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Myths in "Gone With the Wind" Gone with the Wind is a movie loved by various audiences, this dramatic film shows what life was like in the South during the Civil War. While many of the events portrayed within the conceptual framework of the movie are historically accurate, overall several myths underlie the story line of Gone with the Wind. Among them, myths of the glorious old south and slavery are two most important ones. Within the scope of this research, we will elaborate on those two myths, as well as on many others, less significant ones. A brief summary of the movie will be helpful in analyzing the myths that underline the story line; therefore it would get the research started.
Also, we will not only depict the myths, but also explore some of the movie segments that are historically accurate. Gone with the Wind considers the dramatic changes, which take place in the American South between the period of 1861 and 1873. It opens in April of 1861, at the palatial southern estate of Tara, where Scarlett OHara (Vivien Leigh) finds out that her beloved Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) plans to marry Melanie Hamilton (Olivia de Havilland). (Harwell 49) Despite warnings from her father, Gerald (Thomas Mitchell) and her faithful servant Mammy (Hattie McDaniel), Scarlett intends to throw herself at Ashley at an upcoming barbecue at Twelve Oaks, owned by John Wilkes (Howard Hickman). At the barbecue she talks to Ashley and declares her love to him.
Unfortunately roguish Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) witnessed the whole incident. The spoiled and self-centered Scarlett right from the beginning fascinates him. Simultaneously men at the party talk about the coming war. Theyre afraid because the enemies, Yankees, are a way better equipped. However, after Ashley denies his love to Scarlett, in order to make him jealous Mss. OHara accepts Charles Hamilton's (Rand Brooks) proposal and becomes his wife.
The war starts soon. Men join army. So does Scarlett's husband. Unfortunately he dies of disease before he even could participate in the Confederate Army's campaign. Poor widow goes to Savannah, to a party in memory of those who died. She meets there Rhett, whom she spends the rest of the evening with.
Later in Atlanta took a place a deaths announcement. The city gets ready for the war after army attacked Gettysburg, PA. Finally General Shermans army invaded Georgia and marched on Savannah destroying everything in its path. (Harwell 114) Scarlett works in Atlanta's hospital. However, she cant stand the horrible views of dead soldiers, so she decides to leave that place. She stays in Atlanta and helps Melanie with her childbirth; actually she saves their lives. After that she goes back to Tara, and finds out about her mothers death.
Yankees are still in Georgia; even one of them comes to Ohara's house. Scarlett shuts him right away. Ashley comes back from the war. Although he has already son and wife Scarlett still cant resist him and asks him to leave South with her. He refuses her proposition, and that put her in a bad mood. At the same time her father falls down from the horse and dies in the horrible accident.
Now Scarlett is all by her own. Shes under the pressure of paying off taxes for Tara. Her strong will and matureness take over. She goes to Atlanta, visits Butler in a jail and asks him for $ 300 she needs. After this idea fails on positive results she meets by accident a friend- Frank Kennedy (Carroll Nye) whos more that pleased with helping the young lady.
Eventually they get married. Their marriage doesnt least too long though, because poor frank gets shot in an unsuccessful trop for the Yankees (prepared along with Ashley and Dr. Meade-Harry Davenport). Finally Rhett visits Scarlett at her house and proposes her. They get married and go to New Orleans for the honeymoon. After return home Scarlett gives a birth to their daughter- Bonnie Blue (Connie King).
However, theyre not happy in their marriage- too many fights often caused by Rhett's jealousy of Ashley. Mr. Butler decides to leave Tare for a while and goes with Bonnie Blue to London. After their return home wife tells him that shes pregnant again and falls down from the stairs at the same moment, looses the baby. Later Bonnie dies in a horse accident. That fact depresses both of the parents.
Melanie supports them all the time. Shes really caring towards Scarlett, who notices that just on Melanie's deathbed. On one hand she feels upset about what happened, on the other hand cant wait to finally hook up with Ashley. However, they were not meant to be together, because he doesnt seem to love Scarlett.
Butler feels hurt and dont see any future in their relationship, so he leaves. Movie ends with a picture of swatted down Scarlett saying: Tomorrow is another day (Gone with the Wind) The two most significant myths that underlie the story are the views of the Old South and slavery. Gone with the Wind has a genuine sweep and appreciation for the passage of time. The values of the movie are signaled by the printed narration that opens the film: There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South. Here in this pretty world, Gallantry took its last bow.
Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair, of Master and of Slave. Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered, a Civilization gone with the wind. '' (Gone with the Wind) The slaves point of view was little different though. The movie sidesteps the fact that plantations were basically purchased with the sweat of slaves. (Campbell 93) For instance, calluses on Scarlett's hands seem to be more important than all the crimes of slavery. Anyway, the major African- American characters are presented as sensible and caring people, which definitely was not true at that time period: they were slaves, and slaves usually disliked their masters. Gone with the Wind comes from a world with values totally different form our own, but so does all great fiction. When the drama was made, segregation was still the law in the South and the reality in the North. (Pyron 154) Gone with the Wind basically shows pre-Civil War plantation life, the home front during the Civil War and Reconstruction from the point of view of Southern Plantation owners.
Plantation life has to be divided into two parts. First is the way of life of the wealthy plantation owners, and the second is the brutal and heartless system of unrelenting oppression and exploitation- slavery. That was the reality. While wealthy owners were enjoying their lives at different parties, black slaves were whipped and murdered, slave women were sexually abused, and families were divided.
Movie doesnt picture those horrible scenes, however we witness the fight, and as result of it Scarlett spanks Prissy (home servant). (Harwell 160) We are mostly shown house servants (higher status) and field hands. Also running a large plantation was a difficult job. Mss Ohara's mother was a mistress of a plantation; so she had to manage the farm operations, care for the ill, minister to neighbors. Some woman abandoned this job before the war, reverting to its unpleasant conditions.
Then after the war many of them had to face lives without their former wealth and their men. Assuming, Scarlett's approach to become rich and independent was very smart. During the Civil War Navy blockaded Southern ports. Blockade-runners, who would risk their lives to bring supplies from England and other places to South were making fortunes, so was Mr. Rhett Butler. The whole run of the Civil War pictured in the movie is historically correct.
The character of a General William Tecumseh Sherman as The Great Invader, soldiers dying of diseases and Yankees bullets, flames, tragedy, panic its a bona fide. (Campbell 126) After the war, during the Reconstruction period, Northerners dominated state governments by governments in the South. Blacks were encouraged to vote and some black candidates were elected to public offices and even to the U. S. Senate. Northerners came to the South to provide administration during Reconstruction, to help the former slaves, or to make money. These "Carpetbaggers, " as they were called, were given preference by Reconstruction governments and resented by White native-born Southerners. (Pyron 180) In an effort to oppress the former slaves ex- Confederates formed organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan to murder and terrorize black people.
Gone with the Wind portrays looting, "white- trash" Yankees despoiling the gentility of the Confederates. It also breaks down the facts taught in Northern schools that New Yorkers were the good guys and the Georgians the rebel terrorists. (Toplin 151) For example, women in the 1860 s were not encouraged to display any interest in governmental events. (Pyron 193) Scarlett shows no interest or knowledge in the war except battles her husband experience. Something I thought was fiction was the barbecue during the war. However, various parties and dances took place in 1861. I found out that the rush of weddings that took place after the firing of Fort Sumner was true. In addition, more men died from diseases like dysentery, diarrhea, typhoid, and malaria than they did from battle.
This was true in the movie and in real life. It is fact that pregnancy was rarely discussed in the 1860 s and it was undesirable for a woman to nurse her own child and have a nanny to care for the infant. Scarlett does the same upon the birth of her son. She does not discuss pregnancy and she cares very little for her son. (Toplin 170) When Scarlett travels to Atlanta, she sees a vibrant town teaming with people and productivity and see busy factories which must produce goods for the Confederacy.
In reality, the factories in Atlanta are among the very few in the South. (Carnes 117) The factories in Atlanta supply the entire Confederate Army, a huge task for such a small city. It is a rule by the Rules of Society that a widow shall not appear at a social function for 5 years after the death of her husband. However, Scarlett gets into trouble when she attends a bazaar to raise money for the Confederacy. It was almost completely over looked because of the war causing so much controversy and her excuse that she was doing it for The Cause. (Campbell 170) "It is true in the 19 th century that the Rules of Society were strict for women everywhere. (Carnes 139) In addition, the rule that one must mourn the death of their husband for several years was true and I can see why she got away with her actions in such an event. Discussed at some length in the film, the Sherman campaign to take Atlanta was very real. The battles at New Hope Church and Kennesaw Mountain brought Union forces closer and closer to Atlanta.
Wounded soldiers pored into an already overcrowded town. Medical supplies were gone, leaving doctors with very few methods of treating the injured. The scene in the movie where Scarlett is standing in the middle of town surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of sick and dying soldiers is an accurate representation of the number of casualties flooding Atlanta. (Carnes 146) The railroad station in Atlanta was Shermans main target. Destroying the depot would cut the supply lines to the Confederate Army and destroying the factories would decimate the manufacturing capabilities of the Confederacy. It is true that after two months of intense fighting, Atlanta fell.
The depot and the warehouses were burned. Atlanta was evacuated, leaving behind only those who were too ill or too stubborn to leave. The home of Scarlett's mother was used as a headquarters for the soldiers, the crops were burnt, livestock was taken, and slaves fled which was very true in the reality of the Civil War. In the movie, a Yankee deserter wanders into the house and Scarlett shoots him.
It is very possible that this could have happened in reality because there were almost 300, 000 deserters. (Carnes 150) The fact that she shot and killed him without being caught by one of his commanding officers is equally plausible. In the movie, a few weeks later, the Union army returns to Atlanta. According to accounts of Shermans troop movements, this is untrue. Shermans troops were actually on their way to the Carolinas. Lastly, during the reconstruction, the government forced high taxes in an attempt to punish their defeated enemy.
This happened in both the movie and reality. While there are some events and scenes in the movie that are historically accurate, for the most part two major myths and a couple of less significant myths underlie the story line, the two major ones being about glorious old South and slavery. While those myths add to the movies flavor, it is apparent that in reality things were quite different back then. Words Count: 2, 172. Bibliography: Campbell, Edward D. C. , Jr.
The Celluloid South: Hollywood and the Southern Myth. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1981. Carnes, Mark C. , ed. Past Imperfect: History according to the Movies. New York: Holt, 1995. Harwell, Richard, ed.
Gone with the Wind as Book and Film. Columbia, S. C. University of South Carolina Press, 1983.
Gone with the Wind, the movie. Pyron, Darden A. , ed. Recasting: "Gone with the Wind" in American Culture. Miami: University Presses of Florida, 1983. Toplin, Robert B.
Hollywood as Mirror: changing views of "outsiders" and "enemies" in American movies. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1993.
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