Gone with the Wind (novel) facts for kids
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First-edition cover
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| Author | Margaret Mitchell |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical Fiction |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
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Publication date
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June 30, 1936 |
| Media type | Print (hard & paperback) |
| Pages | 1,037 (first edition) 1,024 (Warner Books paperback) |
| ISBN | 978-0-446-36538-3 (Warner) |
| OCLC | 28491920 |
| 813.52 | |
| Followed by | Scarlett Rhett Butler's People |
Gone with the Wind is a famous novel by American writer Margaret Mitchell, first published in 1936. The story takes place in Georgia during the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era that followed.
The book tells the story of a young woman named Scarlett O'Hara. She is the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner. When the war destroys her world, she must use all her strength and cleverness to survive and escape poverty. The title of this historical novel comes from a poem by Ernest Dowson.
Gone with the Wind was a huge success as soon as it was released. It was the best-selling fiction book in America in 1936 and 1937. Even today, it remains a very popular book. More than 30 million copies have been printed all over the world.
The novel is sometimes seen as controversial because of how it shows the South and the institution of slavery. However, it is an important part of American popular culture.
In 1937, Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the book. It was turned into a famous movie in 1939, which is considered one of the greatest films ever made. Gone with the Wind is the only novel Mitchell published while she was alive.
Contents
The Story of the Novel
Part 1: The War Begins
The story begins in 1861. Sixteen-year-old Scarlett O'Hara lives on her family's large cotton plantation, called Tara. She is upset to learn that the man she loves, Ashley Wilkes, is going to marry his cousin, Melanie Hamilton.
At a party, Scarlett tells Ashley she loves him, but he says he must marry Melanie. Scarlett is angry and hurt. A man named Rhett Butler, who has a bad reputation, secretly overhears their conversation.
Soon, the Civil War is declared. To get back at Ashley, Scarlett quickly agrees to marry Melanie's brother, Charles Hamilton. Two weeks later, Charles goes off to war and dies from measles just two months after that. Scarlett is now a widow and has a baby boy named Wade. She is unhappy because she feels her youth is over.
Part 2: Life in Atlanta
To cheer her up, Scarlett moves to Atlanta to live with Melanie and her aunt. The city is full of excitement, and Scarlett's spirits are lifted. She helps with war work, but mostly because she wants to avoid gossip.
In Atlanta, she meets Rhett Butler again. Rhett is making a lot of money during the war by secretly bringing goods past the Union blockades. He sees that Scarlett is not truly mourning and wants to have fun. At a fundraising dance, he pays a large amount of gold to dance with her. This causes a scandal because she is a widow in mourning clothes.
Melanie, who is now her sister-in-law, defends Scarlett. Scarlett continues to spend time with Rhett. She is drawn to his money and charm, and they both dislike the strict rules of Atlanta society.
Part 3: The Fall of Atlanta
The war turns against the South. By 1864, Atlanta is under attack. As the city is being evacuated and burned, Melanie gives birth to a baby boy, Beau. Scarlett is terrified but helps deliver the baby.
Scarlett finds Rhett and begs him to take them all back to her home, Tara. Rhett steals a horse and wagon and helps them escape the burning city. But on the edge of town, he suddenly leaves to join the army for one last fight.
Scarlett makes it to Tara, but finds it in a terrible state. Her mother is dead, her father has lost his mind from grief, and her sisters are sick. The fields are ruined, and there is no food. Scarlett vows that she will do whatever it takes to survive and never be hungry again.
Part 4: A New Life
After the war, life is very hard. Scarlett has to pay high taxes on Tara. She goes to Atlanta to ask Rhett for money, but he is in jail and cannot help her.
Desperate, Scarlett meets Frank Kennedy, her sister's fiancé. Knowing he has some money, she lies and tells him her sister has changed her mind. Scarlett marries Frank herself and uses his money to save Tara.
Scarlett takes over Frank's store and even buys a sawmill, which was very unusual for a woman at the time. She becomes a sharp businesswoman. One day, she is attacked on her way home from the mill. To defend her honor, Frank and a secret group raid the area where the attackers live. Frank is killed in the fight. Rhett helps the other men in the group escape trouble. Soon after, Rhett asks Scarlett to marry him, and she accepts.
Part 5: Marriage and Heartbreak
Scarlett and Rhett marry and build a fancy new house in Atlanta. They have a beautiful daughter with blue eyes, whom they name Eugenie Victoria, but they call her "Bonnie Blue." Rhett adores Bonnie and spoils her.
Scarlett is still in love with Ashley, which causes many arguments between her and Rhett. During one of such arguments, Scarlett accidentally falls down the stairs and loses the baby she was expecting.
Rhett is filled with guilt. He focuses all his love on their daughter, Bonnie. When Bonnie is four years old, she dies in a tragic accident while riding her pony. This loss destroys Rhett and Scarlett's marriage.
Not long after, Melanie becomes very ill and dies. While comforting a heartbroken Ashley, Scarlett finally realizes that she never truly loved him. She understands that she has loved Rhett all along. She rushes home to tell him, but it's too late. Rhett tells her that his love for her has died.
Left alone, Scarlett thinks of her home, Tara. She decides to return there, feeling that she can win Rhett back someday, because "tomorrow is another day."
Main Characters
- Scarlett O'Hara: The main character of the story. She is strong-willed, clever, and determined. She goes from being a spoiled young girl to a tough woman who will do anything to protect her family and her home, Tara.
- Rhett Butler: A charming but scandalous man who becomes Scarlett's third husband. He is a realist who sees the world for what it is. He loves Scarlett deeply, but her love for Ashley Wilkes stands between them.
- Ashley Wilkes: The handsome and honorable man Scarlett believes she loves for most of the book. He represents the old, noble way of life in the South that was destroyed by the war. He is married to his cousin, Melanie.
- Melanie Hamilton: Ashley's kind, gentle, and loyal wife. She is the opposite of Scarlett in many ways. She sees the good in everyone and is a true friend to Scarlett, even when others are not.
- Mammy: The enslaved woman who was Scarlett's nurse since she was a baby. She is a strong and wise figure in the O'Hara household and stays with Scarlett through all her troubles.
About the Author, Margaret Mitchell
Margaret Mitchell was born in 1900 in Atlanta, Georgia. Growing up, she heard many stories about the American Civil War from her family members who had lived through it. These stories gave her a deep interest in the history of the South.
As a young woman, she worked as a writer for the Atlanta Journal newspaper. She began writing Gone with the Wind in 1926 while recovering from an injury. It took her many years to finish the huge manuscript.
When the book was published in 1936, it became an instant sensation. Margaret Mitchell became very famous, but she never published another novel.
Historical Setting
The American Civil War
The story is set during the American Civil War (1861-1865). This was a war fought between the northern states (the Union) and the southern states (the Confederacy), which had decided to leave the Union. One of the main causes of the war was the disagreement over the institution of slavery. The southern economy depended on enslaved people working on large farms called plantations. The war brought immense destruction and changed the country forever.
Life in the Old South
Before the war, wealthy white society in the South had a very specific way of life. Young women like Scarlett were known as "Southern belles." They were expected to be charming, polite, and marry a wealthy man. The novel shows how this way of life was completely "gone with the wind" after the war.
Legacy of the Book
Gone with the Wind remains one of the most popular novels ever written. Its story of survival, love, and loss continues to connect with readers around the world.
The 1939 film adaptation is a classic of Hollywood cinema and made the story even more famous. It starred Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara.
However, the book is also a subject of discussion. Some people criticize it for its portrayal of slavery and African American characters. It shows the perspective of the white Southerners and presents a romantic view of the Old South. Because of this, the book gives a powerful but incomplete picture of this time in American history.
Images for kids
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The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain took place in Georgia in June 1864.
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This map shows the movements of the armies during the Atlanta Campaign in 1864.
See also
In Spanish: Lo que el viento se llevó para niños
