way to measure true  value as opposed to profit. Profit does not necessarily have to be expressed in surplus value since there is also the backward perception of the mercantilists who see profit as a form of expropriation which is what occurs in the slave economy. Profit in the capitalist economy is expressed in the form of the surplus value generated from the capital advanced (constant capital). With the advent of the commodity traded on the market in the capitalist mode of development labour becomes embodied in this element and constitutes its value. The cheaper the commodity the more surplus value for the capitalist since this would mean that a mass of this same commodity would have been produced by the labour power of the working class. So even if the individual commodity is cheaper the quantity of commodities produced would increase exponentially. The variable element of wage labour under capitalism is a more accurate way of measuring relative surplus value which involves driving down the real wages of the working class.  The surplus value of the capitalist eventually becomes profit when the cost price of the commodity is determined. Surplus value is unpaid labour time. The more the capitalist can drive down the real wages of the working class the more surplus value (unpaid labour time) is generated. Surplus value is in contrast to the necessary labour time of the worker where he replinishes his labour power by purchasing the means of his subsistence with his wages. The slave economy cannot hope to realize such value since the development of the estates is restricted to its boundaries. It does not encourage expansion unless the barriers associated with slave labour are removed. I will come to this point later in my review of Gone with the Wind. There is also the peasant based farming that emerges after the break up of the slave economy as these small farmers basically subsist off their small plots of land. The capitalist will not immediately swoop in following the break up of a slave economy. The peasant farmers or small independent producers will determine the extent that there are opportunities for investment. Until then the those freed from slavery pay their own wages by subsisting off the land. This was the fate of most blacks in the south following the end of the civil war.

Decline must not be confused with descent. Decline implies that there is an irrevocable demise of an objectified element whereas descent suggests that there is a natural progression from one thing to another. I discuss the decline within the context of the values associated with the slave economy. In Gone with the Wind the stages of decline are presented through the eyes of Rhett (Clark Gable) and Scarlett O’ Hara (Vivien Leigh) who are more reflective of modernity as opposed to  their fellow southerners who cannot seem to cope with the extinction of their slave based society. The ambitious attitude of these two protagonists sees them survive the reconstruction era however their ambitious ways eventually undermine their relationship. It is ruthless ambition that was needed to survive the destruction caused by the war. Scarlett loses Rhett in the end because she clung too much to the ideals of her slave society by pursuing the chivalrous Ashley Wilkes who is irrevocably lost in the light of progress or descent. Scarlett selfishly clung to it despite being guided by Rhett away from the decline of the slave economy and being in step with the progress of the society that emerged following the war. Descent and Decline are intertwined and one should be careful in saying that there is a decline when one could be confusing this element with descent. Descent is the outcome of Decline because with the decline of a former tradition there will inevitably emerge a new element that arose from the rubble of the former dilapidated structure. The decline of a former tradition seems difficult to bear since that structure prevailed for a lengthy period of time and therefore  the people that emerge into the new tradition cannot seem to cope since the old tradition looms so large over their heads that they give the impression that this tradition alone is worthy of them and no other. They try and instill this belief in others and this belief assumes mythic proportions in the eyes of some and so they still adhere to the tradition in evolved forms although it still hinders their progress. This is why A Streetcar Named Desire has to be discussed along with Gone with the Wind for Blanche, in A Streetcar Named Desire, represents a degenerate version of Scarlett and it is not surprising that Elia Kazan, the director (he also directed the great On the Waterfront (1954)),  chose to work with Vivien Leigh to reprise her role as a fading southern belle or the lady antebellum type. In Gone with the Wind Scarlett fails to progress because Rhett, who leaves her, represents the modern ideal and so Scarlett has to return to the plantation of Tara, the land of her birth and hopefully try and restore the faded values of the south (who knows). A Streetcar Named Desire seems to pick up where Gone with the Wind left off for Blanche does not seem to be able to adjust to the progress of the economic society associated with industrial growth. She has lost the plantation of Belle Reve and still clings to the ideals of her faded society thereby making her appear quite out of step and even mentally deranged. Madness is a common feature of decline. It is tempting at times to see Blanche as Scarlett and vice versa.  It is no surprise that Vivien Leigh won Oscars for Best Actress for her portrayal as Scarlett and Blanche for they are remarkably nuanced and unforgettable (two features of a great performance). Blanche seems to represent a more sordid version of what could have possibly happened to Scarlett following the loss of Rhett. Without Rhett Scarlett would only have the ideals of her former society to cling to although it’s gone. Stanley Kowalski also represents modernity and Blanche is drawn to him for almost the same reasons Scarlett is drawn to Rhett. The themes of these two films therefore are persistent decline in light of the birth of a new society and this is why characters are important in emphasizing this point. Not everyone will cling to the old ideals for some will stubbornly press forward for that is the only way out. These two films state that despite the emergence of a new society there are some who persistently cling to the old ways.  This is at the heart of decline for if a new society emerges or descends from the previous one it is those personally affected that cannot seem to advance for the birth of a new society suggests that the majority of the populace have adjusted in various ways. After the decline of the old slave economy slavery could never be reintroduced since the basis was now wage labour. The old vanguard adjusted by introducing Jim Crow legislation to cling to the master and slave tradition however this racial element was a feature of most of the US but not in such overt ways. Jim Crow would never bring back slavery it would only make the south appear more backward by clinging to this ideal well into the 1960’s.  The civil rights movement only nominally shattered this monopoly through legislature for the negative attitudes towards blacks still persist to this day among some whites who maintain economic control however Jim Crow can never be introduced again in such an overt form but evolved forms will still take its place. It is no surprise that some individuals of the southern states still cling to their agrarian base and love for the land which is a inherited tradition of most agricultural based societies despite the growth of surplus value associated with industrial capital? Is it any wonder that some of these former slave holding slave states represent some of the poorest sectors in America? The first review in this series will be Gone with the Wind and part 2 will be A Streetcar Named Desire. ( I present this two part review in three because of my lengthy introduction. I will post the introduction to the topic and then post the reviews of each film which will be added to my great film series.)