(book review)

“Hardships make or break people.”
― Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

Margaret Mitchell’s novel ‘Gone with the Wind’ is a large-scale epic about love, strength of character, and the destruction of illusions, set against the backdrop of the American Civil War and postwar Reconstruction. This is not just a story of one woman – it is a story about the end of an era, about the fall of the world of the Southern aristocracy, about the struggle between the past and the future, romanticism and cruel reality.

The plot centers on Scarlett O’Hara, the daughter of a wealthy Georgia planter. At first glance, she seems to be a superficial, narcissistic girl who values her appearance and the attention of men the most. But the war changes her life radically: at first it seems that everything will be the same as before, but gradually her hopes are dashed. Comfort disappears, friends die, estates are destroyed, and years of poverty ensue. In these situations, Scarlett is forced to change. She takes responsibility for herself, for her family, for the preservation of her native Tara, who becomes not only her home, but a symbol of strength and survival.

Against the backdrop of these changes, Scarlett’s complex relationship with two men unfolds: the gentle, idealistic Ashley Wilkes, whom she loves stubbornly, and the strong, ironic Rhett Butler, who is in love with her despite everything. This relationship is not only about love, but also about mutual misunderstanding, unrealized expectations, and dramatic character struggles. Rhett sees Scarlett not as a romantic lady, but as a strong, stubborn woman capable of surviving in the most difficult conditions. But even he finally gets tired of her inability to see her true feelings, and the novel ends with a touching parting scene.

Margaret Mitchell has managed to create not only vibrant characters, but also the atmosphere of a changing time. She skillfully shows how the war destroyed not only homes and fates, but also the entire system of values.

‘Gone with the Wind’ is a novel in which the personal and the historical, drama and reality, passion and loss are closely intertwined. It is a work about how, while losing everything, one can retain the most important thing-the ability to fight, to live, and not to give up. My rating is 9/10.