analysis of scarlett’s character in gone with the wind--對《飄》中斯佳麗的人物性格分析

1、<p>　　Analysis of Scarlett’s Character in Gone with the Wind</p><p>　　對《飄》中斯佳麗的人物性格分析</p><p><b>　　摘要</b></p><p>　　《飄》是美國現(xiàn)代女作家瑪格麗特.米歇爾于1936年發(fā)表的一部長篇通俗小說。小說的女主人公斯佳麗被他們

2、描繪成一個極度自私、愛慕虛榮、冷酷無情、為達目的不擇手段的女性。 </p><p>　　引言簡要介紹作者的生平、以及當時的女性主義。作者瑪格麗特.米歇爾是一個具有女性主義意識的女作家。她在小說中含蓄的批判了美國內(nèi)戰(zhàn)時期的南方婦道觀，通過委婉的語言更深刻徹底的揭示出南方婦道觀的虛偽、愚昧和對婦女的壓抑。戰(zhàn)前、中、后的斯佳麗具體的闡述了主人公是怎樣從戰(zhàn)前一個自私、任性但又堅強、勇敢的南方貴族千金小姐轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)閼?zhàn)時的懂得照

3、顧別人、果敢但又有些殘酷的生活上的勇士既而轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)閼?zhàn)后的勤勞、有心計、有思想、有遠見的南方新女性。對比部分主要是斯佳麗與媚蘭與斯佳麗對比。斯佳麗與媚蘭是小說中性格截然不同的兩個女主人公，而不同的性格是她們的人生也大相徑庭。思嘉果斷、堅決的性格決定了她奮進的一生，媚蘭的寬容、堅韌同樣注定了她終生的勤苦。結(jié)論通過全篇總結(jié)得出，跟她的三個主要人生經(jīng)歷密不可分，通過對社會背景、人生經(jīng)歷和對比的分析，總結(jié)出斯佳麗一如既往的性格和由生活所迫改變了的性

4、格并日益成熟，逐漸的成為有思想、有遠見的南方新女性。</p><p>　　關(guān)鍵詞：《飄》；戰(zhàn)爭 ；女性主義；對比 </p><p><b>　　Abstract</b></p><p>　　Gone with the Wind, written by Margaret Mitchell has been one of the bestsell

5、ers and popular with the reader ever since its publication in 1936. Scarlett O’Hara the protagonist in the novel is an extremely selfish, vain, and merciless woman who will not hesitate to resort to any means in order to

6、 reach her ends.</p><p>　　Chapter One gives a brief introduction of Margaret Mitchell’s life, the traditional Southern Womanhood and the feminist. Margaret Mitchell is a woman writer. She has strong feminism

7、. We can get it from the novel, especially from Scarlett. Chapter Two to Chapter Four described the life of Scarlett before war, in the war and after war. These three chapters analyze how Scarlett completes her transform

8、ation from 16 years old girl deeply influenced by traditional Southern Womanhood to a serious-minde</p><p>　　The conclusion summarizes the whole thesis and reiterates the main viewpoint: her transformations

9、connected closely with her three stages of life. She is increasingly maturing and in the end becomes a new Southern woman with strong feminism leanings. When we faced with difficulties we will call the memories of Scarle

10、tt and her words to the world “Tomorrow is another day”! </p><p>　　Key words: Gone with the Wind；War；Feminist leaning；Contrast</p><p><b>　　Contents</b></p><p>　　Introdu

11、ction ……………………….…………..…...….….……..….……1</p><p>　　Chapter One The Period before the War.....................................................2</p><p>　　2.1 About the Title.........................

12、.........................................................2</p><p>　　2.2 The Plot Summary………………………………………................2</p><p>　　2.3 Scarlett in the Period before War………………..……......….........4

13、</p><p>　　2.3.1 Education of the Women in the South before War...................4</p><p>　　2.3.2 Scarlett the Rebellious Girl………….......................................6</p><p>　　2

14、.4 The Summary……………….………….….….……………...........8</p><p>　　Chapter Two The Period in the War………….………..….….…….…....9</p><p>　　3.1The Plot Summary....................................................

15、........................9</p><p>　　3.2 Scarlett’s Capability of Changing with Times…………...…........11</p><p>　　3.3 Scarlett’s Persistent Pursuit of Better Life……………….............13</p>&l

16、t;p>　　3.4 The Summary……………………………………………….........14</p><p>　　Chapter Three The Period after the War………..………........................15</p><p>　　4.1 The Plot Summary……………………………….................

17、.........15</p><p>　　4.2 Scarlett’s Persistent Pursuit of True Love……………………......16</p><p>　　4.3 The Contrast of Scarlett and Melanie.............................................18</p>&l

18、t;p>　　Conclusion………………………………………………………….…...19</p><p>　　Notes……………………………………………………….……..……..21</p><p>　　Bibliography ………………………..…………………………….…….22</p><p>　　Introduction</p>&

19、lt;p>　　Gone with the Wind has been hailed as a triumph of American literature and film. In1937, Margaret. Mitchell won Pulitzer Prize, for her sweeping portrayal of the crumbling of the Old South. Since then, the nove

20、l has sold millions of copies. The film, a production by David O.Selznick, exceeded all expectations, receiving critical and public acclaim that included an unprecedented ten Academy Awards.[1] </p><p>　　Eve

21、n today, Gone with the Wind, despite its many historical inaccuracies, forms the basis of American popular memory of the Old South in the years since the Civil War, but Margaret Mitchell’s tale is the one that is most de

22、eply embedded in American culture. </p><p>　　The novel mainly describes the life of Scarlett who is the daughter of Tara’s master around the American Civil War. Meanwhile with the hint of a triangular love b

23、etween Scarlett, Ashley and Rhett, the novel depicts a wide and prosperous picture of the social life of the South in America. An important element of the story’s popularity is Scarlett O’Hara, the outstanding heroine wh

24、o is full of conflicting and complicated features. This article analyzes the character of Scarlett from three aspects:</p><p>　　Chapter One the Period before the War</p><p>　　Mitchell’s work rel

25、ates the story of a rebellious Georgia Southern belle named Scarlett O’Hara and her experiences with friends, family, lovers, and enemies in the South during the antebellum period, the War of Northern Aggression, and the

26、 Reconstruction era.</p><p>　　2.1 About the Title</p><p>　　The title of Gone with the Wind is taken from the first line of the third stanza of the poem Non sum uails eram bonae sub regno Cynarae

27、 by Ernest Dowson: “I have forgotten much, Cynara! Gone with the wind.”[6] The title phrase also appears in the novel: When Scarlett of French-Irish ancestry escapes the bombardment of Atlanta by Northern forces; she fle

28、es back to her family’s plantation, Tara. At one point, she wondered, “Was Tara still standing? Or was Tara also gone with the wind which had swe</p><p>　　The title is beautiful, gone with the wind, everythi

29、ng, like the old traditional South, like Melanie, like the slave system and Scarlett’s love to Ashley…</p><p>　　2.2 The Plot Summary</p><p>　　The novel opens at Tara, the O’Haras’ plantation in

30、Georgia, with scarlet O’Hara flirting idly with Brent and Stuart Tarleton, twin brothers who live on a nearby plantation. Amidst the chatter, the pair tells Scarlett that Ashley Wilkes, the man Scarlett secretly loves, a

31、nd his cousin Melanie Hamilton, a plain and gentle lady from Atlanta, are to be married. Shocked, Scarlett sits in silence until the two leave, without inviting them to dinner. Ignoring her mammy’s cautions against the c

32、old, Sca</p><p>　　Before the war, Scarlett lived an elegant and leisure life. It’s just such kind of life made her selfish and vanity. For love she is stubborn and wayward. She had romantic emotion to love.

33、But, at that time, ladies and gentlemen’s demeanor formed the atmosphere of the traditional society. She was born in a sumptuous manor Tara in Georgia South America. Her parents want to make her a lady, and gave her very

34、 traditional education. Scarlett didn’t like doing that, she pretend to be a lady in front </p><p>　　2.3 Scarlett in the Period before War</p><p>　　2.3.1 Education of the Women in the South befo

35、re War</p><p>　　Scarlett O’Hara, a Southern girl before the Civil War, is no exception. As an ordinary girl growing up in Southern culture, Scarlett is undoubtedly deeply influenced by the prevailing ideas o

36、f what a Southern woman should do in a male-dominated world. Gradually she becomes a woman, a representative of Southern women. To the Southern woman, marriage is the destiny traditionally offered to her and she is const

37、antly taught the art of catching a decent and wealthy husband as soon as possible. The un</p><p>　　Scarlett shares dissemblance, an essential trait of Southern Womanhood, with the other girls. Thanks to her

38、mother’s and Mammy’s continuous admonition and harping, she becomes a fairly beautiful, sweet and demure girl. Men have a common interest in appreciating the beauty, sweetness and demureness of a girl. Scarlett’s beauty

39、is partially inborn and partially acquired, but her sweetness and demureness are chiefly achieved by means of dissemblance. Scarlett understands of how to dissemble her own</p><p>　　2.3.2 Scarlett the Rebell

40、ious Girl</p><p>　　The woman chained to her household tasks has known as a girl that it is the first duty of a girl to get married. However from the outset, Scarlett challenges the conventions of her society

41、. A tomboy who can ride horses, throw stones and climb trees as well as any make companion, by 1861 she has evolved into a typical young lady only under the insistent instruction of her mother Ellen and her Mammy. Scarle

42、tt seems femininity remains merely a superficial shell, embodying outward signs, but arising</p><p>　　Scarlett is fond of love and marriage just like other girls and she can pretend to suppress her true feel

43、ings successfully. Actually Scarlett never ceases to seek to air her feelings openly, whatever the consequences or the chaos she may create. In the old South, arranged marriages are widespread. A girl is expected to find

44、 a marriageable man and she has to accept the husband chosen by her parents. Gerald O’Hara (father) insists that “the best marriages are when the parents choose for the girl” </p><p>　　The very obvious is he

45、r disregard for religion, and indispensable element in Southerners’ life. At prayer time in the evening before the ball, while all the other family members and the blacks are praying piously and asking Holy Mary to forgi

46、ve their sins. Scarlett is so absent-minded that she neglects to make any responses, causing her mother to look at her reprovingly. Ever since childhood, prayer time is a moment for adoration of her mother Ellen, rather

47、than Holy Mary. To the pious people, i</p><p>　　Compare with God, Scarlett trust more herself, in her eyes the God is an absentee God. “The Lord stopped thinking about us years ago, and don’t go telling me M

48、other is turning in her grave to hear me say it either” (p.542). As we can find in the later chapters, every time she does odious or unethical deeds in order to protect her own life, Tara, or the lives of those for whom

49、she is responsible, Scarlett repeats to herself an important motto: “I’ll think about it tomorrow.” This motto becomes he</p><p>　　2.4 The Summary</p><p>　　In the period before war, Scarlett was

50、 a little girl only worried about her love fairs, she had no ideas about the war, </p><p>　　“You know there isn’t going to be any war,” said Scarlett, bored. “It’s all just talk. Why, Ashley Wilkes and his

51、 father told Pa just last week that our commissioners in Washington would come to—to—an—amicable agreement with Mr. Lincoln about the Confederacy. And anyway, the Yankees are too scared of us to fight. There won’t be any

52、 war, and I’m tired of hearing about it.”(Margaret, 1973: 36 p.25)</p><p>　　As we can see, Scarlett didn’t believe there will going to be any war, she was really boring about it, what she reply to the twins

53、who were excitedly talking about the war is only making a mouth of bored impatience. Being a charming young lady of the old South, Scarlett cares more about the coming barbecues party, how she looks, her new green flower

54、ed-muslin dress, and of course her deeply loved prince Ashley. </p><p>　　Of course the elegant and leisure life make her selfish and vanity. For love Scarlett is stubborn and wayward. She had a romantic emot

55、ion to love. But, at that time, ladies and gentlemen’s demeanor formed the atmosphere of the traditional society. Her parents want to make her a lady, a traditional one, but to Scarlett, it is really a disaster, in front

56、 of her parents, she could bear to pretend, but she went her own way at other times, that’s her, a real Scarlett, an very proud own, extremely con</p><p>　　Chapter Two the Period in the War</p><p&

57、gt;　　3.1 The Plot Summary</p><p>　　The Civil War broke out, and also, the difficult life begins. Scarlett’s husband died soon after he has to join the war for suffering of fever, at the same time the south a

58、rmy was continually retreating in defeat. But these had not made Scarlet feel sad, the very thing that brought her great sadness was Ashley also decided to join the war, what’s worse, at that time, both Scarlett and Mela

59、nie were pregnant. With out their husbands, the two young ladies have draped into a really difficult and dan</p><p>　　Scarlett: Oh, yes, yes! I know we can get through, Rhett. I’m sure we can.</p><

60、;p>　　Rhett: Not we, my dear, you, I’m leaving you here.</p><p>　　Scarlett: You are what? Rhett, where are you going?</p><p>　　Rhett: I’m very serious, Scarlett. I’m going to join up with our

61、brave lads in grey.</p><p>　　Scarlett: But they are running away?</p><p>　　Rhett: Oh, no. They'll turn and make a last stand if know anything about them. And when they do, I'll be with

62、 them. I'm a little late but "better late than...</p><p>　　Scarlett: Rhett, you must be joking! </p><p>　　Rhett: Selfish to the end, aren't you? Thinking only of your own preci

63、ous hide with never a thought for the noble cause. </p><p>　　Scarlett: Rhett! How could you do this to me? And why should you go now that, after it's all over, and I need you! Why? Why?  &

64、lt;/p><p>　　Rhett: Why? Maybe it's because I've always had a weakness for lost causes... Once they're really lost... Or, maybe, maybe I'm ashamed of myself. Who knows?</p><p>　　Scar

65、lett: You should die of shame to leave me here alone and helpless!  </p><p>　　Rhett: You, helpless? Heaven help the Yankees if they capture you... Now climb down here, I want to say goodbye.</p&

66、gt;<p>　　Scarlett: No.  </p><p>　　Rhett: Climb down!  </p><p>　　Scarlett: Oh, Rhett, please, don't go! You can't leave me! Please! I'll never forgive you!&

67、#160; </p><p>　　Rhett: I'm not asking you to forgive me. I'll never understand or forgive myself. And if a bullet gets me, so help me, I'll laugh at myself for being an idiot. But there is o

68、ne thing I do know. And that is that I love you, Scarlett. In spite of you and me and the whole silly world going to pieces around us... I love you. Because we're alike. Bad lots both of us... selfish and shrewed, bu

69、t able to look things in the eyes and call them by their right names.</p><p>　　Scarlett: Don't hold me like that! </p><p>　　Rhett: Scarlett, look at me. I love you more than I've ever lo

70、ved any woman. And I've waited longer for you than I've ever waited for any woman. </p><p>　　Scarlett: Let me alone. </p><p>　　Rhett: Here's a soldier of the South who loves you, Sca

71、rlett, wants to feel your arms around him, wants to carry the memory of your kisses into battle with him. Never mind about loving me. You are a woman sending a soldier to his death, with a beautiful memory... Scarlett, k

72、iss me... Kiss me once.  </p><p>　　Scarlett: You low-down, cowardly, nasty thing, you! They were right... Everybody was right... You, you are not a gentleman!</p><p>　　Rhett: A minor p

73、oint, at such a moment... Here. If anyone lays a hand on this nag, shoot him, but don't make a mistake and shoot the nag.</p><p>　　Scarlett: Oh, go on. I want you to go! I hope a cannon ball lands slap o

74、n you! I hope you're blown into a million pieces!  I...  </p><p>　　Rhett: Never mind the rest. I follow your general idea. And when I'm dead on the altar of my country, I hope you

75、r conscience hurts you. Goodbye, Scarlett… (Victor Fleming, 1941, movie)</p><p>　　Rhett disappeared at the end of the road, without his help, Scarlett feel lonely and scared, but she didn’t give up, what she

76、 agrees was, “ I will make is, mother will help me…”</p><p>　　Arriving home at Tara, Scarlett finds the house ruined, the food gone, the crops burned, most of the slaves run off, her mother dead, her father

77、with dementia, and her two sisters sick with typhoid. Desperate for food, she walks to Twelve Oaks only to find it burned to the ground. Hunting around, she finds some vegetables in the gardens of the slave quarters, but

78、 becomes ill when she tries to eat them. After she recovers, she swears that once the war is over, she will never be hungry again, and </p><p>　　During the war, Ashley joined the war and soon lost all his in

79、formation. Rhett abandons Scarlett and Melanie on the road back to Tara to fight for the South. Without their help scarlet shouldered all the responsibilities by her own and lived indomitably…</p><p>　　3.2 S

80、carlett’s Capability of Changing with Times</p><p>　　It is obviously that the North is much more stronger than the South, the North has more stronger weapon, more people, more skillful technology, earlier or

81、 later, they will win, but many southerners do not accept the fact, and they fail to realize that their ideal is out of date and must be remolded to correspond to the new conditions of the social environment. However, Sc

82、arlett is wiser and more flexible in the new environment. Unlike her sisters, she didn’t stay in the sadness of war, but work </p><p>　　To Scarlett it seemed that at every turn she met outstretched hands, pl

83、eading eyes.</p><p>　　After her return to Tara from Atlanta, she violates all the rules of conduct laid on Southern young ladies. On the night of the fall of Atlanta, though exhausted from the delivery of Me

84、lanie’s child, Scarlett has to drive a carriage towards Tara. She maneuvers safely past soldiers of both camps, who may rob her of her horse. The long ride is harrowing and Scarlett emerges at Tara exhausted, but she has

85、 changed and will continue to change. She finds nothing is in favor of her. Her mother is dead </p><p>　　3.3 Scarlett’s Persistent Pursuit of Better Life</p><p>　　As I mentioned, the War broke o

86、ut, and also the difficult life comes, the War brings Scarlett to a moment of reflection:</p><p>　　Somewhere, on the long road that wound through those four years, the girl with her sachet and dancing slippe

87、rs had slipped away and there was left a woman with sharp green eyes, who counted pennies and turned her hands to many menial tasks, a woman to nothing was left from the wreckage except the indestructible red earth on wh

88、ich she stood. (Margaret, 1973: 36 p.478)</p><p>　　The War left Scarlett a ruined Tara, a dead mother, demonetized father and two sick sisters, but also the War leave her the memory of her father’s words:<

89、;/p><p>　　“Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to anything,” he shouted, his thick, short arms making wide gestures of indignation, “for ‘tis the only thing in this world that lasts, and don’t you

90、be forgetting it! ‘This only thing worth working for, worth fighting for—worth dying for.” （Margaret, 1973: 36 p.22）</p><p>　　The War leaved her the red earth, that’s enough, she thought of her father’s word

91、s, and begins her hard work. Life is difficult, but she never thought to give up, she has a persistent pursuit to better life. She, unlike her two sick sisters, never give up to work to make their life better, without fo

92、od, she went out to find it, when she got ill for eating bad vegetables, she swears that once the war is over, she’ll never be hungry again, and takes strength from this vow. Without slaves to work i</p><p>

93、　　Life is still hard, but there is hope, Scarlett, like her mother, shouldered all the responsibilities of Tara, her family.</p><p>　　3.4 The Summary</p><p>　　In the War period, Scarlett shoulde

94、red all the responsibilities, and make life better and better, she like a brave warrior, fight for hunger, fight for money and fight for a better life. When she lack of money she thought of Rhett, she want to borrow mone

95、y from him, but without a beautiful dress, the stubborn young women cut the curtain to make a dress. For better life, she lied to Frank, her sister’s fiancé that her sister loved another man, and she herself married

96、 him. For her persistent pursu</p><p>　　Chapter Three the Period after the War</p><p>　　4.1 The Plot Summary</p><p>　　The War finished, no doubt that the South failed. The North con

97、trolled the government, and reversed a series of policies that, the southern landowners must give the black people freedom and respect. All the irrespective action to the black people will seem as crime. Most of the blac

98、k slaves were freedom, low educations make them find no job, they became vagrants and turning round and round in the dark streets. The society then was a terribly mess. A lot of women were attacked by black vagrants w<

99、;/p><p>　　After the War, Scarlett put her accent on making money, at that time in the South, no woman came out to work except Scarlett, she married her sister’s fiancé Frank and begin to run a little wood

100、material company, she work hard, every day she drive home and to work herself, it’s very dangerous outside, and she was once attacked by the vagrants, but luckily she were rescued by a black man who was once work for her