Novel Discussion

When I have a lot of time on my hands with no clear focus, my thoughts spiral around the most bizarre topics. Over the last two nights, with Ben sick and waking in coughing fits, I’ve been up and down more times than I can count. Instead of obsessing over his health or culling my to-do list, last night I allowed my mind to wander in whatever direction sleep-depravity took it. My thoughts centered on the classic novel Gone With the Wind.

I use the term ‘classic’ loosely, however. I don’t want scathing remarks about how this novel was never considered a true work of classic literature. And I realize it’s not required reading on any educational lists. My reasoning stems from the overwhelmingly popular appeal of Gone With the Wind in the 80 years since its publication. Even those who have not ventured to read the 1000+ page work of fiction that Margaret Mitchell committed to the written page are familiar with the basic plotline and characters of this book.

The main characters were my focus, specifically Scarlett and Melanie. I wondered what the author was trying to say about survival in difficult circumstances through the characters’ personalities and behavior.

I know you’re asking: why should I read this post? Why do I care about this? Read further and see if you can find connections between these characters and yourself. I believe we can apply the lessons we learn from Scarlett and Melanie to our own lives.

Let’s start with …Melanie. You thought it was going to be Scarlett, right? Well, while Melanie will outline the best we can be, (spoiler alert!) she will not survive the circumstances that end this book. Melanie was moral, charitable and loving. She was a loyal wife and friend, she always forgave the behavior of others, – even if that behavior caused her great pain – and she didn’t dwell in the past. Relationships were of utmost importance to her. She would not sacrifice her relationship with another over any disagreement or misunderstanding. She trusted people instinctually. She believed at the core that people were good.

Some would say that Melanie was naïve, but I disagree. I believe she had a worldly presence. Melanie knew that she needed her social connections and their support in order to survive. She could have been more critical of others, but that would involve making difficult decisions about their actions (ie. leaving a husband who loved another woman) and sacrificing that support in the process. Melanie did not live in the past like her husband did. She paved the way for the future of her family. That took a different kind of strength than Scarlett had – a far-reaching, self-sacrificing strength. No other character in the book could compare to Melanie.

So why does Margaret Mitchell create Melanie? Was she simply a standard-bearer, a benchmark showing extreme nobility of character? Or something more? I need to mention it again because it’s a critical detail of the plot: Melanie dies at the end of the book while Scarlett survives. What is that saying?

Now let’s tackle Scarlett. She’s the main character, mentioned on the first and last page of this novel. She’s impetuous and shrewd, determined, stubborn, and independent. Frequently described as an opportunist, I would instead argue that Scarlett was a survivor. She calculated what it would take to endure her difficult life circumstances and – surprise, surprise! – she was right. Whatever relationships she had to sacrifice, whatever social conventions she had to forsake, whatever man she had to marry, business she had to run, horse she had to whip to death, she did it. We know Scarlett. She’s in every storyline since the beginning of stories. She’s the survivor.

What does that say about the author’s theme? Strictly Darwinian, survival of the fittest? That could be true, but survival at what cost?

Scarlett ended up surviving her trials, but losing her relationships. Melanie ended up secure in her relationships, but losing her life. Which is more important: our social connections or our physical survival?

I believe Mitchell wrote a broad social commentary in her ‘little’ book about the Civil War. If you, like Scarlett, choose to sacrifice the people that are important to you only to get ahead, you may make it, but you will be alone. However, like Melanie, if you make continued investments in the people near and dear to you, love and forgive them, trust and care for them, then you will outlive your mortal life through the memories of your loved ones.

We all have choices to make in how we live our lives. The world is infinitely complex and provides us many opportunities to make difficult decisions.

How will you live your life?

I’ll wrap up with some thought-provoking questions:

How can you be independent in life without sacrificing connection and relationship?

How can you be charitable without overextending or wasting your resources?

How can you be a survivor without sacrificing your moral character or ending with nothing to show for it?

How can you be loyal to others without sacrificing your self?