Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind: Why it is My Favorite Novel
This year, 2011, marks the 75thanniversary of the publication of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. Seventy five years ago, the novel became a smash sensation and quickly led to a film adaptation of the same name. Gone with the Wind is my all-time favorite novel and movie.
Gone with the Wind follows Scarlett O'Hara from an immature 16 year old who believes she is in love with Ashley Wilkes to a mature twenty-something who realizes she is in love with a different man in Rhett Butler. The end of both the book and movie leave the reader with doubt her feelings remain requited.
Scarlett's maturation occurs during the Civil War time period. As the war continues, Scarlett grows up in mind and body. Her realization of adult life and the Southern United States' realization of a carefree existence with slaves to having to understand a world with little help are compared. Mitchell's use of imagery causes the reader to feel as though he or she is reading a genuine tale about southern history. In reality, Mitchell made Tara a place based on rural life in Georgia. To date, people visit Georgia looking for Tara.
My father was first to interest me in reading Gone with the Wind. The length of the book was overwhelming and it took him several years to convince me to read it. I fell in love with Gone with the Wind immediately. As someone with Southern roots dating to prior to the Civil War period, it was captivating to read a story based on Southern plantation life of more than one-hundred years ago.
At times I find myself using Scarlett O'Hara's catch phrases such as "Tomorrow is another day" and "Fiddle-dee-dee." Those who are fellow "Windies" (so called due to love of the book and movie) understand.
Gone with the Wind is my favorite novel because it combines a fascinating glimpse into Southern Civil War history with a charming, fictional story of a young lady who realizes something many of us already know. Sometimes in life we may realize what we have when it is too late.
Published by Andrea Rowe
Born in NE Arkansas six miles from where my dad s family lived as long ago as 1820. College grad in psychology field. My children and I have a very rare genetic disease that seriously impacts our lives. I... View profile
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3 Comments
Post a CommentDefinitely one of my favorites too.
I have never read the book and haven't seen the movie in years either. It's a classic.
GWTW is my absolute favorite too! I read it as a young teen or preeteen, all 1064 pages of it, in just a few days. I'll bet I've read it dozens of times since, but not for many years. I've read the sequel, Scarlet, and wasn't impressed at all.