MovieChat Forums > North and South (1985) Discussion > Ashton's fate

Ashton's fate

posted 11 years ago by whoiamnow
9 replies | jump to latest

I watched most of this series over that last few weeks but I wasn't able too watch it all.

At the end, Brett & Billy, Madeline & Orry, and George & Constance are seen walking together. What happened to Ashton?

[–] whoiamnow 11 years ago

Never mind. I just wiki-ed it. In my world, Book III was never written. My ending is they live happily ever after and die of old age. Ashton is sincere in changing her ways, moves West and opens the best bordilo (sp?) ever. The end.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] whoiamnow 11 years ago

Cool you jets, LordSoth81, you get my idea regardless of what happened in which book. No need to be so pedantic.

And in my fantasy ending, pigs can fly.

[–] rikajessie 11 years ago

Well, personally I don't understand all the hate for Book III, I mean they had to tie things up. I'm glad we got to see George, Madeline and Charles find love again and find out what happened to Bent. Regardless of whether people like it or not though, Book III is part of canon since it is written by John Jakes. But, I guess it is up to everyone to dream what they want.

You don't think Ashton was showing just the slightest bit of maturity in Book III? She seemed to genuinely like Will Fenway, which surprised me because he was no hot stud or anything like that. I wish they would have stayed together. She also gave a lot of money to some suffragists.

She was at her worst in Book II in the way she treated James, that was just atrocious, particularly because he adored her. I'm not going to watch that part in the remake, the first movie tried to make her a little nicer to him, like saying "I care about James", but she never said that in the book. I picture the new movie trying to glamorize her behavior in Book II though thinking it's going to get ratings in a sordid way. Yuck.

In any case, I think Jakes thought Ashton was getting her punishment by growing old and losing her beauty and appeal to men, but that happens to every single person on the planet, good or bad, so yeah, that wasn't a very fitting punishment. I think the author had a bit of a crush on Ashton, he's always talking about her body and every man falls at her feet at some point. Sort of a Mary Sue except lacking the "good girl" aspect.

Her story ends when she's 40, you never know, she might have changed by the time she died, but I doubt it. And the author never explains why she's like she is, it's not like was poor and abused or something. Maybe everyone spoiled her just because she looked good, and that's why she has such a sense of entitlement.

[–] taylorje 11 years ago

I think people dislike the movie "Heaven and Hell" (book 3) a lot more than the book.

[–] rikajessie 11 years ago

I'm sure that's true. I don't think the movie is bad though. I like it. I wish it could have been longer, that's all. And my favorite part is Philip Casnoff's chilling portrayal of Bent. I think it was his best performance as the character.

And I liked the Charles recast. I guess they couldn't get the original guy, but I thought the new one was good.

[–] furienna 9 years ago

I think the author had a bit of a crush on Ashton, he's always talking about her body and every man falls at her feet at some point. Sort of a Mary Sue except lacking the "good girl" aspect.

That would be a Jerk Sue. That is, someone whom the other characters (and also the writer) seem to just adore, despite how it's obvious that he/she isn't a good person.

Intelligence and purity.

[–] rikajessie 9 years ago

Oh that's interesting, I had never heard of that term. I like that, Jerk Sue, lol.

[–] rikajessie 11 years ago

Well the movie doesn't really say what happened to her at the end of the 2nd movie. However, there is a 3rd movie and book (despite what people say about the 3rd book, it's not that bad and I actually think Ashton improves somewhat as a character in it. No, she doesn't become good but she shows a teensy bit of maturing in some parts and she's very humorous in some of it too). In the book, Ashton never did show remorse for any of her actions, that was added in by the 2nd movie.

The 3rd book is called Heaven and Hell, and that's what the miniseries is called too. It may come on Encore Westerns this Saturday 10 am EST, so check it out if you can.

In the book, it shows how Ashton has ended up in the bordello in the Southwest. In the 2nd book, James actually dies, he is killed by Ashton's lover when they go out to the Southwest to start a new confederacy. Ashton's lover wasn't really Bent, movie Bent is a cross between book Bent and a character Ashton had an affair with. Ashton's lover is killed by Indians and James left Ashton no money upon his death because he knew she was having an affair, so she is penniless. That's how she ends up in the brothel, where she meets Will Fenway, who is in the 3rd movie.

Here's a great summary of Ashton's story from the Heaven and Hell board:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108823/board/thread/160132735