April 13, 2022
Gone with the Wind
by Margaret Mitchell
Trigger Warning: Includes racist beliefs, depictions of slavery, rape, marital abuse, sexual references, and other possibly disturbing themes related to the Civil War and Post-Civil War era.Every so often, I get the itch to revisit an American classic, and so Margaret Mitchell’s 1,000-or-so-page Gone with the Wind makes an appearance by my bedside. Beyond being an iconic tale with a movie adaption nearly four hours long, it’s a great depiction of the era and of how brutally raw human emotion can be under pressure. It’s truly a work of art despite its dark themes. If you haven’t yet read it, it beats many of today’s TV dramas by a long shot.A good number of writers today tend to shy away from human nature at its worst for the sake of creating likeable and redeemable characters. Mitchell dives right into the best and worst of all of us, and does so in a realistic way. From protagonist Scarlett’s jealous feelings for a married man, to her self-serving betrayal of her friends and family, and the hate-love relationship she develops with a sharp-mouthed blockade runner as they navigate the Civil War and her family’s ruined plantation afterward, it’s a whirlwind of emotions. So, if you’re one of those people who have only heard about Mitchell’s book but have an affinity for broken characters, it’s time to find yourself a copy and settle down for the twists and turns of war-ravaged hearts and bull-headed relentlessness in the face of harrowing odds. It’s definitely unlike your usual historic romance. Of course, if reading isn’t your thing, there always is the movie. Just be forewarned that it’s surrounded by some controversy as it appears to make out slavery and relationship abuse to seem less concerning and disturbing than in real life.