I have finished the emotional rollar coaster that was Gone with the Wind. I know, it's incredible that I have made it to this point in my life knowing basically nothing about this classic story. It's incredible and it's ridiculous at the same time. You would think that I would have at least watched the movie. I mean, I know 2 girls who were named after Katie Scarlett O'Hara. That is quite a precedent. But, the book always seemed too daunting to me. For some reason I had it mixed up in my mind that it would read like a Charles Dickens book. Was I ever wrong!
She looked - and was - as simple as earth, as good as bread, as transparent as spring water. But for all her plainness of feature and smallness of stature, there was a sedate dignity about her movements that was oddly touching and far older than her seventeen years. Gone With The Wind (Maraget Mitchell)
I absolutely loved every minute I spent reading Gone with the Wind. At 1400 pages, it's no quick read, but Margaret Mitchell's writing is extraordinary. The story is amazing and the writing, oh, it's just so good. I did not want to put it down. EVER. I basically stayed up most of last night finishing this novel.
Her love was still a young girl's adoration for a man she could not understand, a man who possessed al the qualities she did not own but which she admired. He was still a young girl's dream of the Perfect Knight and her dream asked no more than acknowledgement of his love, went no further than hopes of a kiss.
Scarlett is an interesting character. When I think of the fact that I know 2 people named after Scarlett O'Hara I wonder why. I basically spent the last 25% of the book hating almost everything about her. But then again, she is a very real and very raw character. Mitchell lets us know Scarlett's deepest thoughts. Thoughts that you wouldn't admit to anyone. She is also a very strong character and definitely has a lot of redeeming qualities too. Her drive and determination to achieve her goals being the largest of those.
Talk always turned to war now, all conversations on any topic led from war or back to war - sometimes sad, often gay, but always war. War romances, war weddings, deaths in hospitals and on the field, incidents of camp and battle and march, gallantry, cowardice, humor, sadness, deprivation, and hope. Always, always hope. Hope firn, unshaken, despite the defeats of the summer before.
Throughout the novel, my thoughts on Scarlett wavered between pride for her accomplishments and loyalties and complete disgust and contempt with her thoughts and actions. Mingled in there were comparisons with her to myself. I always do that, compare myself to the main character. I always think, that is something I would do! It's slightly ridiculous I know.
In the dull twilight of the winter afternoon she came to the end of the long road which had begun the night Atlanta fell. She had set her feet upon that road a spoiled, selfish and untried girl, full of youth, warm of emotion, easily bewildered by life. Now, at the end of the road, there was nothing left of that girl.
When I think of the sharp contrast of feelings I felt in regard to Scarlett's character, I really give Mitchell a dose of credit for that. Throughout the story, she does such a great job showing two sides to every person, every issue, every situation. Everything about the book is just so real and so human. Yes Scarlett has good qualities, but she also has a lot of bad ones. Yes, Rhett seems like a bad man, but he has an infinite amount of good qualities also. Yes, Ashley is a very honorable man, but even he makes mistakes. It is just so real.
She was darkness and he was darkness and there had never been anything before this time, only darkness and his lips upon her.
I also like that Mitchell gives us a different perspective on the war than what we learn in history class. By no means am I saying that I support slavery or any such notions like that, but it is also important to remember that history is often written by the victors and there are two sides to every issue.
...She realized that Melanie had always been there beside her with a sword in her hand, unobtrusive as her own shadow, loving her, fighting for her with blind passionate loyalty, fighitng Yankees, fire, hunger, poverty, public opinion and even her beloved blood kin.
Mitchell was born in Atlanta in 1900 and grew up hearing stories about the war, except no one told her the Confederates lost. She didn't learn that until she was ten. Mitchell's mother also died when she was 19 and she returned home to care for her father and brother. She was married three times (Her first husband's name was Henry and he was killed in World War I). Mitchell was also the first woman to cover hard news for The Atlanta Journal. It makes me wonder if Scarlett was modeled after herself. The similarities do seem to be somewhat astounding. Gone With The Wind was published in 1936. In 1939 when the movie first aired in Atlanta the rights to the book had been purchased for $50,000 which at that time was the highest Hollywood had ever paid for the rights to a first novel!
There was such a note of wild despair in his low voice that she dropped her hand from his arm and stepped back. And in the heavy silence that fell between them, she felt that she really understood him for the first time in her life.
I can't wait to watch the movie this weekend!
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