I Don't See How It Could Possibly

If Gone With The Wind Has A Theme It Is That Of Survival. What Makes Some People Come Through Catastrophes And Others, Apparently Just As Able, Strong, And Brave, Go Under? It Happens In Every Upheaval. Some People Survive; Others Don't. What Qualities Are In Those Who Fight Their Way Through Triumphantly That Are Lacking In Those That Go Under? I Only Know That Survivors Used To Call That Quality 'gumption.' So I Wrote About People Who Had Gumption And People Who Didn't.

It's A Curse - This Not Wanting To Look On Naked Realities. Until The War, Life Was Never More Real To Me Than A Shadow Show On A Curtain. And I Preferred It So. I Do Not Like The Outlines Of Things To Be Too Sharp. I Like Them Gently Blurred, A Little Hazy.

Once, When She Was Six Years Old, She Had Fallen From A Tree, Flat On Her Stomach. She Could Still Recall That Sickening Interval Before Breath Came Back Into Her Body. Now, As She Looked At Him, She Felt The Same Way She Had Felt Then, Breathless, Stunned, Nauseated.

She Was Darkness And He Was Darkness And There Had Never Been Anything Before This Time, Only Darkness And His Lips Upon Her. She Tried To Speak And His Mouth Was Over Hers Again. Suddenly She Had A Wild Thrill Such As She Had Never Known; Joy, Fear, Madness, Excitement, Surrender To Arms That Were Too Strong, Lips Too Bruising, Fate That Moved Too Fast.

She Couldn't Survey The Wreck Of The World With An Air Of Casual Unconcern.