Flap - Bedside Lamp English Learning Reader I (Pure English Version)

Author: Margaret Mitchell
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: In 1861, President Lincoln ordered the emancipation of slaves, but the Southern states strongly opposed it, even to the point of war. The drums of war beat, and people were in turmoil. The story takes place in Georgia, a state in the Confederate South. Scarlett O'Hara, the eldest daughter of the Tara plantation owner, was already beautiful and mature at just sixteen, with bright eyes that revealed a restless and spirited personality. Many young men in neighboring plantations had long been infatuated with Scarlett, but she was deeply in love with Ashley Wilkes of the nearby Wilkes plantation. However, Ashley was about to marry his cousin Melanie. The Wilkes plantation hosted a party, and Scarlett's family was invited. Dressed in fine attire, Scarlett appeared charming yet somewhat proud at the lively gathering. Ashley warmly introduced Melanie to her, but Scarlett grew jealous. Driven by vanity, Scarlett tried to appear indifferent, but her deep love for Ashley made her sneak downstairs while the women were resting to confess her feelings to him.
The men were discussing the war in the parlor. Young, carefree, and somewhat cynical, Butler believed the war was unfavorable to the South. He was immediately attacked by others and had to leave the room. Near the staircase, Scarlett caught Ashley as he was about to leave to chase after Butler. She boldly and stubbornly asked him to love her and marry her, but Ashley refused. The war finally broke out. Southern young men joined the army. Before going to war, Ashley married Melanie. Enraged by jealousy, Scarlett hastily married Charles. But the war soon made Scarlett a widow.
On Christmas Day in 1862, Ashley returned home but would soon leave for the front lines. On the night of their parting, Scarlett once again poured out her passionate love to Ashley. Ashley calmly told her that he loved his wife and asked Scarlett to take good care of Melanie, who was pregnant. Scarlett promised him.
The war continued to escalate, and the Southern army suffered successive defeats, leaving the rear in chaos. Just then, Melanie gave birth to a son. To get Melanie and the child out of the dangerous city, Scarlett had to ask Butler to take them to Tara plantation in a carriage. The carriage raced through ruins and smoke. When they reached safety, Butler unexpectedly told Scarlett that he was joining the army to fight for the South. Scarlett was confused. Butler confessed his love for her and asked her to give him a memento before he left for the battlefield. Scarlett kissed him.
Finally, Scarlett returned to her home, but the reality stunned her: her mother had died of typhoid, and her father had gone mad. Although Tara plantation still stood on the horizon, it was in ruins. She wandered aimlessly. The five-year Civil War ended with the South's defeat. Ashley returned home with the emotional scars of war, reunited with his wife and child. The war also cost Ashley his home—the Wilkes plantation—and he had to temporarily live with his wife and child in Scarlett's house. Scarlett's unwavering love for Ashley did not fade with the war. One day, she found Ashley and asked him to take her away from this impoverished place. She vowed that she needed nothing but to love him. But once again, she was rejected.
After the war, Scarlett lived a difficult life under Northern control. To raise money for taxes, she seduced her sister's boyfriend and soon married the small shop owner. Scarlett's second marriage did not bring her much happiness. Soon after, her husband was shot to death by Northern soldiers during a political rally in the town. Butler came to visit the unfortunate woman with a gift. Faced with the still beautiful and charming Scarlett, Butler sincerely asked her to marry him again. The poverty brought by the war had softened Scarlett's once willful and proud nature, and she finally agreed to Butler's request. After their marriage, they lived a prosperous life, and the birth of their daughter brought even more joy. But soon, Butler discovered that Scarlett still held a place in her heart for Ashley. He wanted to divorce her but could not bear to leave his beloved daughter. Fate seemed to be playing a cruel joke on them. During a horseback riding game, their daughter tragically died. Butler lost his last spiritual.
The kind Melanie, despite her frail health, rushed to comfort them but collapsed from exhaustion. On her deathbed, Melanie asked Scarlett to care for Ashley as she would her husband and told her that she deeply loved him. It was then that Scarlett realized she had been chasing a phantom. Butler finally decided to leave Scarlett and return to his hometown to live a quiet life alone. At that moment, Scarlett truly understood that she loved Butler. But it was too late. The house was left with only Scarlett. Her heart was filled with sorrow. She would return to Tara plantation. She prayed: Tomorrow would be a new beginning.