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Strong-Minded Women on Screens

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Submitted By eddyyang
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In Gone with the Wind, there is a second main female character behind Scarlett O’hara, Melanie Hamilton. I believe she is a brave dame as well. I am going to present my reasons to my point from 6 scenes in the film as follows:
1. In the Atlanta Bazaar, Melanie had no valuable jewellery to donate, because she and Scarlett were in mourning for Charles, so Melanie decided without any hesitation to donate her wedding ring to the confederacy for the noble cause. In this scene, we can see a brave dame is willing to face moral and physical challenges (Isaacs, 12). When there is a conflict between a notable cause and her own benefit, she would sacrifice anything from herself for the cause. She gave the wedding ring real value off her finger. What a brave dame!
2. After Melanie was back to Tara with Scarlett after delivering a baby, one day a Yankee soldier broke into their house to rob and even intended to rape Scarlett. Scarlett shot the Yankee to death. Melanie was so brave to hold a sword in hand ready for fighting against the soldier at the same time. She was so brave without any scare when she saw Scarlett shot the soldier saying: “you killed him. I am glad you killed him.” She just delivered a baby not long ago and was very weak. In such a situation, she behaved like a fighter without any fear facing the enemy. What a brave dame!
3. One day, Belle Watling, a well-known prostitute, came to Melanie intending to donate part of her weekly earnings to the local hospital. Belle had found her offer being rejected. Her money was believed that would be an insult to the heroic and wounded soldiers. However, Melanie accepts the money. She believed that the hospital needed the help and that Belle's intentions were noble in this case. Susan Isaacs argues that a brave dame has high ethical standard (p 12). From this scene, we can see Melanie’s higher ethical standard than others. She got rid of the traditional idea on prostitute in this case. Furthermore, she had another conversation with Belle when Ashley and Frank went to raid shantytown after Scarlett was attacked by the people there. She didn’t care the social standard for what a lady should do with a prostitute. She was so brave to contact Belle to show her appreciation on a good deed a prostitute did. She presented her high ethical standard above the social one. What a brave dame!
4. After Scarlett was attacked by two men near shantytown, her husband Frank and Ashley went to raid shantytown. At that night, ladies sat around table sewing. When they knew the dangerous situation, Melanie read a novel to soothe others. She behaved so bravely and cool-headedly with Rhett and the doctor to trick the policemen. During the whole event, Melanie acted so calmly when facing the danger. She was competent to be a brave dame. What a brave dame!
5. When the gossip about Scarlett and Ashley spread in the city. Melanie never believed that there was anything wrong between her husband and Scarlet, In Ashley's birthday party she introduced Scarlett to everybody to save Scarlett’s reputation. She trusted Scarlett completely. As Isaacs mentioned: “A brave dame is a true friend” (p 12). Melanie was a true friend to her husband Ashley, Scarlett, Rhett and even Belle. She was a trustworthy true friend in any situation. What a brave dame!
6. Melanie told Rhett she decided to have another baby. Rhett replied with great concern: “You mustn’t risk it. It is too dangerous.” She replied that: “Children are life renewing itself, and when life does that, danger seems very unimportant.” Rhett was so toughed to say: “I’ve never before known anyone who was really brave” (film: Gone With the Wind). In this conversation between Melanie and Rhett, we can see how a great lady and mother she is. She could sacrifice her own life for her child anytime. What a brave dame!
From above-mentioned 6 scenes, we can see a real brave dame. Even though Melanie was small and weak in appearance, it is no doubt that she was so great and strong in heart and will be remembered deeply by the audiences, even though the main heroine of the film was Scarlett. As Susan Isaacs mentioned at the end of her book: “the characters who have truly lived for me are the brave dames, because they genuinely lived” (p142), they have truly lived for us in the films or novels with their braveness to fight and make good samples for us to follow and give us strength when we feel weak.
References:
Isaacs, Susan (1999). Brave Dames and Wimpettes. New York, NY: The Ballantine Publishing Group.
Film: Gone With the Wind (1939)

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