Did your opinion of the main characters change?

[LaughingLeopardPress]

Gone With the Wind is absolutely one of my favorite books of ALL time!!! It provides such a vivid picture of humanity. I really feel it's a book about people more than love or war or anything else. Margaret Mitchell truly had a gift for digging down to the core of the human spirit. I've read it about 3 or 4 times and get something new out of it each time. What I found interesting was how my opinion of the characters changed over time. The way I viewed Scarlett and Rhett especially was very different after this last read.

I'm curious: what do you think of the main characters in the story as a first time reader and as a returning reader?

[Alana]

As a returning reader, hm, that's a hard question. I already knew for the most part how they all were.

However, I read it MANY years ago, so I'd forgotten a lot of the details. I'd forgotten how much of a rogue Rhett truly is and how ruthless Scarlett can be. Mammy is devoted almost to the point of ridiculousness and Melanie is far too perfect.

I think mainly I just dislike Ashley more and more throughout because I cannot for the life of me figure out what Scarlett sees in him. She can't see the obvious affection from Rhett (although he does try to hide it) but she's so stuck on worthless Ashley who cannot seem to function on his own. I guess Rhett is much older than her so she just can't understand him, and maybe she feels she relates to Ashley, but good grief!

You have to love Melanie, though, even if she is too kind and fiercely loyal. Everyone needs a friend like that in their lives, one that sticks with them through EVERYTHING and is determined to see the good in people, no matter what. She's very like Jane in Pride and Prejudice, actually, although I think Jane tends to have a SLIGHT bit more grasp of reality.

[LaughingLeopardPress]

I can definitely sympathize with those thoughts! The first few times I read GWTW, I absolutely hated Ashley and Scarlett. I think what I got out of another reading was the reasoning behind their personalities more than seeing them as totally different people. Scarlett is very ruthless and immature, but she was only 16 when she was married and the war began, so she really came of age in a ruthless time. Ashley, on the other hand was older when the war started, and somewhat set in his ways. I can't imagine watching everything I had known, everything I had been raised to be, crumbling around me. I think Scarlett saw her old life and her old world in Ashley. That's what she really loved in him, though it was ultimately his downfall. He couldn't adapt.

Melanie probably is too perfect, but like you said, you just have to love her! She's kind, but she has this intense strength that makes me want to imitate her. Anyone who could stay sweet through all she went through must be strong haha=) I definitely want to be able to see the good in everyone like she can. I love how, through the eyes of various characters, Margaret Mitchell shows how there is both good and bad in everyone. Melanie was kind, but even she vowed to hate the Yankees.

I never thought to compare Melanie to Jane. Very interesting perspective! Now I'll have to read Pride and Prejudice again! Thanks for the insight!

[Alana]

I think most of us at heart WANT to be Melanie or Jane or the other "good" characters.... but it sounds so exhausting! We want to believe we can be that good, but none of us think we have it in us.... although others may see it, if we can't, at times.

Or, like Anne in Anne of Green Gables, who wants to be with a man who's not "REALLY wicked, but who COULD be wicked, but wouldn't" for the other side of that coin :)

[Lea]

The first time I read the book as a child, I loved Scarlett, despite her many flaws. This was the first book I'd ever read where the heroine was not a Mary Sue, and I loved seeing characters who had both good qualities and bad qualities.

At the time, I felt as though the ending was fair - the punishment suited the crime. The older I get, the more sensitive I am about the ending. It is the perfect ending, but oh, what a complete tragedy.

I don't think Scarlett is my favorite character anymore. I have come to appreciate the subtleties of Melanie's character and even Mammy.

[Beth]

I don't like Scarlett's attitude or behavior but I sympathize with her. I keep reminding myself how young she is. it's really not to uncommon for teenage girls to act impulsively over a boy and then end up in a marriage and/or with a baby she is emotionally unable manage. Scarlett is lucky so many people love her in spite of her flaws. I just started part 3 and am noticing some changes in her. I think she is a fascinating character.

[Karen D]

I completely agree Beth, I can absolutely sympathize with her. I liked her less and less as the book went on, she comes off as very hypocritical and is very hard to like. But I have to respect her, the very hard decisions she had to make in order to survive. She set herself to a goal and she made sure she achieved it, no matter what the cost. She was true to herself the whole time even if it didnt' make her particularly likeable.

[Travis]

Definitely like the woman Melanie became. Ashley turns out to be a chump. Redd becomes a better man for the most part. Never could stand Scarlett.

[LaughingLeopardPress]

Lea wrote: "The first time I read the book as a child, I loved Scarlett, despite her many flaws. This was the first book I'd ever read where the heroine was not a Mary Sue, and I loved seeing characters who ha..."

I have definitely grown to appreciate the subtleties of Melanie, as well. My first time through, I thought she was a good, but almost sickeningly sweet character. The more I read it, though, I'm seeing her wit and unique ability to understand and persuade people when needed. I think I began to realize that the niceness wasn't a tool--it was just her character and that's why people were drawn to her.

[Aashimi]

I think Melanie is the only character I have had a constant opinion of. I always appreciated her, and that hasn't dwindled.

I hated Scarlett when I first read the book. But it has been some time since I thought that she definitely had some redeeming qualities. I have never been able to forgive her for marrying Frank. But her never-say-die attitude is admirable.

I just finished yet another read of the book, and my admiration for Rhett lessened a little bit. I did not like the way he attempted to redeem himself in the eyes of the people around him at the cost of Scarlett's reputation.

[Beth]

Melanie is a genuinely good kind person. It's not nice to dislike Melanie since she is so honest and sweet but seriously, I can understand why edgy naccisistic Scarlett resents her.

[[deleted user]]

These are opinions of a first time reader of 'Gone with the Wind'. Can't say this one is on my list of favorites.

For one, I love Scarlett's character for many of the same reasons that Rhett does. Her frankness makes her a bad-a$$ amid a society controlled by the past.

I have no use for Miss Melly or Ashley. Melanie comes across too perfect, too mealy to be believable. Ashley is just wuss! I can't believe that Scarlett thinks she loves him. Kudos to the girl for putting on the charade.

In honest truth, Rhett is one that kept making me want to turn the page. Personally, I think he gives Mr. Darcy a run for his money. Ha!

Also, did anyone find Atlanta and/or Tara to really become characters in their own right? Mitchell does a phenomenal job making them come alive. Of another note, is her economic and political history herein. Think it's a great jumping off point for someone interested in Civil War history. Her examination of the birth and rebirth of Atlanta really gave me pause to consider both sides of this war.

[Alana]

I agree, the descriptions of Atlanta as a growing and reborn town were fascinating!

[LaughingLeopardPress]

I think the fact that Mitchell really did make Tara and Atlanta characters in their own rights provides some insight into the Southern mindset, too. Land wasn't just land to those people, it was home, family, and a symbol of who they are and where they came from. The southerners had to watch their beloved lands die and, as Mitchell conveys in her story, they never really got over it, mourning the loss as one would the loss of a loved one.

[Samantha]

Alana wrote: "I cannot for the life of me figure out what Scarlett sees in him. She can't see the obvious affection from Rhett (although he does try to hide it) but she's so stuck on worthless Ashley who cannot seem to function on his own."

I think it has a lot to do with pride and the fact that Ashley, unlike all the other men in the county, chose someone else over her. She is stubborn and determined to win him over. I think he also represents the past and what a high-born man should be, so in a way marrying him would be fulfilling her status as a proper southern belle, which we know she isn't but she tries very hard to be, especially early in the novel.

[Christine]

Melanie changed so much for me. I had only seen the movie when I was young and I never saw her inner strength. I used to completely agree with Scarlett that she was mealy mouthed Mellie. Now, I don't think she is too sweet or nice but instead has a very strong sense of right and wrong that guides her actions. Her inner core is solid and she still gets what she wants.

Scarlet on the other hand I loved as a child but now that I have read the book she has gone down quite a few pegs. Her strengths at the beginning of the book become her weaknesses as the book unfolds and eventually her undoing. I always thought of the relationship between Scarlett and Rhett as being perfect together, now I think they are toxic! It's funny how a few decades can put on a whole different perspective.

[Robin]

I just read Gone With the Wind for the first time and loved the story. My opinion about Scarlet changed every 50 pages in the book. I hated the fact that she took Rhett for granted and didn't realize he loved her (they were perfect for each other in my opinion, toxic or not, maybe that's just what I like about them). I hated her addiction to Ashley (in fact I just hated everything to do with Ashley). But in other chapters I understood her. I think she is the most interesting character in the whole novel.

Melanie was a bit boring and naive, but really sweet. Therefore I couldn't help loving Melanie. She is so strong and faithful, I think everyone needs a Melanie in their lives. I just didn't like the fact that she didn't know about Scarlett and Ashley, she should have noticed. But she sees only good in the people she loves and thereby is totally oblivious to what's going on in front of her.

I wonder what I will think about the characters in twenty years when I read it again.

(view spoiler)[Despite everything that happens in Scarlets life and the realization that Rhett loves her and she never (although I don't believe that) loved Ashley, in the last page you realize she hasn't changed at all and probably will never change. Even though Rhett tells her it's too late and he doesn't love her anymore, she still thinks she can persuade him. Just like she thought she would convince Ashley. I hated the (open) end and at the same time thought it was brilliant. (hide spoiler)]

[Daniel]

I loved witnessing the evolution of Scarlett's feelings for Ashley and Rhett. She gets to grow up before our eyes and finally realizes what she wants and what she needs (and they are different things).

(view spoiler)[I think a big change happens when Scarlett gets busted for hugging Ashley during a private meeting together, but everybody thinks something more is going on. It's then that she is set on her path of discovering what she really wants. It's such a silly encounter, though. Can't people hug? (hide spoiler)]

I can't get over how wonderful the characterizations were in this book. I loved each character, and I loved to see them grow.

[Kari]

I feel like I am the only one here who doesn't hate Ashley! In fact, when I was a teenager, he was one of my favorites. I felt as though I could relate to him, since I too was a bookworm escapist, who did not want to face the realities of becoming an adult, which were right around the corner for me. Now that I am nearly a decade older, I am able to look at Ashley and see his flaws. But I still cannot dislike him. For the most part, I simply think he's a product of his world (as many of the characters were). Even loyal Melanie knew this about him.

[Aashimi]

C wrote: "I always thought of the relationship between Scarlett and Rhett as being perfect together, now I think they are toxic!"

Completely agree with this! When Mammy tells Melanie about the conversation Scarlett and Rhett have (view spoiler)[when Bonnie dies (hide spoiler)], Melanie's reaction shows the toxicity of their relationship quite well - "What had come between them? How could a husband and a wife cut other to pieces with such sharp knives?"

[Aashimi]

Kari wrote: "I feel like I am the only one here who doesn't hate Ashley! In fact, when I was a teenager, he was one of my favorites. I felt as though I could relate to him, since I too was a bookworm escapist, ..."

Ashley was a favourite for me when I was a teenager too. Even now, I wouldn't say that being unable to change with the times is necessarily a flaw.

[LaughingLeopardPress]

Kari wrote: "I feel like I am the only one here who doesn't hate Ashley! In fact, when I was a teenager, he was one of my favorites. I felt as though I could relate to him, since I too was a bookworm escapist, ..."

I think I went back and forth on hating Ashley and liking Ashley. When I read this as a teen, I saw his escapism as frustrating, but as an adult who is more aware of the troubles this world is facing, I can relate a lot more! As I watch the world around me changing rapidly, I too want to retreat to my books and shut out the real world on occasion. Also, like Aashimi said, I don't know that being unable to change with the times is a flaw. It's just the way some people are wired. Scarlett simply could not accept weakness in others (likely because she feared she would succumb to it herself) and so she saw this lack of adaptability as a flaw instead of accepting it as part of what made Ashley, Ashley. Since she is more or less the main character, it's easy to, at first, view Ashley through her lens.

Overall I do like, and even admire Ashley. He was one of the few people who foresaw the devastation a war between the states would bring.

[Beth]

I'm slowly progressing through GWTW. This is a book I will not forget. So many scenes are memorable but the one that really grabbed me so far was when Scarlett was pretending to be friendly with the wives of her Yankee mill clients. I thought she was having an Epiphany when she was angered by the ignorance, prejudice and callous racial slurs uttered by the women. She even showed signs of genuine concern for Uncle Peter after he heard the slurs. I thought, YES! Scarlett is getting it! But then we go on the hear her thoughts which were focused on how child-like and helpless the slaves were and how they needed structure, firm discipline, in order for them to become good workers. Granted, she was a product if the time and place she lived in but I was back to thinking she was hopelessly narcissistic and incapable of true empathy. I couldn't help thinking of Freud's psychoanalytic personality theory. While most of us are a combination of Id, Ego and hopefully mostly Super Ego, Scarlett is mostly Ego. She does a lot of things perceived by others as good but her thoughts so effectively put into words tell us everything she does or doesn't do benefits herself or keeps her out of trouble in some way. She doesn't seem to have much in the way of conscience. I don't think I would want her in my life but she is a wonderful complex character!

[Janet]

It has been a long time since I read Gone With The Wind, but it totally engrossed me at the time. I think you have Scarlett's character pretty well nailed.
I am finding that the PBS series, Mercy Street, ( 10 PM on Sunday night on our station ) is a fascinating Civil War era story that makes a great counterpoint to Gone With The Wind. "Inspired by real people and events, Mercy Street goes beyond the front lines of the Civil War and into the chaotic world of the Mansion House Hospital in Union-occupied Alexandria, Virginia." I love the characters and the way they each deal with the complex moral issues they face coming from many different backgrounds.

[Mingaile]

What really annoyed me when I read this book for the first time was Scarlett's obsession with Ashley. Oh Ashley Ashley...I wanted to slap her and not because I did not like her love for him but because it was obvious she would never understand him.I listened to an audiobook and remember wondering what would happen next so I listened to the end of it. the last part began where Scarlett was looking for Ashley after Melanie's death and I remember thinking Rhett killed him. I also did not like Melanie, as someone said she seemed sickeningly sweet but now I realise she was a really strong character. It's a pity such people do not exist in ral world. I remember I did not like Rhett because he oftne laughed at Scarlett's ignorance and never tried to solve the problems in thier marriage- he always left when things were not he wanted them to be. But later I began to understand him and even like him. Do any of you know why his father disowned him? In the book it is not explained and also maybe you know what is Rhett's middle name? I know there is a new book in which authors claim to have found out this