Gone With The Wind: Historical Perspective July 1, 1863: Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee, meets Army of the Potomac, commanded by Gen.

Gone With The Wind: Historical Gone With The Wind: Historical PerspectivePerspective

July 1, 1863: Army July 1, 1863: Army of Northern Virginia of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert under Gen. Robert E. Lee, meets Army E. Lee, meets Army of the Potomac, of the Potomac, commanded by commanded by Gen. George Gen. George Gordon Meade at a Gordon Meade at a sleepy Pennsylvania sleepy Pennsylvania town: Gettysburg.town: Gettysburg.

Gone With The Wind: Historical Gone With The Wind: Historical perspectiveperspective

Three days of bloody Three days of bloody fighting resulted in fighting resulted in 28,000 Confederate 28,000 Confederate and 23,000 Union and 23,000 Union dead and wounded.dead and wounded.

It was the last major It was the last major attempt to invade the attempt to invade the North by the North by the Confederate Army.Confederate Army.

Source: Source: Abraham Lincoln’s Gettsyburg Address: Abraham Lincoln’s Gettsyburg Address: Jack E. Jack E. Levin. Threshold Editions, New York. 1993.Levin. Threshold Editions, New York. 1993.

Gone With The Wind: Historical Gone With The Wind: Historical PerspectivePerspective

Ceremonies were held on Ceremonies were held on the site on Nov. 19, 1863, the site on Nov. 19, 1863, to dedicate a portion of the to dedicate a portion of the battlefield as a national battlefield as a national cemetery for all of the cemetery for all of the soldiers who had fallen soldiers who had fallen there.there.

After bands played and After bands played and dignitaries introduced, one dignitaries introduced, one of the most famous of the most famous speakers of the time, speakers of the time, former Massachusetts former Massachusetts governor Edward Everett, governor Edward Everett, delivered a two-hour delivered a two-hour oration.oration.

Gone With The Wind: Historical Gone With The Wind: Historical PerspectivePerspective

When he finished, he When he finished, he introduced President introduced President Abraham Lincoln, who Abraham Lincoln, who had been invited to had been invited to “deliver a few “deliver a few appropriate remarks.”appropriate remarks.”

Lincoln delivered the Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.Gettysburg Address.

After the speech, After the speech, Lincoln’s self-Lincoln’s self-assessment: “It was a assessment: “It was a flat failure.”flat failure.”

Gone With The Wind: Historical Gone With The Wind: Historical PerspectivePerspective

Everett had a different Everett had a different view: “I should be glad, if view: “I should be glad, if I could flatter myself that I could flatter myself that I came as near to the I came as near to the central idea of the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”you did in two minutes.”

History has a different History has a different view, too.view, too.

It is one of the most It is one of the most famous pieces of famous pieces of American literature of all American literature of all time.time.

Gone With The Wind: Historical Gone With The Wind: Historical PerspectivePerspective

As we read it, consider As we read it, consider the literary effect of the literary effect of the speech’s aesthetic the speech’s aesthetic elements, particularly elements, particularly repetition and parallel repetition and parallel structure.structure.

Parallel structure is Parallel structure is the use of the same the use of the same grammatical form to grammatical form to express ideas of equal express ideas of equal importance. importance.

Gone With The Wind: Scarlett Gone With The Wind: Scarlett so farso far

16 when the film begins; 16 when the film begins; wears virginal whitewears virginal white

She is characterized by She is characterized by strength, determination, strength, determination, drive to succeed and get drive to succeed and get her own way; beauty; her own way; beauty; tenacity; fire; intelligence.tenacity; fire; intelligence.

She is self-centered but She is self-centered but can stand on her own.can stand on her own.

Originally named “Pansy.”Originally named “Pansy.”

Gone With The Wind: Rhett so Gone With The Wind: Rhett so farfar

Respects Scarlett for Respects Scarlett for who she is.who she is.

The personification of The personification of a free spirit who flouts a free spirit who flouts public opinion.public opinion.

Knows what he wants Knows what he wants and goes after it.and goes after it.

He is a man’s man He is a man’s man and a lady’s man; and a lady’s man; shrewd, realistic, shrewd, realistic, earthy, but capable of earthy, but capable of tenderness and tenderness and compassion.compassion.

Gone With The Wind: A Love Gone With The Wind: A Love StoryStory

Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler are the two most Butler are the two most famous lovers in the English-famous lovers in the English-speaking world since Romeo speaking world since Romeo and Juliet.and Juliet.

The film’s musical motifs The film’s musical motifs address two dominant love address two dominant love themes: the sensible, themes: the sensible, spiritual, and sensitive love spiritual, and sensitive love between Ashley and Melanie between Ashley and Melanie Wilkes, who are soul mates Wilkes, who are soul mates (“She’s like me; we (“She’s like me; we understand each other.”); understand each other.”); and the continuous passion and the continuous passion but wavering feelings Ashley but wavering feelings Ashley has for Scarlett.has for Scarlett.

Gone With The Wind: TaraGone With The Wind: Tara ““The Tara invoked in the beginning of the book is a mirror The Tara invoked in the beginning of the book is a mirror

image of the Southern Utopia, a party at Twelve Oaks that image of the Southern Utopia, a party at Twelve Oaks that might have gone on forever if the hot-blooded boys of the might have gone on forever if the hot-blooded boys of the South could have stemmed the passions of secession.” – South could have stemmed the passions of secession.” – Pat ConroyPat Conroy

It’s a world that wants to be beautiful and graceful.It’s a world that wants to be beautiful and graceful. Gerald O’Hara: “Land is the only thing that lasts.”Gerald O’Hara: “Land is the only thing that lasts.”

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Southern culture:Southern culture: Themes Themes and symbols.and symbols.

Tradition, chivalry, and pride have Tradition, chivalry, and pride have given way to broken down gender given way to broken down gender roles and power structures.roles and power structures.

When the South loses the war, it When the South loses the war, it loses its way of life. “Hands and loses its way of life. “Hands and ladies don’t mean much ladies don’t mean much anymore.”anymore.”

But Atlanta, burned by the But Atlanta, burned by the Yankees and then rebuilt by Yankees and then rebuilt by northerners and pro-northerners and pro-Reconstruction southerners, Reconstruction southerners, symbolizes the South’s resiliency. symbolizes the South’s resiliency.

It is characterized by garish It is characterized by garish wealth on one side, and squalid wealth on one side, and squalid poverty on the other.poverty on the other.

This new city of saloons, Yankees, This new city of saloons, Yankees, and free slaves contrasts starkly and free slaves contrasts starkly with Tara, the old South with Tara, the old South plantation that runs on tradition.plantation that runs on tradition.

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Ashley: Character Ashley: Character analysis.analysis.

He’s trapped in the past. He’s trapped in the past. He is gallant, refined, and He is gallant, refined, and graceful – just like the graceful – just like the Old South – but after the Old South – but after the war he is obsolete, and war he is obsolete, and lets Scarlett and Melanie lets Scarlett and Melanie take care of him. Unable take care of him. Unable to change with the New to change with the New South, he fades badly.South, he fades badly.

The only thing he thrives The only thing he thrives on is maintaining the on is maintaining the love triangle he is in with love triangle he is in with Scarlett and Melanie.Scarlett and Melanie.

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Rhett: Character analysis; Rhett: Character analysis; Themes and symbolsThemes and symbols

Even through his cutting Even through his cutting but realistic assessment of but realistic assessment of the South’s romantic, self-the South’s romantic, self-righteous image, he still righteous image, he still has a soft spot for “lost has a soft spot for “lost causes, once they are causes, once they are really lost.”really lost.”

He says he’s not so proud He says he’s not so proud for being right about the for being right about the South’s swaggering and South’s swaggering and boasting leading to its boasting leading to its downfall.downfall.

He joins the Confederate He joins the Confederate Army when it’s clear that Army when it’s clear that the South will lose.the South will lose.

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Yet, Rhett still prospers Yet, Rhett still prospers among the ruins of a among the ruins of a conquered “nation.” He conquered “nation.” He embraces pragmatism embraces pragmatism and realism, and rule-and realism, and rule-breakers like him breakers like him become crucial to the become crucial to the South’s survival and South’s survival and rebuilding.rebuilding.

He befriends and He befriends and supports the Yankees supports the Yankees when it benefits him.when it benefits him.

With his shifting With his shifting allegiances, he allegiances, he symbolizes the symbolizes the uncertainty of the New uncertainty of the New South.South.

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Scarlett: Themes and Scarlett: Themes and symbolssymbols

““Tara made her Tara made her charming; the war made charming; the war made her Scarlett O’Hara.” her Scarlett O’Hara.”

She rises to challenge She rises to challenge after challenge, as the after challenge, as the war destroys the entire war destroys the entire world she was born into world she was born into as a daughter of the as a daughter of the South.South.

She single-handedly She single-handedly resurrects Tara after her resurrects Tara after her mother dies and her mother dies and her father loses his bearings.father loses his bearings.

Gone With The Wind: Gone With The Wind: TransformationsTransformations

Scarlett becomes the Scarlett becomes the spiritual “mother” of spiritual “mother” of Atlanta, just as Rhett is the Atlanta, just as Rhett is the “father”: masterful at “father”: masterful at cutting deals, playing the cutting deals, playing the percentages, and not percentages, and not looking back.looking back.

Her initial reaction to the Her initial reaction to the end of the war? A gleeful end of the war? A gleeful look forward: “We’ll plant look forward: “We’ll plant more cotton. Cotton will go more cotton. Cotton will go sky high next year.”sky high next year.”

Unlike Ashley, who Unlike Ashley, who represents the Old South, represents the Old South, Scarlett (and Rhett) thrives Scarlett (and Rhett) thrives by firmly keeping one foot by firmly keeping one foot in the past, and the other in the past, and the other firmly implanted in the New firmly implanted in the New South.South.