Gone with the Wind - Book Review

If there’s one thing about Gone with the Wind that has left an indelible impression on my mind, it is the character of Scarlett O’Hara. Beautiful, fearless, ruthless, practical and materialistic in a world that is bleeding for the Cause, she epitomizes the anti-hero in the eyes of the Confederate society. Her character is so complex, layered with unyielding determination and an utter lack of morals, shouldering responsibility for those who have submitted to her care, sprinkled with self-confidence and a penchant for theatrics, cemented by an irrational, passionate, blind love for the husband of another – which eventually proves to be her undoing in a way.

Gone with the Wind is the story of courage and determination, love and jealousy, persistence and hard-work, practicality and obstinacy, the selfish Scarlett O’Hara and the altruistic Melanie Hamilton, the spirited, cheeky Rhett Butler and the listless, fatalistic Ashley Wilkes. As with all the great novels, what a reader will remember the most about Gone with the Wind are its characters, their trials and tribulations, some of their iconic conversations and their heartbreak. I particularly admire the strength of Scarlett and her charm ‘I will not think about it now. I will think about it tomorrow’, which worked perfectly during trying situations. I admire her courage to go on after the untimely demise of her mother Ellen whom she loved tremendously, followed by her father’s disillusionment and finally death, financial troubles, the attempts by people to buy out Tara, her father’s plantation, and her desperate, brave efforts to save her land, the only thing worthwhile left with her.

I also loved the character of Melanie and how she transformed from a meek, defenceless girl to a pillar of strength and social tact. Although Scarlett is blind to her support, Melanie unwaveringly backs Scarlett through ups and downs of murder, financial trouble, social ostracism, and especially when Scarlett is seen embracing Ashley, Melanie’s husband. Melanie refuses to believe anything bad about the people she loves, including Scarlett, and instead of questioning her, she banishes India, Ashley’s sister, who had seen the two embracing. During the scene when Melanie is breathing her last and wants to speak to Scarlett, Scarlett is tormented by the possibility that Melanie might have known all along about her and Ashley. Guilt tortures her soul as she remembers the occasions when Melanie supported her, stood up for her when nobody else would. It is during this moment that Scarlett realizes she wants to please Melanie like she wanted the approval of her mother, and that despite the fact that she tried to steal her husband in every possible way, she loves Melanie. The relationship between Scarlett and Melanie and the way it evolves is one of the most interesting threads in the novel.

Scarlett’s zest for life is admirable. She is always looking for something to give meaning to her life, even after heart-breaking setbacks like her parents’ demise, abject poverty, the fear of starvation, the loss of children and her best friend Melanie. She is able to amuse herself even as a widow with watching couples dance at charity events, when she is supposed to be in mourning and stay indoors. She displays initiative and determination by turning around her second husband’s lumbar business and making it hugely profitable. All her actions are motivated by a deep-rooted, insatiable desire to make money and retain Tara, her father’s plantation. And that’s all she has left at the end.

A book that depicts the tragedy of unrequited love, Gone with the Wind is an experience of an era, a civilization gone by, a mishmash of emotions, and truly memorable characters that you will remember for a very very long time. I recommend Gone with the Wind to all those readers who want to read a book they will never forget.

A 1939 superhit movie adapted from the novel is worth watching for it manages to capture part of the charm of the novel.