There’s been quite a few instances of analogising the life of the ye olde classic Southern lady with real life social and psychological phenomena. A little googling revealed, among others, this, a variation of the most common analogy dealing with procrastination which basically says
“Tomorrow, there’s always tomorrow. Forget that you missed out today.” (which has been my daily morning chant over the last few years.)
But i’m fascinated with this version below, raped from a TIME article dealing with something different, erm, politics.
“For a day or two after Colin Powell declined to enter the presidential race, many Americans felt an irritated deflation, followed by a wave of what might be called Scarlett O’Hara syndrome–a pining for the Ashley Wilkes we cannot have.
It is a surreal development in the American electorate’s psychology that Powell should be the Ashley Wilkes in this piece, the unavailable paragon……..the romance of the withheld is powerful. Scarlett wanted Ashley because she could not have him. Human nature yearns for–idealizes–what is placed out of reach: Lycidas, the hero who dies in youth; Camelot, the bright, magic might-have-been. A politics of Zen–the most powerful presence is someone who isn’t there.”
Alrighty then. So. Which goes to show how fascinated I am of you, yes you Miss D, everything about you. But you’re gone.
Have read this novel and I remember being so annoyed with Miss Scarlett O’Hara …I found her really vain. I would nickname her “Miss Vanity”….
Btw it goes without saying that Miss D has many posts dedicated to her…Lucky gal
She is vain, O’Hara. But she makes it up with good pop culture analogies.