Letters about Literature Entry

Kendall Sargent
Letters about Literature
Dear Margaret Mitchell,

Last summer I read your book Gone with the Wind, and it changed some of my views about the Civil War. I feel like my life is different because of this book, and it is now a part of who I am. It takes some determination to read through a book that is nearly 1500 pages long. People ask me how I did it, and I just tell them that when you start, you can't stop.

Before reading Gone with the Wind, I always thought of the Civil War in black and white terms. I thought the North equaled good, and the South equaled bad. Just because the North was against slavery doesn't mean that they were all good people. For example, Sherman's March is one of the barbaric events of American history. Similarly, the South was not all bad. Although I strongly disagree with slavery, your book helped me see that many southerners were born into this slavery system, and didn't purposely choose to participate in human bondage. I'm sure there were many kind southerners. I am glad I had the opportunity to read about the Civil War from the southern point of view, and see that the North was not all good, and the South not all bad.

Last year in U.S. History, we were asked to write down who was our hero and why. I immediately, wrote down Scarlett O'Hara. Since reading Gone with the Wind, I've considered her a hero and I have thought a lot about why. It's amazing that I could look up to someone who lies and deceives. For all her bad traits, there are things that make her admirable. When Scarlett faces hard times, she does whatever she needs to do to survive. When she is starving at Tara she promises this: "I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again." She then goes on to demonstrate that she is willing to take care of her family, even if it means that she has to marry her sister's beau. She is a fascinating character, and will always be remembered as a strong, independent woman.

The ending of this book has also stayed with me. I was discussing this book with my mom, and she told me that one of the signs of a good book is when you keep thinking about it after it's over. This definitely rings true with this book. The ending left me with this feeling that all hope was lost, but at the same time that there was a tiny flicker of light left. I sobbed the whole day after I finished, and it was all I could think about. For the next week, all I could think about was if there was any chance of Rhett and Scarlett ever being together. The ending completely left me hanging with Scarlett saying her famous line, "I can't think about it now, I'll think about it tomorrow."

Overall, this book has made its mark in my life, and it is part of my character. It taught me some great lessons about life that I won't forget. The Civil War is now my favorite subject to talk about at school. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to read your book, and I want to thank you Margaret Mitchell, for taking the time to write this classic novel.