Gone with the Wind Essay

Question

Gone with the Wind Essay

Among many great films in American cinematography, there is one that has appealed to people for over seventy years and remains popular with different audiences. It is “Gone with the Wind” (1939). The protagonist of the movie is Scarlett O’Hara, a powerful woman who conquers all the misfortunes and serves as an inspiration, as well as an example of a strong female character for many decades. This hero is one of the most impressive and influential examples in cinema history that represents a woman achieving her goals despite the obstacles and breaking many stereotypes about the weaker sex.

Gone With the Wind Movie Analysis

Scarlett is born into a rich family in the American South shortly before the Civil War. Her young life is luxurious and carefree although she loves a man who does not respond to her feelings. At the beginning of the film, the viewers get the feeling that Scarlett is shallow and immature, but she progresses and evolves because of the hardships she is to endure. The heroine grows into an independent and confident woman who overcomes the barriers on her way. That is why Scarlett is a round character since she transforms and changes everything around her.

The heroine is very pretty and possesses a strong personality. Like her father, she is hard-headed, determined, and does not conform to the social norms (“Gone with the Wind”). Scarlett is a confident and brave woman who always achieves what she wants. She is also prone to survival which is obvious when her family almost starves after the Civil War, and she becomes the only source of income (“Gone with the Wind”). The heroine works very hard and even marries a man who likes her sister because she finds it to be a good way to improve her position in society and achieve the desired success (“Gone with the Wind”).

This proves that Scarlett can be narcissistic, selfish, and ignorant of other people’s feelings. She can also manipulate people and lie to achieve what she wants, however, she is very good at running a business and earning money. For example, the heroine manages to become a profitable entrepreneur after the Civil War even though her family lost everything. She also does not care about what other people think. For example, when Scarlett marries Rhett Butler, many individuals consider her a bad woman and criticize her behavior, but the heroine remains confident and ignores all the gossip.

In the movie, there are two persons with whom Scarlett has close ties that influence her development. First is her relationship with Ashley Wilkes, the man she initially falls in love with. He is opposite in personality to Scarlett, and although he admits to having feelings for her, he marries another woman. Scarlett, who is unable to admit defeat, often uses any possibility to approach and win Ashley back. At the end of the movie, she realizes that her love for Ashley is not real, and it is nothing but an illusion that was keeping her motivated. Having set herself free from the previous feelings, Scarlett rushes to save another major relationship in her life.

Rhett Butler is a man who, like Scarlett, does not conform to the social norms but is genuinely good at heart. He loves his wife and does many efforts to save their marriage despite Scarlett’s obsession with Ashley. After the death of their daughter, Rhett is no longer willing to fight for his love for Scarlett. He breaks up with her while Scarlett realizes how meaningful it is. Scarlett’s relationship with Rhett is very important for the story’s development because he saves her on many occasions and remains loyal during different hard times.

He stays very tolerant when she is married to her second husband or when she has no money and is in a desperate situation. Rhett’s and Scarlett’s personalities match, but it is Ashley’s weakness and final confession that makes the woman see it because she used to ignore Rhett’s love and the similarities between them. Thus, one can say that Scarlett’s stubbornness prevented her from changing in terms of romantic interests, but the men she loved did transform her and made her see the mistakes she was making.

Conclusion

Scarlett O’Hara is a memorable character that is very popular with the audience due to her strong personality and the many things she experienced in her life. She is a strong woman who was able to change her life path and achieve the things she wanted despite making many mistakes.