Gone with the Wind Reaction

Gone with the Wind is a timeless movie which takes place in the South during the time of the Civil War. This movie focuses on many themes and issues as it explores what life may have looked like for the main character Scarlet as war began and her life changed. 

The women in this movie are portrayed by powerful actors, including Hattie McDaniel and Vivien Leigh, many of whom went on to win awards for their performance. These women are faced with circumstances that were very different from the life they believed they would live. They went from being told how to dress and when to sleep, to being on their own to figure out how to survive in the face of their homes being destroyed.

Women of this time were forced to mature rapidly as they became the head of the household while their husbands, brothers and fathers were away fighting in the war. It was not in their nature to take care of themselves or to develop an independent lifestyle. They had to lose their fragility in an effort to be strong for themselves and those around them. 

This sense of independence and resilience is exemplified in Scarlet as she works to get herself, Prissy, Melanie and Melanie's baby, Beau away from the approaching attacks in Atlanta and safely to her home in Tara.

Scarlet challenges societal expectations and takes charge to keep everyone safe. She is not worried about what women are supposed to be doing, but instead she forges ahead and makes her own way.

Scarlet evolves from a boy crazy young lady to an independent woman who has control over her own future. She stops thinking about herself as someone who needs to be won over and she takes steps to change her own future. 

While she does become more independent, it cannot be overlooked that she is still fawning over Mr. Ashley Wilkes, Melanie's husband. This is what drives her actions, so while she becomes more independent and challenges norms, it can also be said that she did not change much at all because she was still motivated by selfish desires. 

The same evolution Scarlet had has been seen in many other women because of different wars. War takes the men into battle which leaves the women to run the household and forces them to develop a new sense of independence. 

However, it can also be seen that circumstance does not eradicate who you truly are. Scarlet fell back into the same pattern of thought because she was ultimately still the same person even though the war caused her to come out of her shell.