In May of 1862, Scarlett arrives in Atlanta and is pleasantly surprised by the bustle of the place. The town is only 20 years old and has grown to become a thriving metropolis and the central rail hub for the entire South. Scarlett is less pleased with her new housemates. Aunt Pittypat is a fluttery and indecisive 60-year-old, while Melanie is a constant reminder of Ashley. Scarlett has little time to brood because she is drawn into the charitable activities of Atlanta’s most prominent families and volunteers her time at the Confederate hospitals in town. Scarlett is nauseated by the gruesome spectacle of wounded and dying men but pretends to care about them to emulate Melanie’s saintlike behavior.

Although Scarlett enjoys the constant activity of Atlanta, she chafes at the necessity of wearing widow’s mourning clothing for a year after her husband’s death. She is especially annoyed to be excluded from a charity bazaar that promises to be a major social gathering simply because she is supposed to be in mourning. At the last moment, two young women drop out of the event, and Scarlett finagles an invitation for herself, Aunt Pitty, and Melanie. On the evening of the bazaar, Scarlett watches the happy partygoers and resents staffing a booth with charity merchandise while everyone else is having a good time.