Gone with the Wind
Written by Margaret Mitchell
First Published 1936
For book lovers, the story of Scarlett O’Hara is one that they can never miss. Gone with the Wind is always among the top-books-to-read-before-you-die lists anywhere in the web. And the reason behind this fact is none other than the brilliance of Margaret Mitchell’s work.
Scarlett O’Hara is a southern belle, a spoiled daughter from a rich Irish family living in Georgia, southern America. She’s not beautiful, as said in the novel, but she has this certain charm that makes her an irresistible young lady towards men. Young men are all fond of her. And she’s living a happy life, there were parties and barbecues, and plenty of fun-filled events.
When the Civil War was announced, grave things has started to happen to her, to her family, and to the people around her. The once happy, high with energy life she had known from birth, has started to fade away and be gone. There were deaths, illness, poverty, marriages, pregnancy, etc. And she has to make decisions that will make sure of her own life’s survival, as well as of those people around her and people she cares for, even though she wasn’t aware that she cares for them.
Aside from survival (which encompass not only the physical aspect of being alive but as well as surviving the social environment), her heart is also in a difficult situation. Scarlett has always loved Ashley, a man she had always adored. But Ashley has already married another woman, Melanie, who is a very different woman than she is. And Ashley has also gone for the war to join the “Confederacy” against the “Union”.
And then there’s Rhett Butler, a rogue, a blockade runner, an enigmatic handsome man who adores Scarlett O’Hara. The difficult situation of Scarlett has made better by Rhett Butler. When Scarlett is with him, she has fun, despite all the things going around her. Their relationship has always been interesting.
But the love and concern that Rhett Butler has always had for Scarlett isn’t returned well. But that’s alright for Rhett, who would only smirk in wide amusement. So he continued to help her, make her shine again, make her life more fun again.
In the end, well… Rhett has waited so long. And Scarlett was too blind to see. And when she finally did, it was too late.
It is quite depressing, the end.
But brilliant nevertheless.
“Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” – Rhett Butler
The novel is really so long, the book is so thick. I have loved so many characters. Aside from the story of Scarlett and Rhett, the story also focused a lot on American Civil War history, and honestly, I learned quite a lot about it.
5/5
On the Couch, Eating Potatoes 