Gone with the wind is an extremely atypical bigbudget studio project of its era in that it concerns itself with racial matters at all, though it blithely accepts the legitimacy of owning humans. As gone with the wind was an epic being filmed in technicolor, selznick demanded the costumes be sensational while remaining historically accurate. Gone with the wind is generally thought to be historically accurate by critics. The horrific bigotry endured by this gone with the wind. What parts of the book gone with the wind were not put. How historically accurate is margaret mitchells novel gone with the wind. This lowpriced motion picture edition of gone with the wind combines the literary achievement of miss mitchells book and the cinematic triumph of its screen version, for which the publishers warmly congratulate mr. Is gone with the wind historically accurate margaret. We like to think 1939 was a different world, a world divided from our own by a. Gone with the wind is gone from the orpheum after 34 years but the films star seems to be dimming in recent years, as its problems relative to race and american history grow harder to ignore. Gone with the wind is historical fiction, and the fiction is usually more important than the history. The storyline is historically accurate and the characters are brilliantly developed.
Gone with the wind, which was not eligible for an academy award this year since it was released in 1939, is an epic film based on a bestselling novel about how a southern white woman. In a previous post on gone with the wind i wrote that i had learned a lot about the american civil war and reconstruction, about slavery very different from uncle toms cabin and a lot about georgia and atlanta. Margaret mitchells gone with the wind sold one million copies in its first six months, won the pulitzer prize in 1937 and brought an explosion of unexpected, unwishedfor celebrity to its author. Johnnys favorite part of the movie titled gone with the wind was when the gentlemen from the south rode into sure death to be gallant. Published in 1936, margaret mitchells gone with the wind has been banned on social grounds. The literature police and gone with the wind abbeville institute. She is subject to the correct code of female behavior. But the bigotry endured by its africanamerican star hattie mcdaniel was a. This period in american history is known as the gilded age partially because of the ornate designs that were favored in both fashion and interior design scarlett and rhetts atlanta mansion is a prime example of the eras over the top style. She learns that ashley wilkes her crush is engaged to melanie hamilton. Gone with the wind is a sexy book fifty shades of gray, 30s style. This movie was made to portray one of the most difficult times in american history. It was directed by victor fleming, and based off of the book written by margaret mitchell.
As the movies title gone with the wind scrolled slowly across the. Gone with the wind is a novel by american writer margaret mitchell, first published in 1936. Many of the background elements of what life was like in georgia during the mid 19th century are very accurate, but in the end the book and the movie are works of fiction. Consequently, societys censors want the book banned. Gone with the wind, american epic film, released in 1939, that was one of the best known and most successful films of all time.
Gone with the wind and the confederacy the atlantic. Shouldnt this rule also apply to southern culture and miss mitchells classic novel. It is made possible through the cooperation of author and publisher, publisher and producer. Gone with the wind was popular with american readers from the outset and was the top american fiction bestseller in 1936 and 1937. I sincerely believe that this book is the number one american classic.
Is gone with the wind historically accurate answers. More than 30 million copies have been printed worldwide. Does gone with the wind reflect the correct situation of. One of the most beloved novels in the history of america, gone with the wind has been challengedbanned for its portrayal of the south, particularly in regards to slavesthe treatment of, negative references to, and behavior of slaves before, during, and after the civil war. Gone with the wind will be screened in 650 theaters nationwide locally, at 2 and 7 p.
Gone with the wind is often placed in the literary subgenre of the historical romance novel. By all accounts, gone with the wind was a smash, garnering awards and acclaim in equal measure. If you want a more accurate portrait of slavery and emancipation. Buy a cheap copy of the complete gone with the wind trivia. Historical accuracy won in gone with the wind with new fuss about. Inside the mansion that inspired gone with the wind. In its details about dates, places and times, gone with the wind i mean the margaret mitchell novel is remarkably accurate. While its undeniably a long book, its swift pacing, powerful characters, and insightful observations on human nature make it well worth your time. Well the people in the film were obviously made up, but the civil war, the social issues during the civil war and the north vs. The final third of gone with the wind 1939 occurs during the 1870s. Prices and availability are accurate as of the time of publication.
For example in the classic 1939 film gone with the wind adapted from margaret mitchells. It is a great love story set in the american civil war and the period of reconstruction afterwards. Of course, it is totally fine for older teenagers to read. Margaret mitchell lived her life in the south and as such was steeped in wh. It was published in 1936, after it took her seven years to write, and won a pulitzer prize in 1937. Historical accuracy of gone with the wind essay 1145. This movie was made to portray one of the most difficult times in american. Selznick still had no script, no leading man, and no scarlett.
Learn about some of the historical inaccuracies and criticisms of the film, including its portrayal of race relations. Asked in authors, poets, and playwrights, romantic movies. Monday by turner classic movies and reissued tuesday in a lavish. Gone with the wind has been hailed as a triumph of american literature and film. The novel has also been described as an early classic of the erotic historical. Gone with the wind is a controversial reference point for subsequent writers of the south, both. In chapter 43 mitchell gives to rhett butler a version of the speech that we know now her own mother had given her when she was a child. How accurate was the movie gone with the wind answers. Plunkett and his team created over 5,000 pieces of clothing for the principal cast and thousands of extras. Gone with the wind sold one million copies in its first six months, won the pulitzer. It was boredom that caused 25yearold margaret mitchell to write 63 of the most beloved chapters in literary history. Gone with the wind, motion picture edition, complete and. Margaret mitchells gone with the wind was enthusiastically received when it was published but it has run afoul of the sociopolitical trends of recent years. Gone with the wind published margaret mitchells gone with the wind, one of the bestselling novels of all time and the basis for a blockbuster 1939 movie, is published on this day in 1936.
Growing up and grasping gone with the wind it happens sometimes that you pick up a classic book expecting a great read, and youre disappointed. The story is set in clayton county and atlanta, both in georgia, during the american civil war and reconstruction era. Gone with the wind was a story of men and women living in the south during the war between the states and of the souths transformation after the war. Gone with the wind gone with the wind is a classic movie that has been loved by many americans over many generations. Classic literature, original gangster s4 e11 gone girl by gillian flynn thug notes book summary and analysis duration. The book has been called offensive and vulgar because of the language and characterizations. Gone with the wind film, how historically accurate it was. Mitchells gone with the wind is one of the great novels of survival, and therein lies much of its appeal. The literature police and gone with the wind abbeville. Sunday and wednesday at cinemark and most amc theaters, broadcast at 9 p. Gone with the wind, margaret mitchell gone with the wind is a novel by american writer margaret mitchell, first published in 1936.
What i ask again is, why is a book challenged for being historically accurate as in the challenge of the pillars of. Gone with the wind turns 75 this year, a long enough period to establish it as an artifact, a museum piece. Though gone with the wind is a classic now, not everyone was a fan. In the comments jane pointed out, quite correctly, that the book shouldnt be taken as history, but as reflective of a very strong pointofview of american history, circa 1930. Gone with the wind, praised by trump, misrepresents. In that case, as in mitchells, we would not exactly be talking about ancient history. His112 gone with the wind directed by victor fleming. Historical accuracy of gone with the wind essay 1145 words. Words like damn and whore were scandalous at the time. Of course her analysis of the american civil war and its. Margaret mitchell was an avid studier of the civil war, and grew up in the south listening to confederate veterans. Margaret mitchells gone with the wind was enthusiastically received. In 1937, margaret mitchell won the pulitzer prize for her sweeping portrayal of the crumbling of the old south. However, i think before reading it, it is important for readers of any age to also have a good grasp of the true history regarding slavery, reconstruction, and the civil war, because much of the truth behind those events is muddled.
A feminist, historical analysis of gone with the wind. I hadnt seen the movie either, so this was going to be a clean slate affair for me. The main reason for mitchells research was so that she would not have real historians and civil war veteransmore than a few of whom were still alive at the time of the book s writingcoming after her for inaccuracies. Her entire understanding of the causes, course, and consequences of the conflict were formed and warped by that upbringing. Gone with the wind didnt give a damn about slavery film.
How gone with the wind took the nation by storm by. Shouldn t this rule also apply to southern culture and miss mitchells classic novel. Based on the runaway bestselling 1936 novel gone with the wind. A classic when i first read this book, i prolonged my reading experience over the course of a few months because i was enjoying it so much. Readers will learn what brand of typewriter margaret mitchell used to type. As of 2014, a harris poll found it to be the second favorite book of american readers, just behind the bible. As its 75th anniversary approaches, gone with the wind is again being celebrated as a. Anything regarding the dates of battles, legislation passed, and even small things like fashions in womens clothing etc, historians tend to be extremely impressed by mitchells scholarship. Clark gable, vivien leigh, high res such is the magnificence of mitchells historical revisionism that. Gone with the wind may be a dramatic masterpiece, but its portrayal of life during and after the civil war is not completely accurate. The rerelease of the movie gone with the wind this summer prompted a new round of criticism of the movie, of the novel it is based on and of. Nikhil im 17 years old, so i have first hand experience in answering this. Throughout history there have been political and sanctimonious types who tried to restrict what the populace is permitted to read, but in our generation these types seem to be.
Parts that reference actual civil war events are fairly accurate, but the book is a work of fiction. Written from the perspective of the slaveholder, gone with the wind is southern plantation. The movie is famous for its strong lead character, scarlett ohara, but is she a true woman of her time. Months into preparations for gone with the wind, producer david o. Inside the mansion that inspired gone with the wind gone with the wind features one of the grandest homes in all of classic cinema, and now is your chance to own it or at least the home that inspired the wilkes southern plantation the movie was mostly shot on speciallybuilt set pieces.
How historically accurate is margaret mitchells novel. Gone with the wind is a masterpiece of american literature, and highly recommended to readers of civil war fiction or those who enjoy historical drama. But a novel can sanitise entirely the inequities of real history. It enjoyed a morethan30year reign as the alltime hollywood box office champion, and it won eight academy awards in addition to two honorary awards. An afternoon meeting miss scarlett ohara meets with stuart and brent tarleton. Many of the background elements of what life was like in georgia during the mid 19th century are very accurate, but in. The classic novel shows that individual lives cannot be reduced to competing.
For example in the classic 1939 film gone with the wind adapted from. Gone with the wind, however, takes liberally from its authors life. Describing the tarleton twins as long of bone and hard of muscle. Inaccuracies the end of the war accuracies and inaccuracies of the 1939 film gone with the wind samantha shute period 4 in the story gerald ohara arrives on his plantation and announces that the civil war ended. Also, the new york society for the suppression of vice disapproved of scarletts multiple marriages. Is gone with the winds nostalgia for slavery acceptable. Margaret mitchell was a wealthy southerner, writing 70 years after the civil war. Gone with the wind dates not accurate timeline created by thornstorm14829.
472 1027 751 37 1168 1397 258 1422 1144 115 1421 1095 813 1592 838 435 1598 72 1537 507 721 1296 359 335 149 562 1655 1115 1570 1064 249 1420 155 435 559 1249 215 725 599 935 1014