Swept Up By The Words

 Gone with the Wind

Author:

Margaret Mitchell

Publisher:

Macmillan Publishers (1936)

Number of Pages:

1037

Review:

"Hunger gnawed at her empty stomach again and she said aloud: 'As God is my witness, and God is my witness, the Yankees aren't going to lick me. I'm going to live through this, and when it's over, I'm never going to be hungry again. No, nor any of my folks. If I have to steal or kill - as God is my witness, I'm never going to be hungry again.” In honour of my vacation to the beautiful states of Georgia and South Carolina I decided to review one of my all time favourite novels: Gone with the Wind. There is nothing I love more than a love story, but this love story is so complex and full of tough emotional situations, tragedy galore and *spoiler alert* a not so happy ending that when I first heard about it I wasn’t sure I’d like it at all. Mind you I’ve never seen the movie *insert gasp here* and what I’ve heard of the novel/movie was always second hand information that wasn’t always accurate so you can kind of see why I was hesitant to start this 1000+ page novel. However I did pick up a copy and I promise you I am not exaggerating but I finished the novel in 2 days! I loved it even more than my love for my cell phone *insert second gasp here*! I just hope this review can do this novel justice.

Scarlett O’Hara has never known hardship in her 18 years of life. Her father, an Irish immigrant who came to America and set up a well running and wealthy plantation named Tara, has never let his girls lift a finger or known the hardships of life, thus leaving Scarlett to grow up very prim, spoiled and selfish and indulged by both her mother and head slave Mammy. She soon finds herself developing strong feelings for Ashley Wilkes and when she confesses her feelings to him he admits that despite his attraction for her he doesn’t see how their personalities could ever fit together; he then admits to her that he is engaged to Melanie Hamilton. Heartbroken, she is teased relentlessly by the charming and dashing Rhett Butler who having heard her confession of love praised her for her gumption. She often makes crude remarks to Rhett unbeknownst to her that Rhett is in fact developing very strong feelings for her. In a fit of rage and jealousy Scarlett marries Charles Hamilton in the hopes that it would make Ashley jealous. It doesn’t, but it does amuse Rhett tremendously. In the union with Charles she unwilling befriends her new sister-in-law and rival Melanie, who is as sweet as icing sugar. However her life changes drastically when the American Civil War hits her state of Georgia. Her husband is killed in action; her mother becomes ill; her father dies and her beloved Tara becomes run down and neglected. Hungry and desperate she finds a stray cow that she uses to rejuvenate her land and vows never to go hungry again. Despite her hatred for her sister-in-law she accepts Melanie and Ashley into her home in hopes of luring Ashley into loving her, and also for the extra hands on the farm. It is while on a trip to Atlanta that she befriends and seduces Frank Kennedy a wealthy business man. Honing her skills as a negotiator and ruthless business woman she manages to make a fortune in Atlanta and, leaving Tara behind for Ashley to look after, she takes over Kennedy’s business. Eventually Frank dies and in steps Rhett who after seeing her grow into the woman she’s become he offers her a proposal of marriage. She accepts. A lot happens after her marriage to Rhett but I'll leave you to figure that all out yourself.

What I love most about this novel is Scarlett herself. She is one of the strongest and fully developed female characters about which I have ever had the pleasure of reading. She’s also a woman living in a very male dominant society. It’s unheard of for a woman to be strong and callous as she in her time, after all "a woman [who] could handle business matters as well or better than a man, [was] revolutionary [for a time when women were reared] in the tradition that men were omniscient and women none too bright." Where Melanie was emotional and ever trusting Scarlett was cold-hearted and determined to succeed. 

She starts off a young idealistic child and grows into a hard brutal woman which given her circumstances one can only understand why she is the way she is because after all “Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to anything.” But she is also deeply flawed. Her schoolgirl crush is often confused with love, and having never experienced real love before, when she realizes what it really is to love and be loved it was already too late. Rhett once said: “I loved you but I couldn't let you know it. You're so brutal to those who love you, Scarlett." And she really was. Perhaps it was a survival mechanism, I just think she never had a chance to realize and accept real love because she doesn’t even know what love really is. I mean who does? Sometimes we all make foolish mistakes but it’s her mistakes and her accomplishments that make Scarlett so relatable and I can see a lot of myself in her. That drive for success, the ruthless personality that can only come from poverty, that desire for love, anyone in her situation could have and quite possibly do end up exactly like Scarlett.

Even though this novel takes place in a time well before our own I truly believe that it’s a story that can be put into any time frame. It really is a universal story that could happen within our very own backyards. And despite the length of the novel it is a quick read because it captures your whole attention from the very first paragraph.

Mitchell has a way with words that’s timeless. Her characters are rich in depth and emotion; even the minor characters are present as whole beings in this novel, a very rare thing to find in fiction these days.  Her prose is one of the best writing I’ve read in a long time and despite this novel being an early modern classic it's written in a way that any Joe from the block can read it; it’s not like a Tolstoy novel where you need a dictionary on hand at all times, this novel is very readable.  I think this is why it stands the test of time and is constantly on the readers’ favourites lists at local libraries; it just has this way of being relevant to any generation. It is a remarkable read and I encourage every reader young and old to pick up this novel and read it. You will not be disappointed. Don’t be like Scarlett and think to yourself: “I won't think of it now. I can't stand it now. I'll think of it later.” Instead pick it up as soon as you can and devour it, you brain as well as your heart will thank you.