Gone with the Wind: Analysis of Major Characters
"Gone with the Wind" is a historical novel set during the American Civil War and Reconstruction, exploring themes of survival, love, and societal change through the lives of its major characters. Central to the story is Scarlett O'Hara, a determined and resourceful Southern belle who faces the challenges of war and personal loss. A widow with a ruined plantation, she relies on her tenacity and strategic marriages to secure her family's future.
Contrasted with Scarlett is Ashley Wilkes, her genteel neighbor, whose sensitive nature and traditional values clash with Scarlett's practicality. Rhett Butler, a wealthy and cynical blockade runner, becomes Scarlett's third husband; he admires her resilience despite recognizing her materialistic tendencies. Other significant characters include Melanie Wilkes, Ashley's kind and ladylike wife, and various family members like Scarlett's parents, Gerald and Ellen O'Hara, and her sister, Suellen. The dynamics between these characters highlight the struggles and transformations in Southern society during this tumultuous period. This nuanced exploration of interpersonal relationships invites readers to reflect on the complexities of love and loyalty against the backdrop of a changing world.
Gone with the Wind: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Margaret Mitchell
First published: 1936
Genre: Novel
Locale: Atlanta and Tara Plantation, Georgia
Plot: Historical
Time: 1861–1873
Scarlett O'Hara, a Georgia belle. Gently bred on Tara plantation and the wife of Charles Hamilton, she finds herself, through the fortunes of war, a widow and the mistress of a ruined plantation with a family to feed. With an indomitable will to survive and an unquenchable determination to keep Tara, she improves her fortunes with the aid of her own native abilities and opportunistic marriages to Frank Kennedy and Rhett Butler.
Ashley Wilkes, Scarlett O'Hara's sensitive, sophisticated neighbor, with whom she fancies herself in love. His genteel sensibilities and quiet resignation are a poor match for Scarlett's practicality and strong will, which she realizes in the end.
Rhett Butler, a cynical, wealthy blockade runner, Scarlett O'Hara's third husband. Knowing Scarlett for the unscrupulous materialist that she is, he nevertheless admires her will to survive and is plagued with a love for her, which he finally overcomes just as she discovers that it is Rhett and not Ashley Wilkes that she loves.
Charles Hamilton, Scarlett's first husband, whom she marries for spite.
Frank Kennedy, Scarlett's second husband, whom she marries for money.
Melanie (Hamilton) Wilkes, Ashley Wilkes's reticent, ladylike wife.
Gerald O'Hara and Ellen O'Hara, Scarlett's parents.
Bonnie Blue Butler, the daughter of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler.
Suellen O'Hara, Scarlett's sister.
Miss Pittypat, Melanie Wilkes's aunt.
India Wilkes, Ashley Wilkes's sister.
Mammy, Scarlett's nurse.