Gone With the Wind Reflection

Gone With the Wind is a powerful movie that draws viewers in and leaves them with a new perspective. The film was released in 1939  and is set during the 1800s while the Civil War is happening in the South. The movie focuses on Scarlett the main character, and how her life changes from an everyday Southern woman to someone thrown into war. 

At the beginning of the movie Scarlett is a boy-crazy young woman who follows the social norms of society. She is only focused on doing her duty of marrying a man and then having children. Women during this time were viewed as being the ones to run the household, who must listen to men and bear children. Although, this was not the life Scarlett ultimately lived. You see in the film when the women are sleeping at the Twelve Oaks Plantation, and the men are downstairs discussing the war; they get word that war has begun and troops are being sent. Therefore, all the men leave the women behind to fight. This is the start of Scarlett's new life. She moves to Atlanta and works to help injured soldiers at a nearby hospital. While in Atlanta, she gains a new sense of independence. 

Her new independence is shown when Altanata is invaded, and she must flee. She drives a carriage with Prissy, Melanie, and Melanie's new baby, all while the city burns down. The trip back to Tara takes many long and tireless days, but thankfully they make it back safely. 

War changes Scarlett into an independent woman. However, she never moves on from Ashley Wilkes, Melanie's husband. This trait of Scarlett's sticks with her throughout the movie and drives many of her selfish decisions, which makes her more of a controversial character. 

There are also many other important characters shown. One of those is Mammy, played by Hattie McDaniel. Mammy is a house slave to the family and primarily serves Scarlett. She is very outspoken, strict, and protective, serving as almost a motherly figure to Scarlett by keeping her in line and steering her away from Ashley Wilkes. By the end of the film, Mammy is the one holding the family together and helping Scarlett in any way she can.

It is crucial to understand how women such as Scarlett and Mammy were changed due to war and how that affected them overall. We can also connect these characters to actual women who lived during the Civil War. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Gone With the Wind and believe that it gave me a new perspective on women's lives during this time.