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Title details for A Study of Scarletts by Margaret Donovan Bauer - Available

A Study of Scarletts

Scarlett O'Hara and Her Literary Daughters

by Margaret Donovan Bauer
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This comparative study examines Scarlett O'Hara as a literary archetype, revealing critical prejudice against strong female characters.
There are two portrayals of Scarlett O'Hara: the famous one of the film Gone with the Wind and Margaret Mitchell's more sympathetic character in the book. In A Study of Scarletts, Margaret D. Bauer examines both, noting that although Scarlett is just sixteen at the start of the novel, she is criticized for behavior that would have been excused if she were a man. Her stalwart determination in the face of extreme adversity made Scarlett an icon and an inspiration to female readers. Yet today she is often condemned as a sociopathic shrew.
Bauer offers a more complex and sympathetic reading of Scarlett before examining Scarlett-like characters in other novels, including Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain, Ellen Glasgow's Barren Ground, Toni Morrison's Sula, and Kat Meads' The Invented Life of Kitty Duncan. Through these selections, Bauer touches on themes of female independence, mother-daughter relationships, the fraught nature of romance, and the importance of female friendship.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 13, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781611173741
      • File size: 657 KB

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781611173741
      • File size: 833 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      August 1, 2014

      In this work it is clear that, unlike Gone with the Wind's Rhett Butler, Bauer (Rives Chair of Southern Literature, East Carolina Univ.; Understanding Tim Gautreaux) "gives a damn" about Scarlett O'Hara. The author questions why the fairly negative depiction of Scarlett in the movie version varies so greatly from the original character found in Margaret Mitchell's 1936 Civil War-era novel, winner of both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Bauer argues that Scarlett is an admirable character who is better off without Rhett. In a series of essays, she provides a more "sympathetic reading" of Scarlett and examines other works--Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain, Ellen Glasgow's Barren Ground, Toni Morrison's Sula, and Kat Meads's The Invented Life of Kitty Duncan--that share similarities with Mitchell's epic. Pieces are arranged in chronological order according to the settings of the novels examined. Bauer discusses many themes (e.g., motherhood, sacrifice, death) but accentuates the subject of friendship found among the female characters in all these works. She compares these relationships to Melanie and Scarlett's deep bond. Bauer succeeds in demonstrating that Scarlett was misunderstood and selfless and should be admired for her altruistic actions. VERDICT This work will appeal to all Gone with the Wind fans and readers of American Southern literature.--Erica Swenson Danowitz, Delaware Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Media, PA

      Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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