Gone With The Wind Themes

Gone with the Wind by the late Margaret Mitchell has been described as one of the greatest books of this past century. With its depiction of Southern culture, rich characters, and vibrant landscapes, the book has captivated audiences for quite some time. However, this may not be the case for modern audiences. It is time to discuss if the book still holds up to today’s standards, or falls flat on its face. The plot of Gone with the Wind revolves around the life of Scarlett O’Hara and the events that unfold around her. This not only includes the American Civil War, but the circumstances before and after the war. This includes three marriages, three children, and a heap of dead people. We see Scarlett trying to survive in the South after the Yankees have taking everything away from her besides her family and land. This all eventually leads to her marriage with Rhett Butler and his eventual departure. The characters in Gone with the Wind are all well-drawn out, but with only a few truly memorable ones. It has already been discussed the character of …show more content…
The entire basis of the story involves how the lives of these simple Southern people were uprooted and destroyed by this war. In order to adapt, the Southerners had to make changes to their lifestyle. After the war was over, no one could go back to the simple lives they once foolishly took for granted. This is how survival factors into this story. The primordial force that is the American Civil War forced the South to do what it needed to survive. This is shown when a Yankee soldier rode on over to Tara, planning on either stealing from the plantation or raping the woman inside of it, maybe even both. His plans were all for nothing when Scarlett shot him dead in the face. This shows the extent the Southerners, or people in general, are willing to go to survive in this new and dangerous