You have failed me, internet

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So, one of my summer projects has been to tackle Gone With the Wind, because it's crazy long and I've never read it, and it's one of those things that I feel like I probably should have read at some point? But I was all blah blah spoiled rich girl demise of the antebellum South boo hoo I have better things to do with my time than read about romanticized racism. Because apparently no one ever said to me the one thing that would guaran-fucking-tee that I would read it.

Like, say, OH BY THE WAY SCARLETT O'HARA IS BASICALLY WALTER WHITE IN 19TH CENTURY GEORGIA.

How did no one think this was worth mentioning?? Especially when I made my post about wanting female anti-heroes! I am deeply disappointed in all of you.

Still reading. There may be meta when I'm finished.

Comments

[goldenusagi]

Even though no one told you she was Walter White, I'm sort of surprised you never heard she was a stone cold bitch with brass balls who manipulates the fuck out of everyone to survive and does horrible things to make sure her family doesn't starve as their world crumbles around them.

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Nope - my impression of the story was that it was mainly about ~romance and the Ashley/Scarlett/Rhett love triangle, which, meh. And I got the sense that people didn't like Scarlett because she was selfish, but not the extent of it or what was driving her.

Another thing which would've sold me: "civilians during wartime" is one of my kinks, apparently, so if I'd known there was so much focus on her struggle for survival during the war, I'd probably have been more interested.

[rahirah]

Uh huh. Scarlett being a stone cold badass is the only thing that makes that book readable.

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I had no idea she was a badass! Why did no one tell me this? It took me a while to get into it (I actually stopped reading and switched to a different book a few times), but then Scarlett started being a badass and I was hooked.

[chaila]

Yes! I admit I still find the book almost impossible to get through it's so crazy long, but Scarlett is the morally ambiguous, survivalist best. She and Rhett are terrible people and I loooove it. I probably ought to try the book again. You've seen this, right?

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Hahaha, I had not see that! APPROPRIATE. (I also have not seen the movie, but I will as soon as I'm done the book.)

It is definitely crazy long, but I actually found that once the war really got going, I was into it enough that it hasn't been a struggle to read.

[frayadjacent]

Huh. * is fleetingly interested in GwtW *

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Heh. If you like morally corrupted protagonists who will stop at nothing to get what they want (with the vaguely noble - but wholly secondary to selfishness - justification of "it's for the family!"), then Scarlett O'Hara is your woman. I kind of love her for the fact that she is so unapologetically unlikable, if that makes any sense?

[pocochina]

SCARLETT O'HARA IS BASICALLY WALTER WHITE IN 19TH CENTURY GEORGIA.

OH SNAP, I might have to read it now! I've seen Scarlett compared to Elena Gilbert once or twice, but never Walt. My interest is officially piqued.

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I can definitely see the Elena comparison, but I went with Walt because (a) Scarlett is firmly an anti-hero, whereas I still think of Elena as fundamentally a heroine? A morally grey one, for sure, but more in the Buffy or Veronica Mars vein. They're never quite as loathsome as the (typically male) anti-heroes are allowed to be, but Scarlett IS, which is what excited me so, lol.

And (b) the pursuit of money and power plays out in a similar way for both Walt and Scarlett. They both use the justification of providing for their ~family, but then they go above and beyond what is strictly necessary because they're not satisfied with mere financial security. They also have to CRUSH THEIR ENEMIES and show everyone who's fucking boss around here.

Nina Dobrev should TOTALLY play Scarlett if they ever remake the movie, though. She would own it.

[rosaxx50]

Lol I have never read it either, though I keep meaning to. 12_12_12 has a brilliant meta on Scarlet, though, if you do finish reading and want to start on meta.

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You should! I recommend it!

[wendelah1]

I read GWtW when I was a kid. It was definitely about the bad ass that is Scarlet O'Hara. She's a great, memorable character.

For research, I'm reading a journal written by a woman who was a Confederate nurse during the Civil War. It's grim stuff. Nothing romanticized about the racism there, either.

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Oooh, that journal sounds like it'd be interesting, too. Grim, definitely, but interesting.