Like Al, I also watched several hours of “Gone With The Wind” on Thanksgiving Eve (don't judge - there was a marathon!). GWTW has fascinated me for as long as I can remember, but this time, I was most struck by Scarlett's pitch perfect demonstration of the personality theory of property. This is evident throughout the film, and most notably in the last scene, where Scarlett hears the voices of her dearly departed father and Ashley Wilkes in her head. After Rhett abandons her, she asks aloud, "What is there to do? What is there that matters?" and the following exchange ensues:
Mr. O'HARA: You mean to tell me, Katie Scarlett O'Hara, that Tara doesn't mean anything to you? That land is the only thing that matters. It's the only thing that lasts.
ASHLEY: Something you love better than me, though you may not know it.
Mr. O'HARA: Tara - this is where you get your strength.
ASHLEY: Tara - the red earth of Tara.
Mr. O'HARA: That land's the only thing that matters, it's the only thing that lasts.
ASHLEY: Something you love better than me, though you may not know it, Tara.
Mr. O'HARA: ...From which you get your strength...
ASHLEY: ... the red earth of Tara.
Mr. O'HARA: Land's the only thing that matters...
ASHLEY: something you love better than me...
BOTH: Tara...Tara!... Tara!... Tara!
SCARLETT: Tara! Home. I'll go home.....
Tara is the place where Scarlett achieves self-realization. It is the place where her memories and ambitions are rooted. It is also the place over which Scarlett asserts an entitlement that is superior to that of either of her sisters (and fellow heirs) Suellen and Carreen (recall the great scene where Scarlett bosses the sisters around, forces them to pick cotton, and then slaps Suellen for yelling "I hate Tara" in the fields). I know there are some GWTW fans out there - what other theories of property are on full display in the film?
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