gone_with_the_wind_飘毕业论文

ChapterⅠ IntroductionGone with the wind, as one of the most popular novels, is written by the famous writer--Margaret Mitchell. This is a romantic story which reflecting the theme of the Civil War of America. Attracted by great numbers of readers, this novel was made into movie many times. It reflected the southern social life. The novel displayed the great social change of the southern society and different kinds of people in the change of fate comprehensively. Through different performances done by different people in the complex environment, it reveals that different characters may lead to different trends of life. The author uses feminine perspective to describe Scarlett who was the center figure, Rhett, Melanie and Ashley the main characters, their social activities subtly and profoundly. By their actions, the author shows the complex social scenes, as well as their different destinies.Chapter Ⅱ General idea of Gone with the Wind2.1 The Background of the NovelMitchell regards “survive” as the theme of Gone with the Wind, which refers human how to survive in social upheaval. The United States Civil War destroyed George and even the whole southern economy. Slaves were free, and slave owners’ comfortable life had gone away. In order to survive, they must work hard, or they might die. Even the brownstone elites in Atlanta also had to drop their condescension to sell cakes or be cabman. To express this theme, the author also describes the charming points of the south by reproducing people’s life in George during the period of the war. Reader can learn local customs, practices, social fashions, religion and other aspects of the south of America. All of these shows traditional society was collapsed and how people to deal with the great social change in that hard process.2.2 The Content of the NovelThis story is happened before the Civil War in 1861. Young Scarlett didn’t care about what happened in the tense situation which people around her were concern on. Except parties and picnics, she cared nothing but stayed with young men attracted by her charming. Scarlett loved a man named Ashley who was born of a line of men who used their leisure for thinking, not doing, for spinning brightly colored dreams that had in them no touch of reality. But Ashley will marry with Melanie,another lady in this book. Then Scarlett got a chance to have a talk with Ashley alone to express her love, but Ashley refused to elope with her. With anger or maybe jealousy, she got married with Melanie’s brother, Charles. Unfortunately, her husband died in the war after two months, and Scarlett soon became a widow. But what even worse is that she was pregnant. After the birth of Scarlett’s son, she was invited by Melanie, because Ashley went to the front line of the war, and Melanie wanted somebody to company. So Scarlett went to Atlanta, a new environment to her, and began a new starting. The beautiful lady couldn’t bear the boring life as a widow. She quickly joined the extravagant life lured by various parties. After then, Atlanta was involved in the war. With the help of Rhett, Scarlett escaped to her hometown with others. She began to undertake her family’s whole costs, created her own career and ran business with men. At the end of the story, Melanie was dead and Rhett left Scarlett. But Scarlett said to herself, “Tomorrow is another day.”2.3 The Relationship between Scarlett and MelanieTheir relationship is simple but a little difficult. Scarlett married with Melanie’s elder brother, so she was Melanie’s sister-in-law. But Scarlett loved Melanie’s husband, Ashley. During the war, men went to fight with enemy, women stayed at home to assist the front line. The two women lived together. Melanie admired Scarlett, but Scarlett disliked her, but had to pretend to live harmoniously with Melanie. Because she envied withMelanie who had a warm, generous heart, and all of people respected her. But to some degree, Melanie was Scarlett’s spiritual stay, but Scarlett hadn’t realized that until Melanie’s death. They have different chara cters, and represent two different beauty of female.Chapter Ⅲ Personality of Scarlett3.1 Personality before the WarAs a plantation owner’s daughter of the south, Scarlett had a mixed unharmonious temperament between mild, over-educated coastal blue blood and the descent of smart, secular Irish poorer. She not only followed the bold, rough, careless about trifles and grumpy personality of her father, but also was influenced by her mother’s good view of morality since very young. She wanted to be the woman like her mother who was a Great lady. But she also had the consciousness to betray the morality in her heart. This made her simple, vanity, realistic, cunning but not good at thinking in detail. This character becomes more outstandingly. Before the war, as the daughter of Tara farmer with wealth and status, the comfortable life and charming appearance gave her strong vanity and no interest in reading. She paid no attention to music, poetry and books which Ashley and Melanie talked. She only cared dancing, beautiful clothes and other things that could attract people’s eye. And she was fond of horsing with men and being the focus in various parties. She always focused on how to catch people’s especially men’s attention and how to be the li melight. If people didn’t take her as the topic in a convention, she would be very impatient. Here, a woman who was simple, sometimes ignorant with great vanity but didn’t regard it right is showed in our mind. She couldn’t tolerate people love other girls but not her. When she heardthe news that Ashley would get married with Melanie, she couldn’t believe it. She was naïve enough to believe that Ashley really love her. She even asked him to elope with her. Maybe because of her natural beauty, Scarlett developed a sense of superiority and self-confidence which made her love become an inevitable tragedy. After being refused by Ashley, she married with Charles whom she didn’t love for revenge and even said the sooner the better. This shows young Miss Scarlett was naïve and wayward. In the deep of her heart, she never gave up Ashley, never gave up her first love, and never gave up! This activity reflects that she was still a little spoilt girl with inexperienced, naïve, self-centered personality. If she hadn’t g ained one thing, the desire she wanted would be much stronger. Ashley is just a good example.3.2 Personality during the WarThe experiences in the war made Scarlett change a lot. During this period, she became a smart, aggressive, stingy, and greedy leader of family who cared everything in detail from a young lady who fellow her own way and went for pleasure. She showed a strong will of hard working and carved a place for herself. Selfishness and caprice on her had been covered by her stubborn resistance to fate gradually.After the war broke out, Scarlett soon became a widow, because her husband died in the battle. For the death, she didn’t seem too much painful, because she loved nobody except Ashley. But she had to face thewar too. Commissioned by Ashley, Scarlett needed to take care of Melanie who would give birth. On the other hand, her mother was bally ill. Like any common people, she wanted to keep her mother company instead of being together with Melanie, but she didn’t do like that. When Melanie was giving birth, hearing her moaning, Scarlett got through the difficulty without doctor and any experience of birth. At that time, other female might faint when met such question, but Scarlett overcame it. She kept clear mind and decisive judgment with firm heart. Then she took Melanie and their children to escape from Atlanta which was full of warfare.Scarlett wanted to return Tara, because her mother Ellen was ill seriously. More importantly, she adored her mother who was her God that could protect her. She could put down everything to let her parents deal once getting back home. And she could live a happy life like the past. But when Scarlett was happy that Tara hadn’t been destroyed by cruel war, a greater disaster was waiting for her. Her mother died the day before, and father became mad due to that. More than ten people depended on her to make a living. Tara plantation left her almost nothing. She felt sad, or even desperate. But she wasn’t immersed in grief. Instead, she was reminded the brave ancestors who created their own career. She knew what she needed was not sadness, but the courage and the ability to carry on her family. She should be enough strong to accept the challenges fromreality like ancestors. She must abandon the nobleness and pride of aristocratic lady and work like slaves in whole day. Experienced with hunger and pain, suffered with humiliation and hurt, Scarlett still held down. She commanded her family members do proper work at their best ability. She also set a good example to pick ripe cotton by doing farm work herself. She led people to hide food and cattle before the coming of Yankees. When a cavalry threatened their life, in order to protect mother’s things and hard-earned food, she shot the man calmly.What a brave woman Scarlett is. You can imagine the lady at that time, for everybody or everything which might have a threat to her. She would be calm down and then destroyed it. She used to be kind, even to animals. She even was afraid of the animals’ screaming when hearing them be hunted or killed. Hard life made her understand the cruelty of reality completely. It also gave her the courage to live in this turbulent world. Who can face the reality bravely when in trouble like Scarlett? But at the same time, suffered with hunger, poverty and torment of life, she lost fantasy and dream to life thoroughly. She became more practical and had a full awareness of the incomparable role of land and money. She became hypocritical and greedy without morality and shame. When she got in trou ble by having no money to pay the taxes, Scarlett didn’t waiting for death. She was perked up to do the last effort, even to betray her body and conscience. She thought of Rhett’s money. “I want to marryhim,” she thought grimly, “then I wouldn’t have to worry about money.” Then she wore a dress made with her mother’s curtain, and dressed up to visit Rhett.3.3 Personality after the WarAfter the brutal war, Scarlett had a much clearer and deeper understanding to life, and the attitude to reality became more reasonable. She realized only in rational way to face the new utilitarian world could she protect her Tara, her family and herself. Conducted by this concept, the status of money seemed much higher. In order to earn more money, she bought sawmill and ran by herself showing no care about the traditional idea that women should be ignorant, unknowledgeable, and have no opinions of their own. At first, businessmen laughed at her, and thought what a woman could do about business which was men’s world. But Scar lett didn’t retreat and shrink back in the groundless talk. She insisted to do what she thought was right on the discipline of her own. This stubbornness produced by the oppression of life was the evidence that Scarlett lived against to life. To improve work efficiency and gain larger benefit, she again set aside all criticisms, and overcame great difficulties to employ criminals to work in her factory. Her series of behaviors had a little rebelled against the normal standards, but she followed her own way and not for the life need. This suggested that she had made a step toward the opposite of their class from thought to action.With extraordinary courage to face the insults, stress and crack from conservative people, she constantly conformed to the society she stayed in her smart and decisive mind and behavior which had a shock to the common custom. She employed prisoners illegally, did business with north businessmen. To make money, she used despicable methods which gentlemen were contemptuous of. She could even marry with a man blame for shame and obscenity. She didn’t care what others might think of her. She just wanted to make herself live better and no longer got starving any more. These actions were crazy, even in the eyes of her family. But she believed they were worth. Once deciding, she would try her best to according her will.Life is what we should live bravely and positively but not retreat and escape. Scarlett was a lucky woman in life, but failed in going for love. She was a realist in life but a romantic in love. She loved Ashley crazily. Almost all of her pursuit, struggle and effort were for him. But Ashley was just was an image by imaging, not in reality. Actually, Ashley in fact was a fragile, cower and hypocritical coward. He couldn’t adapt to the new era. Scarlett had a big difference with Ashley in this point. They didn’t belong to same class. Until Melanie’s death, Scarlett recognized the mistake she made. She loved a wrong person. Then she missed Rhett who could give her love and money, and he was the person who really cared her. But it was too late. Disappointed to Scarlett, Rhett left heralone. Scarlett created life, but in turn she was abandoned by life.3.4 The Persons Who Had Great Influence on ScarlettThere are five people around Scarlett played important roles in her. They are her mother and father, Ashley, Melanie, and Rhett. These five we can also divided into two groups. One group is led by mother, Ashley and Melanie who are the traditional moral models and representatives and protectors of social norms and regulations. They are the power to encourage prompt or even suppress Scarlett, to make her obey to the moral tradition and the established social order.Her mother Ellen is the model and guide of traditional virtue. She was very religious, placid, kind-hearted, economical, good behavioral and charming lady, and an understanding wife and good mother bearing heavy load. She wanted to train her three daughters toward Great lady with good manners. Ellen had a very high status in y oung Scarlett’s heart that was symbol of benevolence, wisdom, truth and justice. After growing up, whenever she was annoyed and restless, she would be calm as long as she thought of her mother. Scarlett worshiped her mother and wanted to be Great lady like her. But the difficulty was that if being like this, she would lose many funny things.Her mother’s death means the collapse of traditional morals in Scarlett’s heart and the beginning of arbitrary life. After that, she made many actions contrary to tradi tional values such as plundering her sister’sfiancé, married with Rhett for money, doing business in public like men, employing prisoners and so on. Only when thinking of her mother, she would have a sense of shame and guilt in heart. So we can see a great influence on Scarlett by her mother in the process of growth on the aspect of morality and norms.About Melanie, it will be talked later.Different from the two persons we have talked, Ashley was just dream about traditional beauty in Scarlett’s memory r ather than the representative of it. He was immersed in the old world and dared not to face the reality, called gentleman in south garden hotels and resorts. Ashley, from a quite, elegant gentleman to hopeless, slim person like child, had lost the status i n Scarlett’s heart. The dream of Ashley had almost been destroyed by reality.Another group in the work is stood by her father and Rhett. They are the supporters, guides and allies to anti-tradition. They play a significant role in inducing and inspiring Scarlett to against tradition.Contrary to mother, father was the power to rebel against traditional morality in the process of Scarlett’s growth. Father was rude, ignorant and dauntless, and full of pristine natural wild and life force. He became a rich manor with the love to land and hardworking from nothing. The fearless, strong and unsatisfied characters and a strong desire for worldly life in father’s struggle history were the original motivation in shapingScarlett’s rebellious personality.Rhett was the supporter, guide and counselor to Scarlett and the firm backing against the old world. Because of him, Scarlett dared to face the whole world and battle with the representatives of the southern old social morality. In a degree, Scarlett was going the way Rhett had experienced. So at last, Rhett’s rebellion and converts would be the example of Scarlett.Chapter Ⅳ Personality of Melanie4.1 Personality of MelanieCompared with Scarlett, Melanie obviously had no enthusiasm or lively youth like Scarlett. In the eyes of Scarlett, Melanie was weak, timid, shy and unobvious, but in fact, she had an amazing power that Scarlett couldn’t understand. This power also can be called strong. If we describe Scarlett as fire, Melanie was like water. Her good personalities can be grouped in three aspects.First, she was tolerant and kind-hearted.Except for her family, she was also friendly to friends and other kind people. She still kept in touch with Rhett when he was in discredited period no matter what other people criticized. And she also explained to them that Rhett was a good guy. Scarlett couldn’t do like that. Perhaps only the selfless could do so honest. Her tolerance and kindness also were reflected on the attitude toward the murderer. She took him, trusted him, and even let the man look after her children. If you respect other, then you will be respected.Second, she was full of the glory of motherhood in her body and heart.In her strong character, the glorious motherhood took a substantial portio n. She loved children no matter whether they were hers or others’. Living in Tara, when Scarlett paid no attention to her own son but onlyblamed without any mother’s responsibility, Melanie did as the kids’ mother. Though she was ill, she played with them with patience, told them stories to them and so on. Each of them loved her and was pleasant to stay with her. Her second pregnancy was the main cause of her death. She clearly knew that it is very dangerous to get pregnant, but she wanted to experience the joy of being a mother once again no matter what risks she would face. The mother love had let her do everything beyond living or death.The third is Melanie was a lady with wisdom and gallant mind.She was a wise woman. This wisdom was neither Scarlett’s a bit of smartness in business, nor the little tricks on men, but the grand and magnificent power deep in the heart. This power was what Scarlett and Ashley and so many people were dependent on but not realized, silent but around their lives in fact.In Tara, when Scarlett took the gun to kill the Yankees, Melanie dragged her sick body with a sword in her hand down from upstairs. Scarlett found there was a sharp knife in Melanie’s soft voice and under her gentle eyes and she also felt a great power in Mela nie’s quite blood. At this time, Scarlett’s heart was filled with a feeling of admiration and friendship. When Scarlett was frightened by killing someone, Melanie immediately made so perfect a lie to others inquiry from upstairs that nobody doubted. She ha d the wit and calmness that Scarlett didn’t have.She was the one who could understand one person deep in one’s heart. She knew Ashley, Scarlett and Rhett. She knew the weakness of Ashley that he was indulged in past and dared not to face the reality. She knew it was not easy for Scarlett to maintain her pride all the time. She knew the love of Rhett to Scarlett. To the ambiguous relationship between Scarlett and Ashley, she pretended to know nothing. Even when going to die, she still told Scarlett that Rhett really loved her very much. She is so sentiment that needs everyone’s affection, but she is also brave to conquer the fear in her mind and tolerant the hardness of home lost. If Scarlett is fully self-concerned, she might be fully selflessness, thinks about others more than herself. Her indiscriminate love and forgiving are not only respectable virtues need to be spread at that time, but also need to be advocated in nowadays. Melanie was forced to let her husband go to war, and she did everything she could for helping him. She shared his views and opinions, and was proud of him. She was gentle and sweet, and good with children and taught Scarlett's children, Wade and Ella, how to love and be loved since Scarlett was never be a good mother to them. She became the center of the community during the Reconstruction, and she was deeply devoted to Scarlett. Perhaps she could see Scarlett's good qualities and loved her for them and she would defend her until her last breath.4.2 The Influence of Scarlett on HerActually, Scarlett had little influence on her. Instead, Scarlett was affected by Melanie a lot. Melanie liked Scarlett and knew her action well. She supported Scarlett. Maybe Scarlett just did what she would never do, and she was lack of the vigor and some qualities in Scarlett. Since Scarlett had been married to her first husband, Charles, she couldn’t get away from Charles sister, Melanie anymore. Melanie was Ashley’s wife, Scarlett’s rival. Scarlett hated Melanie because her existing set an impassable wall between her and Ashley. However, the nature to protect weak, the kindness hidden in heart and the promise to Ashley made she take care of Melanie even in the case of facing soaring fire, death, starvation and other difficulties. On one hand, Scarlett was selfish and cruel. She married Charles to revenge for Ashley, married Frank in order to save Tara. On other hand, she was selfless and brave. She disliked Melanie, but looked after her. She bore the burden of whole family and the manor. Regardless of her cruelty, selfishness, Melanie saw Scarlett’s patience, courage and selflessness. So not for the gratitude toward Scarlett’s kindness to her, Melanie really loved her, and she believed that Scarlett still had the beauty of human nature. Love and forgiveness can change everything. Sometimes Melanie was strikingly similar to Ellen in gentleness, perseverance, love and justice. And her strong trust, care and support to Scarlett gradually conquered Scarlett and limited her evil factors developed, and changed he r. Although Scarlett hadn’t realized that,Melanie was the firm back to support her to struggle so many years. She was the sword and shield of Scarlett’s to resist temptations and troubles in life. Melanie’s death made Scarlett felt like Ellen leaving her second time.Chapter Ⅴ Comparison between Scarlett and Melanie The weak people are unable to adapt to the fierce social competition. And society granted women’s role as housewife rather than superwoman on career at that time. This existence determined the social consciousness, and formed a certain pattern in people’s mind.Scarlett changed people’s views. She stood for new era of women. She said, she would do what she wanted to do, say what she wanted to say one day. She wouldn’t care even if others didn’t like.She believed that women could do everything that a man could do. This belief supported her to do the same things like men such as earning money, getting the economic security and so on. The hardships of the war, death of husband, lumber’s buying, and reconstruction of Tara manor in life made her develop the character of tenacity and unyielding and adversity but confident and tenacious fighting spirit in unwilling to sink. Melanie is an admirable image in Gone with the Wind. She is lovely, tolerant and tender. She gave her all to her husband, children and family. She was thin and fragile and not beautiful, but she was brave. She won the love of her husband. Children and Ashley were everything to her. She was not fit to give birth to a child, and the doctor told her it was dangerous or even life-threatening to conceive. But because of the love to husband, she was pregnant regardless of doctor’s advice and slender body. In the end she was dead. Melanie was different from Scarlett. She stoodfor traditional women.Melanie was a good wife. She knew how to build and maintain the harmony of the family. When she realized that Scarlett was in love with her husband, she didn’t take any measures to stop them, because she trusted her husband. When others criticized the relationship between Ashley and Scarlett, she did not stamp with rage and blame like other women. At the party, everyone wanted to see what she might do to Scarlett, but she faced public with tolerance, love and trust and saved her husband and Scarlett.Scarlett attracted people perfectly by her beautiful appearance. To some ways, beautiful appearance means a big step to success. The female image is more important than male, and attracts not only same-sex but opposite-sex. Women’s dr ess art is not a simple prettify, but the overall design and tuning for their own image and shows the confident and elegant personality. In addition to the attracted appearance, Scarlett had the unique personality that modern women should learn. Scarlett dared to express her love under disregarding the criticism of others. During the war, she wore a beautiful skirt covering the shabby one. Once she was the daughter of a planter, but then she must pick cotton for bread. In order to protect the manor, she kil led the enemy by using father’s gun. She put off the black widow clothes to the dance floor… These are the reflections of her rebellious spirit. However, under just this point, she attracted othersespecially men. Therefore, if you want to be love, you should love yourself and your own personality first, and accept others’ characters.Melanie used the inner beauty to win the trust and respect of others. Her appearance was ordinary without Scarlett’s charming. But she also attracted others’ attention like Scarlett. What made people appreciate Melanie was her smile, kindness, strong, gratitude and tolerance. She was unforgettable to people. When the groundless talk about her husband and Scarlett was spread in the city, Melanie listened to without feeling and believed Ashley. She knew the emotion from Scarlett to Ashley, but she still treated her as a friend. She cherished friendship and was tolerant to everyone. What help Scarlett had done to her made her remember for the rest of life deeply. She knew how to be grateful. Even when she was about to give birth, she still cared for the wounds. Good qualities of human nature can change a person’s appearance, can make people relaxed, comfortable, can let a person easy to get along with, can shorten the distance between person and person, and can play an important role in establishing harmonious, long-lasting relationships. People are willing to make friends with someone who often smiles, has sincere and kind heart, and knows how to be thanksgiving and tolerant.Scarlett was like fire full of energy and Melanie was like water showing gentle charming. They represented two different beauties: wildness and softness.Chapter Ⅵ ConclusionGone with the Wind shows us two different kinds of women. Through this book, we learn some good qualities of two great ladies. With the passage of time, the development of science, technology and society and the coming of economic globalization and knowledge age, the status of women have been greatly improved. Especially in modern society, women have their own independent personality and characteristics. They get the right to be equal to men at home or in workplace. In Gone with the Wind, female consciousness awoke from a long sleep. Although it is not easy to have a success in workplace, family life and interpersonal communication, women don’t have to be afraid of difficulties on the way to success. The heroines in Gone with the Wind give people the inspiration. We learn Scarlett’s creativity and confidence in workplace learn Melanie’s trust, respect and love to family, learn Scarlett’s magnetic charm and Melanie’s charm of personality in social contact..。