Utterly ridiculous

>So if a child (maybe yours) did such a bad thing like breaking an egg, you >would never trust him or her ever again?

We're not talking about the blind and unconditional love a parent gives to a child. We're talking about the relationship between siblings which is a different dynamic. I had an older brother and he would do and say things to me that he would flat out deny to my parents that he ever did or said. My parents wouldn't know who to believe, but I did. And Ashton did more than simply break an egg. She broke it, wiped it on Brett's dress, and said, "If I can't have it, nobody will!" That pretty much sums up her character.

>And again, Ashton kept her true nature a secret.

She DIDN'T keep her true nature a secret. Her true nature was revealed in the very first scene! And there's no reason to believe that she wasn't just as unashamedly demonstrative about about her true character a thousand other times during her life with the Mains. Even so, it would be impossible for her to fool the Mains for twenty odd years--until she attempted murder--without them getting a clue unless they're complete idiots. I suppose you think Kim Jong Il began developing nuclear weapons to defend against an American invasion like he said. Wrong. He was a leopard who couldn't change his spots. He protrayed himself as a noble leader, but fooled no one into believing he was anything other than a psycho. You're taking two instances shown in the movie--the egg and her promiscuity--as if they are the only two such occurences ever in her life. Even so, she was found out by a family member each time. And, again, there's no reason to believe this didn't happen a hundred other times over the years which weren't portrayed in the film.

>In the case of Virgilia, her worst actions before the Mont Royal visit were >her words. Not a basis for ostracization.

I wasn't suggesting that she be ostracized because of her words. Only that she not be trusted because of them. And I would have been right in doing so as it turns out.

Virgilia was never shown to be evil. She was simply a fanatic about her -noble- beliefs about slavery needing to be abolished. I think that the Hazards tolerated her more because they agreed with her opinion on slavery, but simply differed in her extremism and her essentially blaming the Mains (who were portrayed as moderates who treated their slaves humanely -especially compared to Justin. As Constance told George, Orry -and the other Mains, save Ashton- were a product of the belief system and heritage they were raised in. It would take time -generations- to change those beliefs) for slavery. I do agree that Virgilia seemed to go more and more insane as time went by. She seemed to totally lose it by the time of John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry.

Ashton's plotting was never known to the rest of the Main family until the plot to murder Billy came to light. I'm sure Orry and Brett were aware that Ashton 'got around'. Orry seemed to be aware of it enough that he tried to warn Huntoon what he was getting into. However, they never suspected she would go so far as to try and murder someone, her sister's husband, no less.

In the books, both Virgilia and Ashton have slightly more depth to them. Virgilia survives and mellows after the war. She even makes up her previous actions to the Mains by helping them to keep Mont Royal. Ashton, does admit to sometimes feeling shame about how she acts with men, when she visits Tillet's gravesite. After the war, when she's reduced to running a brothel, Ashton finds herself wishing she was a child playing with Brett back at Mont Royal again.

Comparing Ashton to Charles simply doesn't wash. Charles was never shown to be cruel or manipulative. He was simply wild and enjoyed raising hell. In the book, after tutoring Charles for the duel, it's Orry who gets the idea of Charles making a career in the Army. He sees that Charles has a great deal of intelligence and potential, but only needs some direction in his life. He acts as role model, and Charles broaches the subject of perhaps going to West Point.

In the book, Bent is described as having been a superior student at West Point but a very unpopular one. Orry and George learn that he was subjected to far more hazing than other plebes were, and that -in the opinion of his peers and superiors- he brought it on himself with his pronouncements of his superior abilities and his connections. As well, Bent in the miniseries is the combination of both the the book's Bent and a Georgian that Ashton has an affair with and plots to overthrow the Davis government with.

Justin is just as evil in the book as in the miniseries. The Mains seem to have little regard for him as they know how bad he is. It adds to Madeline's tragedy that her father turned her away for Orry -who would've been good to her- to marry Justin, who her father clearly didn't know the true nature of.