学科分类号 0502 
本科学生毕业论文（设计）
题目（中文）： 浅析《飘》中瑞德对斯嘉丽的爱
（英文）： On the Analysis of Rhett’s Love for
Scarlett in Gone with the Wind
姓 名 李 莎
学 号 200504091214
院 （系） 湖南科技学院外国语言文学系
专业、年级 英语专业20##级
指导教师 罗小英
20##年5月08日
On the Analysis of Rhett’s Love for Scarlett in
Gone with the Wind
By
Li Sha
Supervised
By
Associate Professor Luo Xiaoying
Submitted
To
The Foreign Languages Department
In partial fulfillment of the requirement
Bachelor of Arts
In the subject of
English Language and Literature
Hunan University of Science and Engineering
Yongzhou, Hunan
May, 2009
湖南科技学院本科毕业论文（设计）诚信声明
本人郑重声明：所呈交的本科毕业论文（设计），是本人在指导老师的指导下，独立进行研究工作所取得的成果，成果不存在知识产权争议，除文中已经注明引用的内容外，本论文不含任何其他个人或集体已经发表或撰写过的作品成果。对本文的研究做出重要贡献的个人和集体均已在文中以明确方式标明。本人完全意识到本声明的法律结果由本人承担。
本科毕业论文（设计）作者签名：
二○○九 年 五 月
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说明：评定成绩分为优秀、良好、中等、及格、不及格五个等级，实评总分90—100分记为优秀，80—89分记为良好，70—79分记为中等，60—69分记为及格，60分以下记为不及格。
说明：评定成绩分为优秀、良好、中等、及格、不及格五个等级，实评总分90—100分记为优秀，80—89分记为良好，70—79分记为中等，60—69分记为及格，60分以下记为不及格。
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Contents
摘要……………………………………………………………………..Ⅰ
Abstract…………………………………………………………………Ⅱ
Introduction …………………………………………………………… 1
1 A Brief Account of Margaret Mitchell and Her Work……………..3
1.1 Brief Introduction of Margaret Mitchell……………………............3
1.2 Main Story of Gone with the Wind………………………………….5
2 Embodiment of Rhett’s Love for Scarlett……………………….......9
2.1 Satisfying Scarlett at Dance………………………………………...9
2.2 Helping Scarlett Escape from Atlanta……………………………..11
2.3 Having Their Sweet Marriage……………………………………..12
2.4 Loving Their Daughter…………………………………………….13
3 Reasons for Rhett’s Love……………………………….…………...16
3.1 Different Characteristics…………………………………………...16
3.1.1 Astute and Mature Rhett………………………………………..16
3.1.2 Versatile Scarlett………………………………………………..19
3.2 The Force of Civil War…………………………………………….21
Conclusion………………………………………………………….…..24
Notes………………………………..…………………………………..26
Bibliography…………………………………………………………...27
Acknowledgements
摘 要
《飘》是美国女作家玛格丽特·米切尔一生中创作的唯一的一部长篇小说。小说以南北战争为背景，着重描述塔拉农场主的女儿斯嘉丽·奥哈拉在战前战后的生活，同时通过斯嘉丽与艾希礼、瑞德等人的感情纠葛为线索，刻画了一副壮观而又生动的南方社会的生活画面。在作品塑造的众多富有特色的人物当中，最具争议性的人物莫过于瑞德·巴特勒。他精明，懂得在乱世中如何生存；他成熟，知道自己该如何去表达爱。本论文通过对瑞德对斯嘉丽的爱进行研究分析，从而透析造成他们这样爱情的主要原因--人物性格的差异和时代背景的促使。通过研究瑞德对斯嘉丽的爱，有助于读者更深入的了解玛格丽特笔下的瑞德·巴特勒和斯嘉丽·奥哈拉。
关键词: 《飘》； 瑞德的爱； 成因
Abstract
Gone with the Wind is the only novel written by American writer Margaret Mitchell. The novel mainly focuses on the life of Scarlett O’Hara, the daughter of the owner of Tara Plantation before and after the Civil War. The author has portrayed a spectacular and vivid picture of the life of the South community to us through describing the love and disputes among Scarlett, Ashley and Rhett. Among so many unique characters described in the book, the most controversial one must be the core shape—Rhett Butler. He is astute, knowing how to survive in turbulent times; he is mature, knowing how to love Scarlett. By analyzing Rhett’s love in this paper, we could find out the main reasons that conducte to his love—their different characteristics and the force of Civil War. Learning Rhett’s love, we readers could get a better understanding of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara.
Key words: Gone with the Wind, Rhett’s love, reason
Introduction
Gone with the Wind, the only novel of American writer Margaret Mitchell, has always been getting people’s great concern. Ever since its first publish, lots of well-known scholars, at home and abroad, have conducted their researches on such masterpiece.
Haskell (2005) made a review on this book. Her argument was mounted on feminist principles. She contends that “themes centering on women” are “always an inferior subject matter to socially conscious critics of literature and film”. Huang Jinwei (1999) gave explanations with his own characteristics on the glamor, value and characteristics of the book. Ding Yun (1999) had made some researches on Scarlett’s mental spirit, image and aesthetic value. Rightly because Gone with the Wind is such a glorious masterpiece that many aitistic characteristics are worth studying. Here, Rhett’s love—Rhett loves Scarlett is chosen as one main aspect to be concerned.
Knowing the love between the two heroes—Rhett and Scarlett in the book is worthy of study, the writer focuses on it. After doing this research, we can get a clearer idea of their love. It is their different characteristics and the force of the time that make it.
Here, exemplication will be applied to show Rhett’s love for Scarlett. The thesis is devided into five parts. The first part is introduction. It briefly introduces some current researches on the masterpiece and the framework of this paper. The second part tells the backgroud of the writer and the main story of Gone with the Wind. The third part maily shows us how Rhett loves Scalrlett by giving examples in the book. The forth part focuses on analysing the reasons for their love. The last part is conclusion.
1
A Brief Account of Margaret Mitchell and Her Work
1.1 Brief Introduction of Margaret Mitchell
Margaret Mitchell was born on Nov. 8, 1900, in a lawyer family in Atlanta. Her father, Eugene Muse Mitchell, who used to be an Atlanta attorney, is a short, prudent and conservative old man, descended from Scotch-Irish and French Huguenots. Her mother, Mary Isabelle Stephens, of Irish-Catholic ancestry, is exquisite and always energetic. She was also a champion fighting for women’s rights at that time. The family included many soldiers, who had fought in the American Revolution, Irish Uprising and Rebellions and the Civil War.
The imaginative child loves playing with boys, riding her lovely pony and dreaming. She was fascinated with stories of the Civil War that she heard from people around. So, when Margaret decided to write a novel about the Civil War, Atlanta had become the natural background.
Margaret Mitchell had studied at Smith College in Massachusetts in the fall of 1918, not long after the United States entered World War I. In January, 1919, her mother died during a flu epidemic so that Margaret had to leave college to take charge of the family. Having lost her mother, Margaret became a runaway horse. At the right time, Margaret became acquainted with two men, an ex-football player and bootlegger, Berrien Kinnard Upshaw, and a lanky newspaperman John Robert Marsh. She chose Upshaw, and the two were married in September.
The Upshaw marriage was stormy and short lived. They divorced in October, 1924. And less than a year later, she married Marsh. The two held their wedding reception at their new apartment—a house which Margaret affectionately nicknamed “The Dump”.
Only months after their marriage, Margaret left her job to convalesce from a series of injuries. It was during this period that she began writing her book. Starting from 1926, Margaret had written for about nine years. More than 200 pages of manuscripts were not being the final version until an editor-in-chief and vice president of a publishing house in New York met Margaret Mitchell and finally got the pile of manuscripts in 1935. Having worked together for more than a year, they finally made Gone with the Wind meet the readers. Margaret did not think her book would be so badly welcome that made her famous overnight.
On Aug. 11th, 1949, Margaret Mitchell was knocked off by an off-duty cab driver. She died five days later and was buried with other members of her family.
A legendary woman had walked over her extraordinary life in that way. The only thing she left us was a unique moving novel, an immortal work.
1.2 Main Story of Gone with the Wind
The story starts on a large cotton plantation named Tara in rural Georgia in 1816, on the eve of the American Civil War. The heroine, Scarlett O’Hara, is the eldest of the three daughters of Irish immigrant Gerald O’Hara and his wife, Ellen. Gerald, is quite a wealthy planter. It was not until 43-year-old that he married 15-year-old Christina Ellen, a noble immigrant from the East Coast of French. Gerald is of bad temper, but good-natured, while his young wife is of good education with strict moral values. She manages the entire daily affairs of the estate all by her own, and takes good care of their black maids. Therefore, the couple are not only respected by the whites around, but also loved by the blacks. Their capricious daughter Scarlett is grown up in such environment.
In 1861, the relationship between the South and the North in the United States was becoming tenser and tenser. Men in Georgia all talk about the unavoided war between the South and the North. However, the 16-year-old Scarlett expresses no interest in it. What she likes is party, barbecue and those who turn up around her. However, She is upset to hear of Ashley’s engagement to his cousin Melanie Hamilton, which is to be announced the next day at the barbecue held at his home, Twelve Oaks. Believing that Ashley loves her, Scarlett decides to tell Ashley her love so that he won’t be married to Melanie. When she finally finds a chance to talk to Ashley alone, she confesses her love to him but is politely refused. Then, Scarlett accuses him of misleading her to believe that he always loves her and slaps him in anger, which is heightened when she realizes that Rhett has overheard the whole conversation.
“Eavesdroppers —” she began furiously.
“Eavesdroppers often hear highly entertaining and instructive things,” he grinned. “From along experience in eavesdropping, I —”
“Sir, ” she said, “you are no gentleman!”
“An apt observation,” he answered airily, “And you, Miss, are no lady.” [1](P115)
The barbecue is disrupted by the announcement that war has broken out, and men all rush to enlist. As Scarlett watches Ashley kiss Melanie goodbye, Melanie’s shy elder brother Charles Hamilton, asks for Scarlett’s hand in marriage before he goes. Scarlett consents. They are married, and she is just as quickly widowed and pregnant when Charles dies not in the battle, but of pneumonia.
In order to cheer her up, Ellen sends Scarlett to the Hamilton’s in Atlanta. Because of lacking of hands, Scarlett and Melanie have to work for the party. One day, they attend a charity ball, where Rhett makes a surprising appearance. He has become a heroic blockade runner for the Confederacy. Scarlett shocks the whole Atlanta society by accepting Rhett’s bid for a dance when she is still in mourning.
The war continues. As the city is besieged by the Union Army in the Atlanta Campaign, Melanie unluckily goes into a premature and difficult labor. Scarlett has to deliver the child herself for Doc. Meade is busy dealing with those wounded soldiers. In the meantime, they are trapped in Atlanta while Yankee soldiers are coming. Fortunately, Rhett appears with an old horse and wagon and takes them out of the city. When Scarlett thinks they are safe and don’t need to worry till they reach home, Rhett leaves her on the road to Tara with the reason that he is going to join the army.
On her arduous journey back home, Scarlett feels upset to find Twelve Oaks burned out and deserted. Yet, She is relieved to find Tara still standing. But learning that her mother has just died and her father’s mind has begun to fail under the strain, Scarlett almost becomes crumble. She is left to take charge of the whole family.
Though the war is soon over, Scarlett realizes that she cannot pay for the taxes of Tara. Having no other choice, soon Scarlett becomes Mrs. Frank Kennedy just for his money. In order to make herself not being hungry again and be rich from then on, she becomes a hardheaded businesswoman, willing to trade with the despised Yankee carpetbaggers and use convicted laborers in her mill.
The poor Frank, together with other members of the Ku Klux Klan, wants to take revenge for Scarlett, who has been attacked by two blacks, is set up and shot dead. With Frank’s funeral barely over, Rhett visits Scarlett and proposes marriage. Scarlett says “Yes” to him just for the luxurious life Rhett can provide. After a honeymoon in New Orleans, Rhett promises to restore Tara, while the biggest and most opulent mansion is being built in Atlanta. Rhett loves her so much that would like to do everything to please her.
The two soon have a lovely daughter, Bonnie, who looks like her mother very much. Rhett adores her as a less spoiled and carefree version of her mother, and does everything to win good opinions of the Atlanta society for his daughter’s sake. Scarlett, however, still believing she loves Ashley, keeps ruining her figure. With broken-heart, Rhett decides to take Bonnie on an extended trip to London. When Rhett returns, Scarlett then resentfully tells him that she’s pregnant again. Unluckily, being enraged, Scarlett lunges at him, and then falls down the stairs and suffers a miscarriage.
When Scarlett recovers, Rhett attempts to reconcile with her, while young Bonnie, as impulsive as her grandfather, dies in a fall from her pony when she attempts to jump a fence. The death of Bonnie makes their relationship even tense. Several days after that, Melanie collapses in the second labor. With her dying breath, Melanie tells Scarlett that Rhett always loves her.
Having known this, Scarlett quickly runs home, intends to tell Rhett that she realizes now she has been loving him all long, and has never really loved Ashley. She begs him not to leave. However, Rhett says it is too late to salvage their marriage and leaves without looking round.
2
Embodiment of Rhett’s Love for Scarlett
Rhett first met Scarlett was at the barbecue held in the Wilkes—at that time, Rhett was not welcome among those people because of his bad reputation. He witnessed the whole process of Scarlett confessed her love to Ashley, slapped Ashley as a result of being angry, and even threw a vase. Since then, Rhett thinks Scarlett is a candid girl—she dare speak out what’s in her mind, and even throw a vase, and he falls in love with her.
Though Rhett often jeers at Scarlett, he still has the deepest feeling of love to her. Rhett clearly knows that he can’t show his real feeling to Scarlett, for according to Scarlett’s personality, she would stand in a higher position to be arrogant to him, totally ignores his true love. So, Rhett chooses to love her in a different way—try his best to satisfy her, while not telling her why he does these just because he loves her.
2.1 Satisfying Scarlett at Dance
When Charles’s dead, according to the tradition, Scarlett has to be in mourning period for at least one year, only wearing clothes in black. But to Scarlett, wearing beautiful dress, making good appearance in any case is the most important.
During the war time, because of lacking of hands, Scarlett and Melanie become a nurse of a hospital and has the chance to take part in the Charity Party. Looking at the girls who have their lovers to talk to, Scarlett feels upset about wearing funeral crepe and no one noticing her. Surprisingly, Rhett makes his appearance as a great blockade runner. Scarlett avoids him for fearing he would tell out her secret. But Rhett seems to be able to know her deeply and tries to make her wish come true. Then, he donates a huge sum of money to bid Scarlett to lead the dance, which makes Scarlett immediately catches the public attention and shocks the whole Atlanta City.
After that, people in Atlanta all accuse her. However, no matter how sad Melanie and aunt Pitty would feel about her, she doesn’t care. She won’t remain herself of what Melanie has done for her because what she really wants is a carefree life.
Also, Scarlett would like to dress up, but dare not to take off her funeral crepe. One day, Rhett brings Scarlett a bonnet made of dark green taffeta, lined with watered silk of a pale-jade color. Scarlett makes her cry when she sees that bonnet, and acquiescently would like Rhett to kiss her in return. However, Rhett seemed indifferent. To Rhett, why he does all these just because he loves her, not for her kiss.
Scarlett is so innocent that she cannot read the inner world of Rhett, which often upsets him. However, with the deepest love in his heart and great patience, Rhett would try his best to take good care of her and ask nothing in return.
2.2 Helping Scarlett Escape from Atlanta
Rhett once made a declaration to Scarlett. She thought he would propose a marriage. However, Rhett just wanted to make her his mistress, which made Scarlett furious. She felt that he was very hateful, and didn’t want to see him again.
Unfortunately, Scarlett is trapped in Atlanta when it has fell in the hand of the North Military, because she has to take care of Melanie who is on her parturition. Having no other choice, she has to ask for Rhett’s help. After Rhett hears of this, he risks his life to steal a horse without hesitation and then takes them, sick Melanie and their innocent children, out of the city under the thick smoke of war at once. Though they are attacked on the way they are leaving, Rhett makes himself admirable to Scarlett for being cool and calm at critical moment. At that time, She thinks she doesn’t have to feel afraid with Rhett being around. However, to Scarlett’s surprise, Rhett decides to leave them on the way to Tara to go with the army just for his patriotism.
Being angry, Scarlett slaps him across the mouth with all the force she has left.
“Go on, Go on now! I want you to hurry. I don’t want to ever see you again. I hope a cannonball lands right on you. I hope it blows you to a million pieces. I—”
“Never mind the rest. I follow your general idea. When I’m dead on the altar of my country, I hope your conscience hurts you.” [2](P370)
Then, Rhett’s gone, not forgetting telling Scarlett that he loves her. However, when Scarlett’s feeling alone and afraid, how could she believe him at that time? Even though Rhett has done so much for her and leaves them at a safe place, she couldn’t satisfy.
2.3 Having Their Sweet Marriage
A man’s characteristic could be divided into two halves and be showed up completely different: externally, he must be very aggressive and brutal to his rivals; internally, he must show his sweet love and be courteous to his beloved woman. Before the woman he loves, a man must control himself and hide his own barbaric nature. Simply speaking, he has to be civilized and educated.
After they get married, Rhett takes care of Scarlett by heart though he knows deeply Scarlett marries him just for the luxurious life he can provide. Rhett spoils her. He will bring her the breakfast tray himself and feed her as if she were a child, take the hairbrush from her hand and brush the long dark hair until it snapped and crackled. Rhett often teaches her how to enjoy herself which she has almost forgotten. After a honeymoon in New Orleans, Rhett promises to restore Tara, while the biggest and most opulent mansion is being built in Atlanta.
Also, whenever Scarlett is awakened by the same nightmare, it is Rhett who generously comforts her.
Rhett was leaning over her when she was woke, and without a word he picked her up in his arms like a child and held her close, his hard muscles comforting, his wordless murmuring soothing, until her sobbing ceased. [3](P816)
However, she does not understand Rhett. She doesn’t know why Rhett would sometimes look at her just as a cat looks at a mouse-hole. But she would soon forget about it and it won’t puzzle her any more because she just wants to enjoy herself, not willing to get bored.
Even though Rhett has done so much for her, Scarlett doesn’t understand why he does these and how important Rhett to her. Rhett has tried every possible way to please her, to win her heart, but it is in vain. Rhett feels disappointed and chooses to leave at the end.
2.4 Loving Their Daughter
Bonnie, their beloved daughter, was born, which makes Rhett pass on his love from Scarlett to her. He doesn’t allow any injury happening to his daughter, and the care to her is even meticulous.
When Bonnie is still a baby, she always sucks her thumb. In order to stop her, Rhett would patiently ask for some knowledge from women in Atlanta. As Bonnie grows, she’s afraid of sleeping in the dark. If there is no light in her room whenever she awakes, she would cry sadly, which would make the maid who is responsible to babysit Bonnie gets serious condemn. Moreover, Rhett would take her to travel around, buy her little lovely pony to ride, and even teach her how to jump the fence with her pony all day long.
Having seen Rhett care so much about Bonnie, people in the Atlanta City could not help but sign:
“…there has to be something good about a man who loved his child, What a pity Scarlett took no interest in so pretty a creature as Bonnie!...” [4](P867)
Even Scarlett would feel a little jealous of Rhett being so nice to their daughter while so cool to her. It is not until Bonnie died that Rhett tells Scarlett he treats Bonnie as a carefree Scarlett, who has never experienced war and hardness. But who would have thought such a great misfortune would happen to the lovely Bonnie? The death of their daughter almost drives Rhett crazy. He even doesn’t allow anybody to bury Bonnie. Then, a great rift appears between them, which they can not easily go over. That Scarlett is stubborn makes Rhett leave her with deep regret and disappointment.
As long as the love between man and woman is filled with unequal sacrifice and devotion, that is inhuman, or deformed. However, this would make love great and noble. So Rhett’s image in the minds of a number of people is tall and appears to be indelible. And to the self-confidence and strong Scarlett, people believe that Rhett would return to look after her with great patience after he cleans up his mood and organizes his disorderly thoughts.
Having seen how Rhett loves Scarlett, people can’t help thinking that Rhett’s love is kind of true love. However, Scarlett couldn’t understand him. So, what are the real reasons that conduct to their love? They will be discussed in the following part.
3
Reasons for Rhett’s Love
3.1 Different Characteristics
To some people, the marriage between Rhett and Scarlett seems to be kind of personal devotion and sacrifice of Rhett. He is willing to do everything for Scarlett patiently and silently. Instead of telling Scarlett his love, Rhett often makes mockery of her because he knows if Scarlett were told that he had always been loving her, she would not only not believe but also disdain him.
Scarlett has never known her own feeling about love. She always believes she loves Ashley. It is not until the day Melanie died that she finally understands the one whom she really loves is Rhett, the mature and prudent Rhett, not gentle but cowardly Ahsley.
Then, what causes such kind of love form? The writer here identifies two main reasons. The first one id their different characteristics.
3.1.1 Astute and Mature Rhett
Toward war, the astute Rhett has a clear understanding. He believes that people want to fight, depending only on their cotton and arrogance. When in the real war, cotton will be of no value, and arrogance will be their only weapon.
“The thousands of immigrants who’d be glad to fight for the Yankees for food and a few dollars, the factories, the foundries, the shipyards, the iron and the coal mines—all the things we haven’t got. Why, all we have is cotton and slaves and arrogance. They’d lick us in a month.” [5](P107)
Although Ashley has the same opinion on war as Rhett, they choose different ways to face it. Ashley chooses to fight for the Cause, made a victim out of himself just for the old tradition, while Rhett takes advantage of this opportunity to make his fortune.
“… I’m going to be a rich man when this was is over, Scarlett, because I was far-sighted—pardon me, mercenary. I told you once before there were two times for making big money, one in the up building of a country and the other in its destruction. Slow money on the upbuilding, fast money in the crack-up. …”[6](P229)
Rhett can successfully makes his fortune whenever the time is right. He has become a heroic blockade runner for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Nobody then condemns him. Instead, he is greatly praised. Only astute as Rhett is at that time, could people have a comfortable life. Rhett knows how to survive, how to have fun in turbulent times, so that he could look after Scarlett in his own way—give her luxurious life and take her travel all around.
Although Rhett looks cynical, he cares Scarlett so much, and will try his best to satisfy Scarlett’s needs. Scarlett, wearing mourning dress, can not dance in the party. It is Rhett who satisfies her. He donates lots of money to bid Scarlett to lead the dance. Though Scarlett shocks the people of Atlanta then and gets abused in the following days, she has fun in dancing.
Having known that Scarlett is trapped in Atlanta, Rhett risks his life to steal a horse for her and takes them to head for Tara. Deeply believing in Scarlett that she could go home by her own, Rhett leaves them on the way and joins the army, although which he always thinks is stupid. He chooses to leave Scarlett, ignoring whether she would forgive him or not, just for his quixoticism.
“I’m not asking you to understand or to forgive. I don’t give a dame whether you do either, for I shall never understand or forgive myself for this idiocy. I am annoyed at myself to find that so much quixoticism still lingers in me. But our fair Southland needs every man. …” [7](P368)
Even though he knows Scarlett often takes advantage of him, whenever Scarlett needs help, he still gives a hand.
After they are married, Rhett takes good care of her. Sometimes, he would bring the breakfast himself to feed Scarlett and brush her hair lightly. Also, whenever she is awakened by the same nightmare, Rhett would pick her up, in his arms, comforting her till her sobbing ceases.
When their beloved daughter is born, Rhett passes on his love to baby Bonnie from Scarlett. Rhett knows that Bonnie is afraid of staying in the dark, if the maid forgets to light up in the night, she would be strictly condemned. He treats Bonnie as a carefree Scarlett and won’t let any injuries happen to her. Moreover, he tries to make a comfortable environment for his daughter to grow up in every possible way.
Rightly because Rhett is mature and loves Scarlett so much, would he like to do everything for her but asks nothing in return. However, Scarlett can only see Rhett’s appearance, believes his mockery words, and even stubbornly thinks that she herself loves Ashley, all of which hurts Rhett. At the end, Rhett chooses to leave Scarlett and return home—his home in Charleston.
3.1.2 Versatile Scarlett
Scarlett has always been full of confidence. In her opinion, she’s the most beautiful girl around Tara. And, she has deeply believed that she loves Ashley so that Ashley must have loved her. She’s so confident about her figure and glamor, no matter where she goes, men would be attracted by her charming appearance, flirting language and luscious eyesight.
She’s so strong, which can be seen from her struggle during war times. When Atlanta falls into the hand of North military, Scarlett has to take care of the weak Melanie, a new born baby, and her own kids, which makes her trapped in Atlanta. When they finally get home, Scarlett finds Tara ruined, crops destroyed, her dear mother died of typhoid, two sisters sick in bed, the head of the family—her father crumbled for his wife’s passing away. The heavy burden—to take care of the whole family suddenly falls on the 19-year-old lady. She cries, but she does not surrender. Scarlett doesn’t want to get help from her mother’s relatives. She would like to overcome every difficulty with her own hands. Even if she may meet failures, she would just fight. As a result, Scarlett becomes a hard labor of the family, working day and night in the fields. She would do the calculation of the family expenses in the pine light, with an empty stomach. Scarlett goes around the village of Twelfth Oak alone in search of food and aid for the family and even puts up all her courage to shot dead a Yankee soldier who intended to rob her home.
At that time, Scarlett is the daughter, the sister, the mother, even the labor of the whole family. Being the soul of Tara, Scarlett finally gets it over a number of difficult months, full of tears and bitterness. Growing up in such an enviroment, Scarlett has to be strong and confident.
During the mourning period, Scarlett couldn’t stand only looking at the others dancing happily at the Charity Ball. With Rhett’s help, she dances unscrupulously, boldly abandons the secular prejudices. She always wants to have fun without caring about what other people would think of her.
“But virtues are stupid. Do you care if people talk?”
“No—but—well, let’s don’t talk about it….”
“…Has what other women said ever mattered to you?”
“Oh, if you’re going to pin me down—no! But a girl is supposed to mind. Tonight, though, I don’t care.” [8](P183)
In order to pursue her love, she wouldn’t care what she has done would hurt people who love her. She makes her declaration to Ashley and hopes to make him love her whenever she has the chance, which hurts Melanie and makes people in the Atlanta city abuse her. However, selfish as Scarlett is, she doesn’t care about it all.
Also, she could make herself Rhett’s wife or mistress even though she doesn’t love him then just for getting enough money to pay for Tara’s taxes. Having known the hope on Rhett is in vain, she tells lies to make her sister’s lover marry her because he has enough money to save Tara. Scarlett totally ignores her sister’s sadness. What’s worse, she would be against her conscience to trade with Yankees, sell wet timbers to buyers, and even employ prisoners as cheap labor to make money.
As Rhett says, Scarlett won’t be a lady like her mother, Ellen, and Miss Melanie of the upper-class. Having experienced the hard time during the war, Scarlett successfully makes herself cold-blooded and selfish. What she really wants is not being hungry again!
3.2 The Force of Civil War
The story happens rightly while the American Civil War broke out. At the very beginning of the civil war, the long-planned well-prepared South made the North let up, steadily lost. However, the war ended up with the North’s victory. President Lincoln abolished slavery to give the black freedom, which made the South, mainly depending on farming, lack of cheap labor. In order to make more money with her sawmill, Scarlett decides to employ prisoners for they are cheap to pay. Lacking of cheap labor is one major reason why Scarlett would against her conscience to employ criminals.
The Yankees get the victory so they would be arrogant to the loser, the South. Of course, people under the wing of the North became unscrupulous. When the tax of Tara is deliberately raised, Scarlett has to cheat her sister’s lover, Frank, to marry her to get the money. It’s the force of the war that makes Scarlett become so cool-blooded to hurt her sister and even marry the person she doesn’t love, again.
When facing all the ruins in Tara, Scarlett has to be stronger. Being not willing to seek refuge from her mother’s family, Scarlett would rather work in the fields alone, with an empty stomach, risk her life to go around the estate in search of food. In order not to suffer from hunger again, Scarlett would pick cotton and weed corn with her delicate hands; in order to keep the only property of Tara, she picks up all her courage to kill a Yankee soldier; in order to save the harvest cotton, she risks her life to try to put out the burning fire without hesitatation.
Scarlett has to be strong and cold-blooded so that she could survive in that time. However, it’s the existence of such kind of characteristics that mislead her of Rhett’s love. What She could see is only Rhett’s cynicism, not his true love. It is not strange that Rhett would use a special way to love her—often makes mockery of her while takes good care of her.
Different social environments could bring up different people. Thanks to such a turbulent social background, could Rhett become so astute and mature, Scarlett so cool-blooded and strong, their nature could be given full play so thoroughly. However, it’s rightly one main reason for the tragedy of Rhett’s love.
Conclusion
Gone with the Wind is the only novel written by Margaret Mitchell. Lots of well-known scholars, at home and abroad, have conducted their researches on such masterpiece ever since its first publish. Rightly because Gone with the Wind is such a glorious masterpiece that it is worthy of studying. Here, Rhett’s love for Scarlett is chosen as one main aspect to be concerned.
Rhett’s love for Scarlett can be shown clearly in the book. He understands Scarlett best. Knowing that she would like to be noticed and have fun in the party, Rhett will donate money to let her lead the dance. Learning that Scarlett is trapped in Atlanta and wants to go home when Atlanta has fell in the hand of the North Military, he will steal a horse to take them home as soon as possible. Also, Rhett loves her most. Even though he knows clearly that Scarlett always loves Ashley, he will marry her to give her luxurious life she pursues and look after her patiently and silently. After their lovely daughter was born, Rhett tries his best to make a sound environment for his daughter to grow up. However, even Rhett loves Scarlett so much, Scarlett still doesn’t understand him.
By analyzing Rhett’s love in this paper, we could find out the main reasons that conducte to his love—their different characteristics and the force of Civil War. Learning Rhett’s love, we readers could get a better understanding of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara. Though the writer analyses how Rhett loves Scarlett in a deep-going way and identifies two reasons on the tragedy of Rhett’s love, it’s still not enough in detail.
In fact, there are still so many aspects worthy of studying in this masterpiece, such as the characteristics of the language of the black people.
Notes
[1] Margaret Mitchell. Gone with the wind[M]. Beijing: China Theatrer Press, 2005.(Chapter6 Page115)
[2] Margaret Mitchell. Gone with the wind[M]. Beijing: China Theatre Press, 2005.(Chapter23 Page370)
[3] Margaret Mitchell. Gone with the wind[M]. Beijing: China Theatre Press, 2005.(Chapter48 Page816)
[4] Margaret Mitchell. Gone with the wind[M]. Beijing: China Theatre Press, 2005.(Chapter52 Page867)
[5] Margaret Mitchell. Gone with the wind[M]. Beijing: China Theatre Press, 2005.(Chapter6 Page107)
[6] Margaret Mitchell. Gone with the wind[M]. Beijing: China Theatre Press, 2005.(Chapter13 Page229)
[7] Margaret Mitchell. Gone with the wind[M]. Beijing: China Theatre Press, 2005.(Chapter23 Page368)
[8] Margaret Mitchell. Gone with the wind[M]. Beijing: China Theatre Press, 2005.(Chapter9 Page183)
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Acknowledgements
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the people who have ever helped me in this project.
My sincere and hearty thanks and appreciations go firstly to Associate Professor Luo Xiaoying, my supervisor. It is she who made me believe that l can exert my ability to work on this study. It is she who taught me so much knowledge for this study and called attention to my mistakes. It is her suggestion and encouragement that have given me much insight into this study. It has been a great privilege and joy to study under her guidance and supervision. Furthermore, it is my honor to benefit from her personality and diligence. If this work can be of any merits, it is because of her.
I am also thankful to all the course teachers in Foreign Languages Department in Hunan University of Science and Engineering.
Finally, I am grateful to all those who devote much time to reading this thesis and give me much advice, which will benefit me in my later study.