Gone With The Wind: Scarlett Gone With The Wind: Scarlett so farso far

16 when the film begins; 16 when the film begins; wears virginal whitewears virginal white

She is characterized by She is characterized by strength, determination, strength, determination, drive to succeed and get drive to succeed and get her own way; beauty; her own way; beauty; tenacity; fire; intelligence.tenacity; fire; intelligence.

She is self-centered but She is self-centered but can stand on her own.can stand on her own.

Originally named “Pansy.”Originally named “Pansy.”

Gone With The Wind: Rhett so Gone With The Wind: Rhett so farfar

Respects Scarlett for Respects Scarlett for who she is.who she is.

The personification of The personification of a free spirit who flouts a free spirit who flouts public opinion.public opinion.

Knows what he wants Knows what he wants and goes after it.and goes after it.

He is a man’s man He is a man’s man and a lady’s man; and a lady’s man; shrewd, realistic, shrewd, realistic, earthy, but capable of earthy, but capable of tenderness and tenderness and compassion.compassion.

Gone With The Wind: A Love Gone With The Wind: A Love StoryStory

Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler are the two most Butler are the two most famous lovers in the English-famous lovers in the English-speaking world since Romeo speaking world since Romeo and Juliet.and Juliet.

The film’s musical motifs The film’s musical motifs address two dominant love address two dominant love themes: the sensible, themes: the sensible, spiritual, and sensitive love spiritual, and sensitive love between Ashley and Melanie between Ashley and Melanie Wilkes, who are soul mates Wilkes, who are soul mates (“She’s like me; we (“She’s like me; we understand each other.”); understand each other.”); and the continuous passion and the continuous passion but wavering feelings Ashley but wavering feelings Ashley has for Scarlett.has for Scarlett.

Gone With The Wind: TaraGone With The Wind: Tara ““The Tara invoked in the beginning of the book is a mirror The Tara invoked in the beginning of the book is a mirror

image of the Southern Utopia, a party at Twelve Oaks that image of the Southern Utopia, a party at Twelve Oaks that might have gone on forever if the hot-blooded boys of the might have gone on forever if the hot-blooded boys of the South could have stemmed the passions of secession.” – South could have stemmed the passions of secession.” – Pat ConroyPat Conroy

It’s a world that wants to be beautiful and graceful.It’s a world that wants to be beautiful and graceful. Gerald O’Hara: “Land is the only thing that lasts.”Gerald O’Hara: “Land is the only thing that lasts.”

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Southern culture:Southern culture: Themes Themes and symbols.and symbols.

Tradition, chivalry, and pride have Tradition, chivalry, and pride have given way to broken down gender given way to broken down gender roles and power structures.roles and power structures.

When the South loses the war, it When the South loses the war, it loses its way of life. “Hands and loses its way of life. “Hands and ladies don’t mean much ladies don’t mean much anymore.”anymore.”

But Atlanta, burned by the But Atlanta, burned by the Yankees and then rebuilt by Yankees and then rebuilt by northerners and pro-northerners and pro-Reconstruction southerners, Reconstruction southerners, symbolizes the South’s resiliency. symbolizes the South’s resiliency.

It is characterized by garish It is characterized by garish wealth on one side, and squalid wealth on one side, and squalid poverty on the other.poverty on the other.

This new city of saloons, Yankees, This new city of saloons, Yankees, and free slaves contrasts starkly and free slaves contrasts starkly with Tara, the old South with Tara, the old South plantation that runs on tradition.plantation that runs on tradition.

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Ashley: Character Ashley: Character analysis.analysis.

He’s trapped in the past. He’s trapped in the past. He is gallant, refined, and He is gallant, refined, and graceful – just like the graceful – just like the Old South – but after the Old South – but after the war he is obsolete, and war he is obsolete, and lets Scarlett and Melanie lets Scarlett and Melanie take care of him. Unable take care of him. Unable to change with the New to change with the New South, he fades badly.South, he fades badly.

The only thing he thrives The only thing he thrives on is maintaining the on is maintaining the love triangle he is in with love triangle he is in with Scarlett and Melanie.Scarlett and Melanie.

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Rhett: Character analysis; Rhett: Character analysis; Themes and symbolsThemes and symbols

Even through his cutting Even through his cutting but realistic assessment of but realistic assessment of the South’s romantic, self-the South’s romantic, self-righteous image, he still righteous image, he still has a soft spot for “lost has a soft spot for “lost causes, once they are causes, once they are really lost.”really lost.”

He says he’s not so proud He says he’s not so proud for being right about the for being right about the South’s swaggering and South’s swaggering and boasting leading to its boasting leading to its downfall.downfall.

He joins the Confederate He joins the Confederate Army when it’s clear that Army when it’s clear that the South will lose.the South will lose.

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Yet, Rhett still prospers Yet, Rhett still prospers among the ruins of a among the ruins of a conquered “nation.” He conquered “nation.” He embraces pragmatism embraces pragmatism and realism, and rule-and realism, and rule-breakers like him breakers like him become crucial to the become crucial to the South’s survival and South’s survival and rebuilding.rebuilding.

He befriends and He befriends and supports the Yankees supports the Yankees when it benefits him.when it benefits him.

With his shifting With his shifting allegiances, he allegiances, he symbolizes the symbolizes the uncertainty of the New uncertainty of the New South.South.

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Scarlett: Themes and Scarlett: Themes and symbolssymbols

““Tara made her Tara made her charming; the war made charming; the war made her Scarlett O’Hara.” her Scarlett O’Hara.”

She rises to challenge She rises to challenge after challenge, as the after challenge, as the war destroys the entire war destroys the entire world she was born into world she was born into as a daughter of the as a daughter of the South.South.

She single-handedly She single-handedly resurrects Tara after her resurrects Tara after her mother dies and her mother dies and her father loses his bearings.father loses his bearings.

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Scarlett becomes the Scarlett becomes the spiritual “mother” of spiritual “mother” of Atlanta, just as Rhett is the Atlanta, just as Rhett is the “father”: masterful at “father”: masterful at cutting deals, playing the cutting deals, playing the percentages, and not percentages, and not looking back.looking back.

Her initial reaction to the Her initial reaction to the end of the war? A gleeful end of the war? A gleeful look forward: “We’ll plant look forward: “We’ll plant more cotton. Cotton will go more cotton. Cotton will go sky high next year.”sky high next year.”

Unlike Ashley, who Unlike Ashley, who represents the Old South, represents the Old South, Scarlett (and Rhett) thrives Scarlett (and Rhett) thrives by firmly keeping one foot by firmly keeping one foot in the past, and the other in the past, and the other firmly implanted in the New firmly implanted in the New South.South.