Gone with the wind

1. Gone with the wind And important stuff About it.

2. Narrator / POV Third Person Omniscient- Narrator The narrator of Gone With The Wind exhibits qualities which suggest a Southern bias regarding the events prior to, during, and after the Civil War. This bias may be intentional to give the reader a greater understanding of the Southern mindset and viewpoint in the wake of the conflict which demolished the Southern aristocracy and general way of life in the Confederacy.

3. Protagonist The protagonist of Gone With The Wind is Scarlet who, despite an array of marriages somehow seems to retain her maiden name of O’Hara. Scarlet is defined largely by her youthful naivety which later becomes replaced by a grim determination and ruthlessness which destroys her image among social circles in the South. Setting Gone With The Wind takes place in the South immediately before, during and after the Civil War. Locations like Atlanta and the O’Hara plantation known as Tara play central roles in the lives of the characters as they live through the changes brought on by the Civil war and Reconstruction.

4. Tone Gone With The Wind begins with a relatively carefree atmosphere as the Southerners go about their business hosting parties and attending elaborate social occasions. This mood is quickly shattered by the advent of the Civil War which drastically restructures the South and ends Scarlet’s short-lived loveless marriage. The Majority of the novel is set in dark times for the Southerners as they struggle to deal with the changing economic standings and collapsing social structure of the South as a whole. Themes The novel deals with a number of themes but one primary idea seen in the text is the necessity of survival. After Scarlet’s return to Tara when she discovers it desolate Scarlet quickly takes up the reigns and makes sacrifices to maintain the land including doing manual labor and raiding the neighbor’s land for food.

5. Motifs In Gone With The Wind numerous ideas or actions are used as motifs to focus the reader on a particular idea or theme. The character’s use of alcohol becomes more important as the story progresses with even Scarlet resorting to drinking whiskey after she takes over Frank Kennedy’s mill. The repeated image of Southern honor is routinely placed in the center of scenes with it becoming the driving force behind Ashley’s rejection of Scarlet’s love again and the Klansmen's reaction to the attack on Scarlet. Foreshadowing The events in the beginning of the novel foreshadow various later events such as Rhett Butler’s outright declaration that the South will lose the war and Gerald’s love of jumping fences on his horse, a love that later proves detrimental to him.

6. Literary Theory Cultural Materialism- -Early in the novel Gerald mentions that land is the only thing that matters. -Scarlet’s efforts and determination are all geared towards procuring material wealth and she marries Frank Kennedy solely for his monetary value. New Criticism- -Scarlet continually puts off worrying about her actions or the meaning of things around her. -The southerners in the novel cling to their antiquated methodology and social ideals which no longer apply to their situation after the Civil War. Psychoanalysis- -Scarlet’s mother is nearly never mentioned as a mother and is instead referenced as a person with a detached aura around her. It could be implied that the lack of a mother figure as an authority figure led to Scarlet’s wild nature.