Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

When first starting Gone With the Wind, some may feel Margaret Mitchell’s style of writing to be to simple for such complex themes however, the further one reads into the book, it is easy to see why it is one of the better novels of the 20^th century. Gone With the Wind is not only one of the greatest novels of all time but it is also Margaret Mitchell’s greatest novel of her career because of the progressive ideas she presents through Scarlett O’Hara and her various themes. Three major themes seen throughout Gone With the Wind are the transformation of Southern culture, overcoming adversity with will power, and the importance of land. Critics were appalled by the first two themes because they presented ideas on women’s rights that had never been brought to attention. The fact that Mitchell was suggesting a woman could survive on her own with out the help of a man. While critics in the 1930s were disgusted with this notion, critics of the present day supported Mitchell’s progressive idea. They saw Mitchell to be one of the first women’s rights activists and way beyond her time. Gone With the Wind is one of the most progressive and inspiring books. Anyone who reads it will feel a want to push beyond barriers and do whatever one wants to do no matter what stands in one’s way. It is a novel that can be read by anyone because of its simple language however since it is so long one should preferably be above middle school before they embark on one of the most inspiring literary journeys one could read. -ELM