“Gone with the Wind” is considered as a great historical and controversial novel. Written by Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind is a delightful package of romance, torn apart love-story and set back together through different conditions. This novel definitely deserves a compliment for the way it has plotted the fictional love story into the historical events. Set up in the age of 1800’s I must say Gone with the Wind is a classic tale that most population will love to read and enjoy the romance, tragic and war.
For the plot, Scarlett O’hara, the beautiful spoiled daughter of a well-to-do plantation owner in Tara falls in love with the handsome Ashley Wilkes. However, Ashley rejects Scarlett as he is about to marry Melanie Hamilton. This entire heart-breaking Scene for Scarlet was being watched over by scandalous Rhett Butler.
Scarlett in her impulsiveness marries Melanie’s shy and soft brother Charles Hamilton. This is her foolish decision she has taken just to make Ashley jealous. Alas, Charles dies of illness, while going away to fight the Yankees. Now Scarlett is doomed, being a widow she is only allowed to wear black and has not permission to talk to any men. I must say it’s really difficult to face such a situation when you are just at the age of sweet sixteen.
After the incident, Scarlet decides her long trip to Atlanta to stay with Melanie’s aunty and Melanie. There she again gets a fortune to meet Rhett and gradually starts meeting him. War during the period gets more dangerous and Scarlett desperately wishes to return to Tara. Now she is demented as she has promised Ashley to stay beside Melanie who is pregnant with Ashley’s son. After Melanie gives birth, Rhett helps Scarlett and Melanie escape Atlanta as Yankees captures Atlanta and set a fire. But Rhett escorts them just out of Atlanta and returns back to join Confederate Army. Now everything is upon Scarlett, to save oneself as well as Melanie along with her baby, and other maids.
Reaching Tara safely didn’t bring any joy to her as she finds out that her mother had died and her father is depressed and lost his mind. Moreover, the Yankee army has looted the plantation with no trace of food and cotton. At the moment Scarlet promises herself that she will never remain hungry again. “As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again!”
Again, she bears the burden of rebuilding Tara. After a few months the war ends yet another trouble encounters Scarlet’s life. High taxes are imposed in the Southern plantation by Northern carpetbaggers and if she isn’t able to pay the taxes she will lose the plantation. Scarlet now determines only Rhett can help her. So she tries to convince Rhett for $300 but Rhett dismisses her. Later on, she tricks Frank Kennedy (rich man who loves Scarlet’s sister Sullen) that Sullen is married to another guy but he could marry her. Now she pays off her debt with Frank’s help. However, one day Frank is killed in a meeting and Scarlet misfortune brings darkness in her life once again.
Few days later Rhett visits twice-widowed Scarlett and offers her to marry him. Scarlett agrees to marry him and in a time they give birth to a baby girl, Bonnie. Rhett is indulgent to her baby girl. Even after years and several situations in Scarlett’s life, she cannot stop loving Ashley and hence announces to Rhett she doesn’t want any more babies. And this is where coldness covers their marriage life.
Unfortunately, one day Bonnie dies in an accident falling off the fence. Rhett cannot believe that his child is dead and is super depressed. Rhett locks himself into a room with her dead baby’s body for several days denying burying her. Scarlett can do nothing rather than banging on the door to convince Rhett. Meanwhile, Melanie becomes successful to convince Rhett but Melanie too collapses and goes into labor. Following the birth, Melanie declares she is dying of internal bleeding so, she requests Scarlett to take care of Ashley. After Melanie’s death, Ashley is heartbroken and confesses Scarlett he had always been in love with Melanie. Somehow, Scarlet too realizes it was not Ashley but Rhett she had always been in love with. Rhett witnesses the scene and leaves back home with misunderstanding.
When Scarlett returns back to their mansion, she finds Rhett packing his stuff. Rhett having seen Scarlet with Ashley tells her that she will never stop loving Ashley so he is leaving her for her goodness and start up a new life back to his hometown. Scarlett with realization explains Rhett she was in love with Rhett all those time and begs not to leave her. But denies her with his last words and leaves her. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
Gone with the wind is a super tragic novel depicting the struggles of Scarlett and her life full of misfortunes. I must say Scarlett is brave and determined to stay tall throughout the worst situations too. Margaret Mitchel’s Gone with the wind makes great historical read about the Civil war. I would recommend this book to all those people out there who like historical reads.
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