Gone with the Wind

A detailed Summary of Gone with the Wind

The novel being summarized is titled Gone with the Wind, written by Margaret Mitchell. It was published in 1936, after it took her seven years to write, and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1937. Gone with the Wind was the only book Ms. Mitchell wrote and is an American Classic.

Gone with the Wind was a story of men and women living in the south during the war between the states and of the south's transformation after the was. The novel began in about 1861 at Tara and Twelve Oaks, two southern plantations in Georgia. We were given a glance of the hospitality and generosity of plantation life. When the men went off to war, the women moved to Atlanta. While in Atlanta, they worked as nurses as they awaited the return of their men. Sherman's troops marched in and burned Atlanta, so the women were forced to leave. They returned to Tara, where we observed the destruction and desolation of the land. After the war, the story shifted back and forth between Atlanta and Tara. We experienced the struggles to save Tara, rebuild Atlanta, and the effects of the carpetbaggers. The story continued until about 1871 as the main characters began to regain the secu

The first conflict was the War and its effects on the south. The characters were trying to reclaim their old life, even though so much had changed. They had dreams of victory despite the evidence of losing the battle. It is almost as if everyone was in denial. The conflict was resolved when the war was over, the soldiers came home, and everyone began trying to rebuild their lives.

rity and grace of the days before the war.

Melanie Hamilton, in contrast to Scarlett, was unselfish and gentle. She always saw the good in people and situations and looked beyond their flaws. She had an inner strength that kept her from complaining about the injustice done on the south and on her loved ones. Melanie married her cousin, Ashley Wilkes; therefore she became Scarlett's antagonist. Melanie was generous, loving, and forgiving at all times to all people. Although she was physically weak, her heart was strong. In the end her second pregnancy caused her death and she put her trust in Scarlett to take care of her husband and son.

The fourth conflict was another involving Scarlett. Ashley asked her to take care of Melanie while he is gone to war. Scarlett does not want to do it but feels obligated to. The arrival of Melanie's baby came on the night Atlanta was burning and there was no help for the delivery. Scarlett's strength in adversity took over, as did her promise to Ashley, so she delivered the baby and brought both Melanie and her newborn child to the safety of Tara. The resolution was that even though Scarlett did not want to care for Melanie, she did anyway. It was not just because Ashley asked her to, but because it needed to be done. This bonded Scarlett and Melanie.

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Approximate Word count = 1148
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English