I'm in the process of re-reading one of my top ten books of all time, Gone with the Wind. Obviously the book is a fascinating historical novel, and a moving romance. It's not erotica at all, but of course being me, I appreciate all it has to say about sex and the human psyche. The love triangle of Scarlett, Rhett and Ashley is quite indicative of the archetypal struggles of women in love in all times and places.

Sexual repression in the Civil War era South, particularly among females, has to rival anything in human history. Scarlett is like the rest of her peers, who deny their own sexuality, are taught nothing of erotic pleasure, but are instead schooled in manners and embroiled in issues of class. Consequently Scarlett is drawn to Ashley for his appearance of nobility, without any consideration of his suitability as a mate. She has no understanding whatsoever of his mind and soul, but is completely in thrall of her fantasized view of him.

Meanwhile Rhett, of course, is truly the type of man who could please her and complement her character. On some unconscious level Scarlett knows it too--that's why he's forever getting her hot and bothered, arousing her sexually even though she literally cannot even recognize the symptoms. She is so indoctrinated in her Victorian sensibilities that she can't make head nor tails of the sensations she experiences when Rhett touches or kisses her.

Rhett is often described as bestial, animalistic, a man who is motivated by his natural inclinations rather than the precepts of his society. Ashley, on the other hand, has so far removed himself from the real world that he lives in a dream. Consequently he has become an otherworldly being, an "angel." I have to admit, I've always found appeal in both men--and also in both Clark Cable and Leslie Howard. I can identify with Scarlett's completely idealized, unrealistic, foolish adoration for Ashley. And I can also feel her uncontrollable, irrational, but liberating lust for Rhett.

At one point in both book and film, Rhett tells Scarlett "You need kissing...badly." I've always loved that scene for some reason, probably because Rhett speaks of the phenomenon that I believe drives our need to read erotic fiction. Rhett's rival Ashley stands for the ideal of romance, the unattainable perfection and sweet, pristine union for which so many women (particularly romance readers) yearn. Meanwhile, however, Rhett demonstrates that if we neglect our more "fleshly" feelings--desire, lust, the simple craving for erotic pleasure--we are going to be as out of balance as the clueless Scarlett.

That's why it's mentally healthy to indulge in the occasional "bad boy" fantasy. Rhett Butler is the prototypical bad boy. Although he redeems himself from time to time, he is never quite a hero and often a ruffian and a devil. While Scarlett is better off matched with him, it's still not a perfect match and bound to be volatile and painful. To say life with Rhett is like sex without love is far too simplistic; but it is an environment in which the sex will be great (see Scarlett's face the morning after Rhett "rapes" her), but life will never be peaceful.

However, with Ashley love could never be satisfying, at least for Scarlett. He has lost too much of what it means to be male, particularly in a sexual relationship. He's a dear, beautiful man indeed, and a fine match for the equally idealistic and repressed Melanie, but there is much of life and love that pair will never experience or comprehend.

So, it would seem in a perfect world (which the Civil War South was not, nor is any time or place) one would do well to find some sort of Rhett/Ashley hybrid. Perhaps. But to me the real point of the book in this regard is how emotionally crippled Scarlett is because she doesn't understand her own sexuality. She can't make clear decisions about love, or determine the best way of fulfilling her own needs, or truly make the most of erotic opportunities.

I find very amusing these scenes where Scarlett, in the arms of Rhett, experiences inexplicable stirrings. I cannot help but cheer for him in his attempts to "educate" her, to teach this little aristocrat a few of the things the prostitute Belle Watling knows. I really like Scarlett for her gumption, practicality, and courage; I wish she could have a little more fun.

But then, she wouldn't be Scarlett O'Hara. And some things you really just want to leave be: like Scarlett's amusing confusion over her own lust. There's certainly nothing else like it in literature, and any erotic romance fan is certain to find it fascinating.

Diana Laurence is the author of the Soulful Sex anthologies, and just released her new paperback, Soulful Sex: The Paranormal, Science Fiction and Fantasy Collections. Visit her at www.dianalaurence.com.