Student: Nguyễn Thảo Vi
Student code: 11134544
Class: Advanced Accounting 55B

“Gone with the wind” ”_ written by Margaret Mitchell, has been one of the famous literary classics of all time when it first published in 1936. The famousness of the novel mostly come from the way Margaret Mitchell created the characters, creating haunting scenes and thrilling portraits of characters so vivid that we remember their words and feel their fear and hunger for the rest of our lives, especially Scarlett O’Hara_ the protagonist and the remarkable meaning hidden within it.

Literature, an invisible world created by the infinite imagination of the writers, is where you can meet all kinds of people that could make your heart quivers intensely. Those characters reflect life in a truthful way, and they also show us the deep experiences and the desperate desires in life. “Gone with the wind”_ the famous literary classics, poytrayed excellently the pictures of the contemporary society and the women in the 19th century in a way that no one had ever done before through the charming and frenetic Scarlett O’Hara. Scarlett O’Hara is highlighted character of the whole story, although she was a character who embodies all of the negative stereotypes attributed to women throughout history. She is narcissistic, shallow, dishonest, manipulative, amoral. At the beginning of the story, Scarlett was described to be self-centered, and spoiled by her wealthy parents. Scarlett is very intelligent, despite her fashionable Southern-belle pretense at ignorance and helplessness around men. She is somewhat unique among Southern women. This, somehow, can be seen in the line: “The green eyes in the carefully sweet face were turbulent, willful, lusty with life, distinctly at variance with her decorous demeanor”. Unlike the traditional stereotyped Southern woman, Scarlett is a the one who is incapable of being a good wife, a loving mother, a caring sister, or a true friend. She is not a good wife_ she dances with Rhett Butler at a charity event when she is still in mourning after her first husband's death. She is not a loving mother_ Scarlett has a child with each husband, but her selfish nature precludes her from ever becoming a loving mother; "She had very little interest in Wade," her first child, "and sometimes it was difficult to remember that he actually was hers”. She is not a caring sister_ she seduces and marries her sister’s fiance, Frank Kennedy. And she is not a true friend_ Scarlett still try to make Ashley love her even when Ashley is Melanie’s husband, in spite of the fact that Melanie treats Scarlett more than just a friend but like her own sister. Scarlett is stubborn, ruthless and energetic. She is not afraid to whatever it takes to get what she need. And once Scarlett decided, there is nothing on Earth can stop her. Unlike other idealized female characters in novels, Scarlett is lively, full of energy and clinging to the family’s plantation Tara to exist. That is what make her one of the most attractive enternal monument of the world literature. The Civil War sweeps away the aura of the past and the Southern society falls into ruin. Scarlett shoulders the family’s reponsiblilities and start from scratch. Scarlett becomes money-conscious and more materialistic in her motivation to ensure that her family survives and Tara stays in her family, when others are losing their homes. And of course, she needs the help from the men with lots of money. Beginning with Rhett Butler, a rich man whom she hates, Scarlett visit him when he is in prison to borrow money by offering herself first in marriage and then, in exchange for the tax money but Rhett refuses even this last humiliating offer to sell her body to him. Scarlett immidiately does not hesitate stealing her sister's fiance. Because her personality and ambitions, Scarlett O’Hara goes against the social rules, and tarnish the image of the beautiful women of that time. But no one can ever deny that Scarlett has strong personality that women always long to have. Hidden inside her is a strong will, a strong will to survive and to achieve anything she wants. The story ended with the image of the resilient Scarlett standing ahead Tara: “After all, tomorrow is another day!". As can be seen in the story, Scarlett’s development precisely mirrors the development of the South. She changes from a spoiled girl to a hard-working widow and then to the wealthy opportunist, reflecting the South’s change from leisure society to besieged nation to compromised survivor. Scarlett embodies both Old and New South. “Gone with the wind” has always been one of the most successful and famous novel by great values hidden within it. The meaning of the novel is more than just a regular love story, it is a lesson to be learnt. It is the fortitude to survive, the fortitude to protect the dearest. “Gone with the wind” is the combination of many realistic problems in the lives of the American people that took place in the Civil War and its aftermath. And then from the crumbling ground, people ,one way or another, still nurture the desire to live, to rise and to find their own happiness.

“Gone with the wind” is a classic novel of world literature, is a work worth reading for readers of all kinds. With the female character_ Scarlett O’Hara, Margaret Mitchell had created a new image of women in the 19th century, the women who had dreams and had the dare to make it come true. This somehow could be an inspriration to everyone. It inspires readers to learn to survive under the harshest of circumstances, to never give up on fate and above all . This is the true value of “Gone with the wind” _ a novel will forever live in the hearts of the readers.