Rhett utters this line, likely the most
famous in the whole novel, in the final chapter, after Scarlett
asks what she will do if Rhett abandons her. Rhett leaves Scarlett
for the last time with these words, illustrating the love-hate nature
of their relationship. The indifference and profanity in the line
perfectly encapsulate Rhett’s charming but spiteful character. Because
Rhett hides his emotions, most notably his love for Scarlett, beneath
a surface of nonchalance for so long, we cannot be sure of his exact
feelings at this moment. The placement and alliteration of the words
“dear” and “damn” seems to give them equal weight, accentuating
the tension between the two. This line thus establishes a new conflict
for Scarlett to resolve, which in turn gives us the sense that the
story of Rhett and Scarlett does not end with Rhett’s departure.
Incidentally, when the movie version of the novel was
released in 1939,
the use of the word “damn” set off a wave of publicity and scandal,
and the director was fined $5,000 for
its inclusion. Though “damn” appears frequently in the novel, such
language was seen as explicitly objectionable in film, and its use
cemented the line and the movie in popular culture history.