Gone with the Wind: the Book Versus the Movie

Gone With the Wind is a book written by Margaret Mitchell that was released in June 1936. Gone with the Wind is also a movie produced and released in 1939. The film stars Rhett Butler as Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes, and Olivia de Havilland as Melanie Hamilton. I have seen Gone With the Wind so many times there was no need for me to look up the actors' names. I have read Mitchell's book an equal number of times. There are many differences that exist between Gone With the Wind the book and Gone With the Wind the movie.

The most obvious difference to someone who has read the book and then watched the movie is the number of children to whom Scarlett O'Hara was a mother. In both Gone with the Wind the movie and Gone with the Wind the book, Scarlett marries three times. She first marries Charles Hamilton, Melanie's brother, in an attempt to make Ashley Wilkes jealous. Charles Hamilton dies when the Civil War begins and some time passes before Scarlett remarries. Charles does return home, or they conceive on their honeymoon, because Scarlett gives birth to a son named Wade.

When Scarlett steals Frank Kennedy from her sister Sue Ellen, they also get married. Frank Kennedy is prosperous and Scarlett marries him in an attempt to save their land, Tara. Scarlett becomes a mother for the second time when little Ella, who is described as resembling her unattractive father Frank, is born. Frank is killed while defending Scarlett's honor.

Scarlett finally marries Rhett when he declares the only way he can have her is to marry her. Several months after they marry, Eugenia ("Bonnie Blue") Butler is born. Another child is conceived when Rhett forces himself on Scarlett but the child is lost when she falls down the stairs.

An important difference between Gone With the Wind the movie and Gone With the Wind the book involves the scene where Melanie Wilkes gives her wedding ring to "the cause." In Margaret Mitchell's story, the wedding ring being given away was actually Scarlett's idea with her wedding ring from Charles Hamilton and Melanie followed suit rather than the other way around. This storyline was changed because it was believed the sacrifice of Melanie was more in character to who she was than the sacrifice of Scarlett (I found this in one of the extras from the Gone With the Wind 70^th anniversary DVD).

Another difference between Gone With the Wind the movie and the Gone With the Wind the book is in how Gerald O'Hara dies. In Gone With the Wind the book, Gerald does die while on a horse attempting to jump a fence. He does not die in protecting his land from Jonas Wilkerson. Scarlett is in town married to Frank Kennedy when the accident occurs rather than at home observing his death. The accident occurs as a result of Sue Ellen almost convincing the now feeble minded Gerald to admit to being a Yankee supporter so he could gain benefits. Gerald realizes his daughter has betrayed him and is killed in returning home on his horse and jumping the fence.

There are other differences between Gone With the Wind the movie and Gone With the Wind the book but these are some of the main ones. It is best to read the book rather than rely completely on the movie because in all cases there are some differences between the two.