Popularity of Gone With the Wind Essay -- Margaret Mitchell Literature

Popularity of gone(p) With the Wind Margaret Mitchells romantic epic, Gone With the Wind, owes its remarkable popularity to the climate of sudden felo-de-se and dreariness the Depression created. The Old southeasts grandeur, coupled with its Civil War-era decadence, provided much-needed escapism for readers, as well as paralleling the U.S.s own plight in the 20s and 30s. In addition, Scarlett OHaras womens rightist role, her devotion to her land, and her indomitable optimism lent hope to those who had lost faith in the American Dream. A spirit of beautiful, colorful life at the invasion sets up the Souths inevitable destruction and magnifies the greatness of the land and its people. Spring had come in early that year, with warm quick rains and sudden frothing of pink smash blossoms and dogwood dappling with white stars the dark river swamp and far-off hills. Already the plow was nearly finished, and the bloody glory of the sunset(a) colo rubor the fresh-cut furrows of re d Georgia clay to even redder hues. (10) The foreshadowing of the bloody glory of sunset is striking, but idealism is the main theme presented here. Scarletts status as a second-generation immigrant adds further to this atmosphere of opportunity. Her father, a proud Irishman, proclaims Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to anything, for tis the only thing in this world that lasts...And to anyone with a waste of Irish blood in them the land they live on is wish well their mother. (39) The idea of an undersized foreigner claiming a large stake in America as his own must surely have provide the imagination of the great influx of recent immigrants, many of whom used GWTW as a primer to American literature. Hanging over the tranquil South is the ... ...n which to plan her campaign, (1023) comforts her. Her final statement reiterates her sentiments for a new tomorrow after Atlantas burning (414), and her faith in her own abilities again avers Mitchells libber leanings W ith the spirit of her people who would not know defeat...she raised her chin. She could get Rhett back...Tomorrow, Ill recollect of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day. (1024) With its great appeal to uprising women, the hopeless, and anyone yearning for a long diversion into a more regal time, as well as its firm beliefs in the American Dream in a time when the premise was wide doubted, GWTWs rank as the most popular American book is positive a more debatable question would be whether Mitchells intentions were first of providing abandon America with romance, or rather of pushing veiled political propaganda.