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.

I loved something I made up

Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to anything.

Vanity was stronger than love at sixteen and there was no room in her hot heart now for anything but hate.

Death, taxes and childbirth! There's never any convenient time for any of them.

I'm riding you with a slack rein, my pet, but don't forget that I'm riding with curb and spurs just the same.

Babies, babies, babies. Why did God make so many babies? But no, God didn't make them. Stupid people made them.