Characters Discussed
Scarlett O’Hara
Scarlett O’Hara, a Georgia belle. Gently bred on Tara plantation and the wife of Charles Hamilton, she finds herself, through the fortunes of war, a widow and the mistress of a ruined plantation with a family to feed. With an indomitable will to survive and an unquenchable determination to keep Tara, she improves her fortunes with the aid of her own native abilities and opportunistic marriages to Frank Kennedy and Rhett Butler.
Ashley Wilkes
Ashley Wilkes, Scarlett O’Hara’s sensitive, sophisticated neighbor, with whom she fancies herself in love. His genteel sensibilities and quiet resignation are a poor match for Scarlett’s practicality and strong will, which she realizes in the end.
Rhett Butler
Rhett Butler, a cynical, wealthy blockade runner, Scarlett O’Hara’s third husband. Knowing Scarlett for the unscrupulous materialist that she is, he nevertheless admires her will to survive and is plagued with a love for her, which he finally overcomes just as she discovers that it is Rhett and not Ashley Wilkes that she loves.
Charles Hamilton
Charles Hamilton, Scarlett’s first husband, whom she marries for spite.
Frank Kennedy
Frank Kennedy, Scarlett’s second husband, whom she marries for money.
Melanie (Hamilton) Wilkes
Melanie (Hamilton) Wilkes, Ashley Wilkes’s reticent, ladylike wife.
Gerald O’Hara
Gerald O’Hara and
Ellen O’Hara
Ellen O’Hara, Scarlett’s parents.
Bonnie Blue Butler
Bonnie Blue Butler, the daughter of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler.
Suellen O’Hara
Suellen O’Hara, Scarlett’s sister.
Miss Pittypat
Miss Pittypat, Melanie Wilkes’s aunt.
India Wilkes
India Wilkes, Ashley Wilkes’s sister.
Mammy
Mammy, Scarlett’s nurse.
Themes and Characters
When Margaret Mitchell started writing her novel in 1926, few could have predicted that within a few years, the stock market would crash, leading to nearly a decade of economic depression. The novel's theme of survival against all odds resonated deeply with a generation struggling to secure food and pay their mortgages. From the novel's opening scene, where Gerald O'Hara tells his daughter that a love for the land is a distinctly Irish characteristic, to its conclusion, where Scarlett vows to return to Tara, Gone with the Wind suggests that Scarlett's resilience is rooted in the land.
This theme held significant power for the 1930s audience. At that time, America was much more rural than today, with a larger portion of the population either living on farms or having grown up on one. During the Depression, many farmers were unable to pay their mortgages, leading banks to foreclose on their properties. Those who had lost their farms could easily relate to Scarlett's deep attachment to her home and her desperate efforts to save Tara. Scarlett's speech upon returning to Tara, with its fields devastated by Sherman's army, has inspired readers with its message of hope, albeit hope tinged with desperation: "As God is my witness, as God is my witness, the Yankees aren't going to lick me .... If I have to steal or kill—as God is my witness, I'm never going to be hungry again."
Katie Scarlett O'Hara, a much-admired southern belle in the carefree days before the war, believes herself to be in love with Ashley Wilkes. When Ashley announces his engagement to his cousin, Melanie Hamilton, Scarlett impulsively marries Melanie's brother Charles. Widowed shortly after, Scarlett later marries her sister's beau, Frank Kennedy, for financial stability, and joins him in his lumber business. Although she continues to idolize Ashley and resent the saintly Melanie, her attention increasingly shifts to the roguish Rhett Butler. From the moment Rhett points out that the South brings...
(This entire section contains 538 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
nothing to the war but "cotton, slaves, and arrogance," his realism, bordering on cynicism, makes him unpopular among southern idealists clinging to past glories. After Kennedy dies in a Ku Klux Klan raid staged to avenge Scarlett, she is free to marry Rhett. His aura of superiority and command, combined with his love for Scarlett and their daughter Bonnie, makes him a complex and perpetually fascinating character. While focusing on the dynamics between Scarlett, Rhett, Ashley, and Melanie, Mitchell also gives considerable depth to other characters, notably Mammy, Prissy, and Belle Watling.
Through the personalities of its primary characters, Gone with the Wind explores the traits essential for preserving southern culture. Ashley Wilkes, an impractical idealist, represents a doomed generation. In contrast, Rhett Butler's cunning provides a potential blueprint for survival. However, it is Scarlett O'Hara who most vividly embodies those clinging to lost dreams as their world crumbles. She is a tragic heroine, unable to let go of the past yet undeterred by the future. Her inability to balance her immense strength with an acknowledgment of her weaknesses results in continuous trials until she is ultimately broken. For her resilience and spirit, Scarlett has earned admiration not only from southern readers but also from individuals worldwide who share her dream of survival.
Characters
The collective impact of "Gone With the Wind" — encompassing both the novel and the film over the past fifty years — has turned its main characters into folk heroes. The romance between Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler, Scarlett's affection for Ashley Wilkes, her antagonism toward the virtuous Melanie, Rhett's cynical realism, and Scarlett's unwavering determination are familiar to millions. Scarlett, in particular, has captivated readers' imaginations, leading to extensive psychoanalysis and imitation. Collectible dolls depicting her in her iconic barbecue dress from the Twelve Oaks scene, movie posters featuring her and Rhett, and numerous references to her personality and actions are widespread.
Scarlett's true nature is often most evident in her interactions with Rhett, who refuses to tolerate her hypocrisies, thus highlighting them for the reader. Rhett's realism makes him unpopular with many characters in the story, starting from his initial comment that the South has nothing for war but "cotton, slaves, and arrogance," a perspective Ashley eventually shares. This realism likely drives Rhett's realization at the novel's end that he needs to return to his roots, understanding this necessity more than ever before. His commanding presence, tempered by his love for Scarlett and especially their daughter Bonnie, adds layers to his character, making him perpetually intriguing and highlighting his strong masculine allure from his first appearance.
The secondary characters also play significant roles. Mammy's character was likely cemented in the public's mind by Hattie McDaniel's performance in the 1939 film, as was Prissy, the scatterbrained maid famously remembered for not "knowin' nuthin' 'bout birthin' babies," a role definitively portrayed by Butterfly McQueen.
