Gone with the Wind: Analysis of Civil War and Reconstruction Era

This essay provides a comprehensive review of Margaret Mitchell's 'Gone with the Wind,' focusing on its historical setting during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era. The analysis includes a summary of the novel's plot, highlighting the struggles of Scarlett O'Hara and the societal anxieties of the time. The essay discusses aspects of the book that were particularly compelling, such as the strength of the protagonist, while also noting areas where the historical context felt sidelined. It concludes with a reflection on whether the book would be recommended, comparing it to other novels that showcase courage and willpower in the face of adversity. The essay also includes a list of references used in the analysis.

Running head: GONE WITH THE WIND
Social Studies
-Gone With the Wind
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1GONE WITH THE WIND
Introduction:
Gone with the Wind is an American novel written by Margaret Mitchell in 1936. The
story in the novel was set in the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era in Clayton
County and Atlanta in Georgia. The story shows the struggle of the daughter (Scarlett
O’Hara) of a rich plantation owner who was trying to fight her way out of poverty.
Brief summary of the book:
The novel is divided into four parts, unfolding against the backdrop of the civil
war in which the southern states including Georgia declared their separation from USA
‘union’ to form the ‘Confederate’1. Part 1 of the novel starts in 1981 in which the growth of
Gerald O’Hara as a plantation owner is shown along with some talks about the coming civil
war. The plot further develops as Scarlett is shown to grow up and marries Charles Hamilton,
who was going to enlist for the War. The part ends with Charles dying of pneumonia and
Scarlett giving birth to her first child in the wake of the war. Part 2 moves the scene to
Atlanta, with Scarlett moving to live with her Aunt Pittypat and Melanie and working at a
hospital that treats Confiderate soldiers. While living in Atlanta, Scarlett meets Rhett Butler.
Part 2 ends with Melanie giving birth to her first child. A part 3 show how the war was going
badly for the Confederates and Atlanta was attacked in 1864 and the confederates set ablaze
the city before abandoning it. Meanwhile Melanie gives birth to Beau with the Help of
Scarlett. By this time, Scarlett’s mother has also died and her father became mad in grief and
her sisters were sick with typhoid fever. The plantation was now empty of any slave workers,
the crops were all burnt down by Yankees and there was no food in the house. Scarlet soon
starts working in the field and the fear of Yankees coming back was always looming. The
part ends with some Confiderate soldiers returning back and finding some food and water for
1 Mitchell, Margaret. Gone with the Wind. Charles River Editors via PublishDrive, 2018.

2GONE WITH THE WIND
them in the farm. In part 4, the life is shown to have recovered significantly after the war, but
there were new tax laws on the plantation. Scarlett approaches Rhett for money to start her
plantation again, but finds him imprisoned. Scarlett then goes to Frank, agreeing to marry
him in return of financial help. In the course of time, Scarlet ends up having multiple affairs
and creates a bad reputation for herself. In the final part, Bonnie died and Scarlett was shown
to have become old and disheveled but still never gave up on her hope of being loved and still
holds on to her optimism2.
Discussion on the historical time period in which the book was set:
The novel was set in the period following the American Civil War and the beginning
of the reconstruction period (1865 to 1877). This period was marked by a conflict between
the Unions and the Confederates and caused the abolishment of slavery in the United States3.
Parts of the book that I liked and disliked:
One of the biggest factors that I absolutely loved in the novel was the strength of
character shown by Scarlett O’Hara where she refused to be put down and contained by the
normative rules of the society, and deciding upon her own freedom and actions. The film also
beautifully captured the social anxiety created during the period and how the people were
divided based on differing philosophies thereby leading to the war. The novel moreover
provides a compelling story of the survival of the protagonist against all odds showing how
the power of ‘will’ is important. However, I do feel that the novel sidelined the actual
incidents of the civil war in order to accommodate more time for the development of the
story, which I felt affected the historical context of the novel.
Would I recommend the book to anyone?
2 Taylor, Helen. Scarlett's women: Gone with the wind and its female fans. Rutgers University Press, 1989.
3 Bogle, Donald. Toms, coons, mulattoes, mammies, and bucks: an interpretive history of blacks in American
films. Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.

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Even though I definitely liked the novel, it would not be the first recommendation that
I would make. Instead I might recommend novels such as ‘Will There Really Be a Morning’
by Frances Farmer, ‘will Work For Drugs’ by Lydia Lunch and ‘Infidel’ by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
All these novels shows the enormous courage and willpower of the central character in the
face of all difficulties and thus showing how one can achieve success even after facing
several challenges in life45.
4 Farmer, Frances. Will there really be a morning?: an autobiography. Putnam Publishing Group, 1972.
5 Ali, Ayaan Hirsi. Infidel. Simon and Schuster, 2008.

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References:
Ali, Ayaan Hirsi. Infidel. Simon and Schuster, 2008.
Bogle, Donald. Toms, coons, mulattoes, mammies, and bucks: an interpretive history of
blacks in American films. Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.
Farmer, Frances. Will there really be a morning?: an autobiography. Putnam Publishing
Group, 1972.
Mitchell, Margaret. Gone with the Wind. Charles River Editors via PublishDrive, 2018.
Taylor, Helen. Scarlett's women: Gone with the wind and its female fans. Rutgers University
Press, 1989.