How much do we really know about Prissy? She wasn't a major character, yet always seemed in the background. She was the child of Dilcey, but her father wasn't made known to us. She came to Tara when Gerald bought Dilcey from the Wilkes' plantation as Pork's bride. Prissy was bought too, because Gerald was soft hearted. Here is the quote from that scene:

"Well, bring in the bride," said Gerald, and Pork, turning, beckoned into the hall to his wife, newly arrived from the Wilkes plantation to become part of the household of Tara. She entered, and behind her, almost hidden by her voluminous calico skirts, came her twelve-year-old daughter, squirming against her mother's legs.

(The quote goes on to say that Dilcey could have been any age between thirty and sixty, and was of mixed blood, Indian and Negro).

"When she spoke, her voice was not so slurred as most negroes' and she chose her words more carefully.

"Good evenin', young Misses, Mist' Gerald, I is sorry to 'sturb you, but I wanted to come here and thank you again fo' buyin' me and my chile. Lots of gentlemens might a' bought me but they wouldn't a' bought my Prissy, too, jes' to keep me frum grevin' and I thanks you. I'm gwine do me bes' fo' you and show you I ain't forgettin'."

"Hum--hurrump," said Gerald, clearing his throat in embarrassment at being caught openly in an act of kindness.

Dilcey turned to Scarlett and something like a smile wrinkled the corners of her eyes. "Miss Scarlett, Poke done tole me how you ast Mist Gerald to buy me. And so I'm gwine give you my Prissy fo' you' own maid."

She reached behind her and jerked the little girl forward. She was a brown little creature, with skinny legs like a bird and a myriad of pigtails carefully wrapped with twine sticking stiffly out from her head. She had sharp, knowing eyes that missed nothing and a studiedly stupid look on her face."

Prissy's big scene, and the one everyone seems to remember and quote from, is the scene where Melly is having her baby. Before Aunt Pittypat left Atlanta because the Yankees were getting dangerously close, Dr. Meade had told Scarlett to stay with Melly, for she couldn't be moved in her condition. To comfort Scarlett, Prissy declares:

"Miss Scarlett, effen we kain git de doctah w'en Miss Melly's time come, doan you bodder. Ah kin manage. Ah knows all 'bout birthin'. Ain' mah ma a midwife? Ain' she raise me ter be a midwife, too? Jes' you leave it ter me."

But, when the baby is coming . . . .

"Is de doctah come?"

"No. He can't come."

"Gawd, Miss Scarlett! Miss Melly's bad off!"

"The doctor can't come. Nobody can come. You've got to bring the baby and I'll help you."

Prissy's mouth fell open and her tongue wagged wordlessly. She looked at Scarlett sideways and scuffed her feet and twisted her thin body.

"Don't look so simple minded!" cried Scarlett, infuriated at her silly expression. "What's the matter?"

Prissy edged back up the stairs.

"Fo' Gawd, Miss Scarlett--" Fright and shame were in her rolling eyes.

"Well?"

"Fo' Gawd, Miss Scarlett! We's got ter have a doctah. Ah--Ah--Miss Scarlett, Ah doan know nuthin' 'bout bringin' babies. Maw wouldn' nebber lemme be 'round folkses whut wuz havin' dem."

All the breath went out of Scarlett's lungs in one gasp of horror before rage swept her. Prissy made a lunge past her, bent on flight, but Scarlett grabbed her.

"You black liar -- what do you mean?? You've been saying you knew everything about birthing babies. What is the truth! Tell me!" Scarlett shook her until the kinky head rocked drunkenly.

"Ah's lyin', Miss Scarlett! Ah doan know huccome Ah tell sech a lie. Ah's jes' see one baby birthed, an' Maw she lak ter wo' me out fer watcthin'."

Prissy become unimportant after Scarlett, Melly, Prissy and Beau escape Atlanta, and fades into the background again. But that one scene with her in the spotlight was a memorable one.

"Miss Scarlett, Ah doan know nuthin' 'bout bringin' babies!"

(Scarlett and Prissy / Vivien Leigh and Butterfly McQueen)