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A review by dandelionfluff
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
**This review contains discussions of slavery, racism, and colonialism that may make readers uncomfortable or should be avoided entirely.**
I read Gone With the Wind wondering if it would give me insight into our current... everything. And, you know, it did. Looking at the culture around this book, it's amazing to me how much America was willing to overlook and romanticize about the Lost Cause in order to cement this novel as a Pulitzer. We loved the idea of Scarlett O'Hara, a fierce teenager-turned-wife and mother at the dawn of the Civil War. We loved the hoop skirts, the culture of Southern gentility which will always be the closest thing we get to English aristocracy. And of course, the iconic moment of Scarlett declaring that with God as her witness, she would never go hungry again. She is such a pillar of American culture: that fierce, unyielding dedication to Tara and an ever-growing list of transgressions and sins to keep what's hers.
Then of course you have Rhett Butler, a scoundrel of the highest degree who matches Scarlett in nearly every fashion, who somehow manages to be a complete idiot about her to the very end.
But oh! All of this founded upon the terrible, unforgivable institution of slavery. The blatant Lost Cause mentality that slaves were manipulated into being unhappy, that they couldn't handle their freedom because they're the classic devil-child stereotype. The way Scarlett speaks about the people who raised her is both loving and completely dehumanizing. She'll defend her people against racist northerners, but fails to grant them equity in any fashion. It was an interesting viewpoint: that white northerners claimed to fight for abolition but inherently disrespected the very people they freed. But it still lands you in the space of, "See? These white folk don't know what's best for you and hate you. WE understand you and would have continued taking care of you, protecting you from yourself AND them." Oh, and the literal KKK? Heroes. If that doesn't tell you where the book's at, what will.
I did learn SO much about the Civil War, the antebellum south, and had fascinating discussions throughout my reading. And like I said in the beginning, this did make me reflect on how much we fantasize and romanticize current political figures, what people are willing to overlook, what people are willing to believe to hang on to a vision of American history that serves them.
The book is well-written (Mitchell is a fantastic writer, no doubt), fast-paced, exciting, and very, very telling of American culture around the Civil War, slavery, and Reconstruction. It is a masterful narrative with insidious charm, revealing just what kind of reader you are when it comes to some very heavy topics. How much are you willing to overlook to enjoy Miss O'Hara? What do you walk away with?
I read Gone With the Wind wondering if it would give me insight into our current... everything. And, you know, it did. Looking at the culture around this book, it's amazing to me how much America was willing to overlook and romanticize about the Lost Cause in order to cement this novel as a Pulitzer. We loved the idea of Scarlett O'Hara, a fierce teenager-turned-wife and mother at the dawn of the Civil War. We loved the hoop skirts, the culture of Southern gentility which will always be the closest thing we get to English aristocracy. And of course, the iconic moment of Scarlett declaring that with God as her witness, she would never go hungry again. She is such a pillar of American culture: that fierce, unyielding dedication to Tara and an ever-growing list of transgressions and sins to keep what's hers.
Then of course you have Rhett Butler, a scoundrel of the highest degree who matches Scarlett in nearly every fashion, who somehow manages to be a complete idiot about her to the very end.
But oh! All of this founded upon the terrible, unforgivable institution of slavery. The blatant Lost Cause mentality that slaves were manipulated into being unhappy, that they couldn't handle their freedom because they're the classic devil-child stereotype. The way Scarlett speaks about the people who raised her is both loving and completely dehumanizing. She'll defend her people against racist northerners, but fails to grant them equity in any fashion. It was an interesting viewpoint: that white northerners claimed to fight for abolition but inherently disrespected the very people they freed. But it still lands you in the space of, "See? These white folk don't know what's best for you and hate you. WE understand you and would have continued taking care of you, protecting you from yourself AND them." Oh, and the literal KKK? Heroes. If that doesn't tell you where the book's at, what will.
I did learn SO much about the Civil War, the antebellum south, and had fascinating discussions throughout my reading. And like I said in the beginning, this did make me reflect on how much we fantasize and romanticize current political figures, what people are willing to overlook, what people are willing to believe to hang on to a vision of American history that serves them.
The book is well-written (Mitchell is a fantastic writer, no doubt), fast-paced, exciting, and very, very telling of American culture around the Civil War, slavery, and Reconstruction. It is a masterful narrative with insidious charm, revealing just what kind of reader you are when it comes to some very heavy topics. How much are you willing to overlook to enjoy Miss O'Hara? What do you walk away with?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War