飘的英语论文.doc

黄河科技学院毕业论文 第19页An Analysis of the Two Female Images in Gone With The Wind 1 Introduction Gone with the Wind has been hailed as a triumph of American literature. In1937, Margaret. Mitchell won Pulitzer Prize, for her sweeping portrayal of the crumbling of the Old South. The love story takes place at a momentous time in history when Southern society undergoes changes and old codes of conduct begin disappearing. The novel created totally different two female images, Scarlett and Melanie. They are all slave owners of southern plantations and love the same man. However, they are not enemy but supporter for each other. In Civil War, they are all braves though as a woman. This article analyzes the character of Scarlett and Melanie from their distinctive personality. Firstly, the paper analyzes Scarlett's growing background and her marriage which impacts her life. Her brave, energetic and realistic image makes her become an independent woman with the consciousness of early capitalist. Secondly, the paper will discuss Melaine's traditional female charms through her interpersonal relationship and analyzes Melanie's loyality to the traditional culture of the southern plantation. Through this analysis, the author expects to give some inspiration for modern women. 2 About the Author and the Novel2.1 About the Author Margaret Mitchell was born in a lawyer's family in 1900. When she was young, she often heard people talking about the civil war which made her concern for the war and people's life condition in that period. In the beginning of 1930s, she worked for the Atlanta newspaper office, where provided her lots of historical materials about American civil war. After her marriage, she resigned from the Atlanta newspaper office and began her composition of Gone with the Wind. It took her 10 years to complete this masterpiece. In 1936, Gone with the Wind was all the rage. So far, it was regarded as one of the most famous love novel in American literature. 2.2 About the NovelIn Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell portrayed the inferior position of women in the south of America during the 19th century. She also described a heroine Scarlet and her love entanglement with Ashley and Rhett. Scarlett is the oldest daughter of Gerald O'Hara, the Irish-American owner of Tara who worked his way to wealth, and Ellen Robillard O'Hara, a high-born Southerner of French descent. She has two younger sisters, Suellen and Carreen. By the end of the novel, Scarlett has been married three times and has a child from each one.Scarlet was self-partial and priggish when she was a young lady. She was selfish and kind when she was a widow; she was shrewd and gainful when she was a businesswoman. Her life was filled with legend. Her ups and downs fully embodied her life condition and her attitude toward life. She was a common woman but she acted like a great woman did. She was a modern woman in old ages. Her bravery, independence, resolution and other personalities always encourage women in modern times. 3 Analyzing Scarlett3.1 The Formation of Scarlett's CharacterScarlett is the eldest daughter of Gerald O'Hara, the Irish-American owner of Tara who worked his way to wealth, and Ellen Robillard O'Hara, a high-born Southerner of French descent. She has two younger sisters, Suellen and Carreen. Her character was affected mainly by her family environment. 3.1.1 The Background of Scarlett's Family Scarlett was born in a farmer family in the South American during the civil war. Scarlett shows her difference at the right opening of the novel. She has a “gently bred Creole mother from the seacoast” [1]. Ellen O′Hara, has never been seen “stirred from her austere placidity nor her personal appointments anything but perfect, no mater what the hour of day or night” [2]. “There was a steely quality under her stately gentleness that awed the whole household” [3]. Scarlett regards her mother as “something holy and apart from all the rest of humankind” and “the embodiment of justice, truth, loving tenderness and profound wisdom—a great lady.” Young Scarlett, or Scarlett antebellum, wants very much to emulate Ellen, but in order to avoid missing joys of life, she will follow her mother only on condition that “some day when she was married to Ashley and old, some day when she had time for it” [4]. Nevertheless, Ellen does influence Scarlett much. On the other hand, Scarlett's father, Gerald O′Hara, a little, hard-headed and blustering Irish man, is not well educated, he believes that a man who wants to be rich should be strong and unafraid of work. And Gerald is hardy. “When Gerald wanted something, he gains it by taking the most direct route” [5]. This conclusion seemed to fit for Scarlett, too. Grew up in such an environment, common sense, Scarlett should be the one with the other manor ladies has the same elegance and gentle manners lady. But in fact, Scarlett was fa。