Why is scarlet o'hara

[DuffyMoon]

So in love with Ashley Wilkes?

Because she's 15 and she thinks he is beautiful and dashing and the epitome of a Southern Gentleman.
Plus he doesn't persue her so she wants what she can't have.

I know at the beginning...but she stays in love with him for so long. He doesn't particularly redeem himself as time goes on becoming another of Scarlett's "lame ducks" to be taken care of. Do you think scarlet and rhett don't work is because they are too similar and/or there were "three of them in the marriage"

I think she is so in love with the idea of being with him, his unavailability and his frightening absences at war, make her idealise him until finally the blinkers fall off.
It's sad. And she is so used to Rhett she takes him for granted.

But he is so wet...especially compared to rhett...

Of course. That's part of the point though isn't it? She is so determined and wilfully but actually never knew her own mind.

Ashley is way less wet in the book. Way less.

Melanie and Ashley. Forever "wet" names thanks to that book'!

He is less wet in the book but still useless...on the plantation, in the store. On another note, why is Melanie so weak physically, she shouldn't have had the baby, she can't have another, it will kill her and then she dies young...is it the Wilkes-Hamilton inbreeding ?

Scarlett suffered from an almost fatal case of ' being spoiled rotten and therefore wanting only the things she couldn't have ' hence the attraction of Ashley. That 'illness' was heightened by the fact she had a very large stubborn streak - from her O'Hara side - and would find it very hard to admit to herself never-mind others that he was weak and not a good match for her.
Dying in childbirth or being invalided after childbirth was fairly common, I guess things like what we now call pre-eclampsia or losing a lot of blood had huge ramifications at that time . The in-breeding certainly wouldn't have helped !

Because he's handsome and debonair.

I so would.

Fleta, really ??!! I'd class Rhett as handsome and debonair but I'd want to slap some life into Ashley !