The Birth of a Nation Scene 2 Summary

  • A caption describes Piedmont as a place "where life runs in a quaintly way that is to be no more." We're meeting the Cameron family—most notably, Ben, the eldest son.
  • We meet his sister Margaret, as she enters a giant mansion. Music swells. This, the filmmakers seem to be saying, is a good place.
  • We also meet Ben's mother, father, and baby sister. They're all chilling. We wonder how they could possibly have so much free time. It probably has nothing to do with being slave-owners or anything like that.
  • There are a lot of shots of pets—like, a lot. We get puppies and kittens galore.
  • Ben's sisters hand him a letter which we can presume to be from the Stoneman bros. Everyone seems excited by the news.
  • The Stoneman brothers arrive and greet the family warmly. One of the brothers is clearly flirting with Margaret.
  • The two younger brothers of the respective families engage in comic banter, making fun of each other's hats and running around the yard. These are adult men, by the way.