My decision to accept the book challenge was made and it was time to start. Perusing the list I saw that Gone With The Wind was on it and since I knew that book was long I decided to tackle it first. I had read the book in high school and remembered that while I didn't particularly like it, the writing was incredible. The book is over 1000 pages and Margaret Mitchell doesn't waste words.
It both was, and was not, like I remembered. The writing was incredibly vivid. My eyes read the book while my mind watched a moving picture of the descriptions. I was spellbound. But I also really really wanted the book to end. 1000 pages is a lot to read and when you're eager to win your challenge it's easy to feel antsy.
In high school I read the book through the eyes of a 14 year old. Scarlett was whiny, Ashley cute, Melanie annoying, and Rhett despicable. To be honest, I don't remember much more of my thoughts from back then. This time I read it through the eyes of a psychology major, happily married, and with kids. A very different perspective.
The first thing that changed was my opinion of Melanie Hamilton Wilkes. She is a strong and courageous sweetheart. Although physically slight and weak she has a strong backbone. She wants so much to see the good in everyone that she doesn't see the bad at all. Even after India Wilkes sees Scarlett and Ashely kiss, Melanie refuses to believe it happened. Or perhaps she did believe it but knew it would destroy her life to acknowledge that it happened so she ignores it and stays true to her husband and sister-in-law. Her life is firstly devoted to her family, then herself, and then her friends. Scarlett refused to see this until Melanie died, but without Melanie, Scarlett wouldn't have survived the war as well as she did.
Next we have Scarlett O'Hara. Whiny, conceited, self-obsessed, and rude. I still did not like her character. I put the book down in frustration so many times because of her, only to pick it back up right away, of course. This time the psychology of her character fascinated me. Before the war she has a crush on Ashley and because she's used to getting every guy she can't understand in the slightest why he is marrying someone else rather than pining over her. Chances are that without the war he would have gotten married to Melanie and she would have been angry, and then gotten over it once she found someone cuter and richer. But the war happened. The dream of being united with him is how Scarlett found the strength to survive the war. Sure she hated Melanie, but she protected her. Many times she wished Melanie were out of the picture even though she had much to be grateful for her. Scarlett protected Melanie on behalf of Ashley but never stopped wishing is was she who had married Ashely and bore him children. Survivors are most often the ones who find something outside of themselves to live for and use that strength to keep going. I feel it's often family who they live for. Every thing Scarlett did during the war and after was for the dream of being united with Ashely. Unfortunately that dream was so strong that after the war when she was married to Rhett and he gave her money for everything and anything her little heart desired, she ruined her marriage by rejecting her husband to yearn for Ashley. Rhett showed her how unsuited she and Ashley were, and Scarlett even admitted it to herself but just could not give up the dream. Giving up the dream would have been giving up a part of herself. Giving up the dream would mean that everything she fought for during the war was lost and she could not face that. It took the death of Melanie and being left by Rhett for her to begin a new dream and by then it was too late. With her spunk however, she refused to let it get to her and the book ends with her regrouping at Tara before following Rhett.
Ashely Wilkes is an interesting character. Had the war not happened he probably would have remained an honorable fellow who realized how mean and shallow Scarlett could be and instead remained devoted and faithful to his wife, Melanie. But the war destroyed him emotionally. He patriotically felt committed to fighting for a cause he didn't believe in and it hardened the gentle scholar that he was. Returning from the war broken and then being forced to rely on Scarlett and become a farmer furthered his destruction and weakened him. For all that he frustrated me, I pity him. He only lived for those around him. Had he not Melanie as his support, Scarlett as his unattainable lover, and his son whom he loved and had to raise, there is a good chance he would have run away north and never looked back, possibly even "accidentally" dying along the way.
There are so many characters and I could go on for much longer, but I will end with Rhett Butler. The "tall, dark, and handsome" stranger who, frankly my dear, doesn't give a damn. He lives for himself. Sure he cares about Scarlett, and loved his daughter, Bonnie, but when he loses both, which hurts him deeply, he goes on and starts a new chapter to his life. He refuses to let life beat him. He closes himself off to pain, and moves on. I'm not really sure what motivates him to continue but his tenacity to not only live, but to live richly and comfortably never deserts him.
A long read, yes. A fascinating read, yes. Would I read it again? No. Do I recommend it to others? Yes. In high school I would have said "no way!" But reading it as an adult, especially focusing on the psychological aspect and how war affects many personalities, I recommend it. And I commend Margaret Mitchell for writing a fascinating and captivating book that beautifully captures the essences of so many different minds.
I rate it 4/5 stars. It loses a star because I wouldn't read it again.
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