Gone with the Wind
by Margaret Mitchell
The title of one of the most famous American novel comes from the phrase, “a civilization gone with the wind,” which means if Margaret Mitchell didn’t completely transport her readers back to the pre-war American South, she didn’t do her job. Far more than the film adaptation, the novel describes the lifestyle, mindset, and values perfectly. I read this book for the first time last spring, and I felt more connected to the South with each chapter I read. Plus, I read an heirloom copy: my mom’s copy from when she was young presented to me as a special Christmas present!
A feature of this great American novel that I love (that the film gives a valiant effort to reproduce but just can’t) is the weaving of the war into the home front. Readers are educated about different battles and the consequences they bring to the women and old men left behind. Women sew uniforms; the quality of the fabric available lessens as the war drags on. Food, medicine, supplies that could be used for ammunition or medicine, dwindle and are sent to the Confederacy. And slowly, as Scarlett O’Hara displays in miniature, the well-bred ladies who couldn’t soil their petticoats in dirt at a barbeque are forced to give up their luxuries and face the war as it tramples into their backyards and destroyed their homes. Through it all, the people keep their spirit: patriotism, pride, belief in their men and boys, love of their values, and unending loyalty.
Just as with the movie, if you’re going to go into this book looking for racist depictions of Mammy and the other slaves, you’ll find it. Just as with the movie, if that’s your intention, you shouldn’t be reading it in the first place. You should read this book to absorb another culture (or to get more in touch with your Southern blood), to truly feel the slow pace of living that isn’t practiced today, or to read a lovely piece of literature with vivid characters. Love her or hate her, Scarlett O’Hara makes an impression. The swarthy Rhett Butler and dreamer Ashley Wilkes are both similar and different from the movie; in the novel, it’s much clearer that the true love story is between Scarlett and Ashley. The film was a very good adaptation, including as much as it could, but there were certain aspects it just couldn’t capture. Read the book. It’s truly great.
Be sure and check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of the 1939 film adaptation here!
A feature of this great American novel that I love (that the film gives a valiant effort to reproduce but just can’t) is the weaving of the war into the home front. Readers are educated about different battles and the consequences they bring to the women and old men left behind. Women sew uniforms; the quality of the fabric available lessens as the war drags on. Food, medicine, supplies that could be used for ammunition or medicine, dwindle and are sent to the Confederacy. And slowly, as Scarlett O’Hara displays in miniature, the well-bred ladies who couldn’t soil their petticoats in dirt at a barbeque are forced to give up their luxuries and face the war as it tramples into their backyards and destroyed their homes. Through it all, the people keep their spirit: patriotism, pride, belief in their men and boys, love of their values, and unending loyalty.
Just as with the movie, if you’re going to go into this book looking for racist depictions of Mammy and the other slaves, you’ll find it. Just as with the movie, if that’s your intention, you shouldn’t be reading it in the first place. You should read this book to absorb another culture (or to get more in touch with your Southern blood), to truly feel the slow pace of living that isn’t practiced today, or to read a lovely piece of literature with vivid characters. Love her or hate her, Scarlett O’Hara makes an impression. The swarthy Rhett Butler and dreamer Ashley Wilkes are both similar and different from the movie; in the novel, it’s much clearer that the true love story is between Scarlett and Ashley. The film was a very good adaptation, including as much as it could, but there were certain aspects it just couldn’t capture. Read the book. It’s truly great.
Be sure and check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of the 1939 film adaptation here!