Feminine Consciousness Reflected In Gone With The Wind

Feminine Consciousness Reflected in Scarlett OÐ'ÐŽÐ'ЇHara

Abstract: Scarlett OÐ'ÐŽÐ'ЇHara is undoubtedly the most charming character in Gone with the Wind. She is rebellious, unconventional and never submissive. This paper discusses features of feminine consciousness and demonstrates how they are reflected in Scarlett OÐ'ÐŽÐ'ЇHara through analyses of her characteristics.

Key words: feminine consciousness, Scarlett, rebellious, independent

1. Feminine consciousness

Feminine consciousness is a cross-cultural, cross-race concept. It is the core of female research and the standard of female literature criticism.

As early as in 1792, in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, the first great feminist work, Mary Wollstonecraft argues that women should not be excluded from the rights enjoyed by men. In The Origin of the Family and the State, Engels provides the most comprehensive account of patriarchal history and economy. His explanation of the roots of womenÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs subjugation in the main institutions of class society is a giant step forward and lays the foundation for a scientific understanding of womenÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs plight.

In A Room of OneÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs Own, Virginia Woolf discusses feminine consciousness from the literary sense. She explains why there are so few women writers and why it is difficult for woman to write. The three most important points in the essay are as follows. First, womenÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs previous lack of success as writers proceeds not from any absence of talent, but from social disadvantages. Second, she suggests two crucial remedies: financial independence and personal space in order for women to achieve their full potential as writers. Third, Virginia Woolf argues that female writers shouldnÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їt think of their gender when doing some writing.

2. Feminine consciousness reflected in the rebellious and independent Scarlett

As an ordinary girl growing up in the Southern culture, Scarlett is undoubtedly deeply influenced by the prevailing ideas of what a Southern woman should do in a male-dominated world. Yet, with the Irish blood in her and the change of times, she involves into an independent woman, a representative of Southern women.

2.1 A Rebellious Scarlett

In the Old South, arranged marriages are widespread. A girl is expected to find a marriageable man and she has to accept the husband chosen by her parents. Gerald OÐ'ÐŽÐ'ЇHara, ScarlettÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs father, insists that Ð'ÐŽÐ'othe best marriages are what the parents choose for the girlÐ'ÐŽÐ'± and that she should marry one of the Tarleton twins. The clever and rebellious girl is not satisfied with her future husband chosen by her father. When she comes back, she quickly makes full preparations for her great purpose of catching Ashley right on the following afternoon. Unlike other common girls, she is determined to act on her own wishes. Though her love is declined by Ashley, her efforts to obtain her true love do not whither away even in adversity.

Later, out of revenge, she marries Charles. Before long Charles dies in the war and she becomes a widow. In the Old South, a widow has to wear only black for many years after her husbandÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs death. She cannot even appear to have a good time with an unmarried woman. Eager to break away from the restrictive and boring life of a widow and longing for true love, Scarlett leaves Tara for Atlanta, where her sense of feminine consciousness fully awakens.

Under the disguise of contributing money for the Cause, she not only tosses away her wedding ring into a bucket of jewelry being collected for the Confederate treasury but also violates all conventions of mourning by leading the Virginia reel on the arm of Rhett Butler. From then on, Scarlett behaves what she likes in defiance of conventions: go to parties, dances, goes riding with men, flirts and so on. This is the real Scarlett, the woman image created by Mitchell, who is Ð'ÐŽÐ'onot beautifulÐ'ÐŽÐ'±, not much of a lady, but her true self, the revelation of nature.

2.2 An Independent Scarlett

Her second marriage is to save Tara and for the survival of the whole family. Frank owns a store, but she finds that Frank doesnÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їt have the making for a businessman.

When she realizes of her own competence in an area traditionally dominated by men, she is determined to increase her business and acquire a sawmill. The city gossip rises disapprovingly, because she is the only woman in business in Atlanta. As mentioned above, business is the husbandÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs domain, which the wife cannot touch. Yet Scarlett not only touches business, but also succeeds in the manÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs field. This is an insult to Frank Kennedy who doesnÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їt seem to be very good at his business. He is ashamed of her enthusiasm for business, hoping that perhaps a baby might take her mind off business. However, just several days after the birth of their daughter Ella, she is desperate to get back to the mill. When refused, she asks Archie, a one-eyed, one-legged mountain man who has once killed his own wife, to act as chaperone and bodyguard to her. Political turmoil in Atlanta serves as an impulse for her to accumulate more and more wealth so that she may feel secure in this turbulent new world.

In her third marriage, Rhett offers Scarlett a lavish life, but she is not satisfied with her role as a dependent wife. Soon after the birth of their daughter Bonnie, she goes to the mill to go over the books with Ashley. She walks out of the narrow sphere and sets up her own business---run two mills, a grocery and a pub. What is more, she does business more flourishingly than many persons of the same trade because she has no consideration for graceful manner, legitimate business operation and other corresponding things defined by tradition. In order to promote her lumber business, Scarlett socializes with the enemy like the Yankees though she hates dealing with them. She tells lies to sell bad lumber for a good price. She even tolerates the maltreatment of leased convicts for the purpose of more profits. Unlike other people, she is strongly interested in her business and devoted to it in such a bold way that the stubborn-headed regard her as a dangerous and evil woman.

Though at first, it is Rhett who encourages Scarlett to break away from