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Young Writers Society



Gone with the Wind (A Critique)

by paintingtherain97


Everyone has felt. Every day, it seems, there are sorrows and plights, jokes and smiles, things that rile your anger until it seems that you will explode if you do not make it known. This is especially so in that dramatic and heartbreaking era we call the civil war, and the preceding one we call Reconstruction. In the south, this means hardship and devestation, but also love and togetherness. For a feisty and determined Scarlett O' Hara, war is just a distraction for what she wants.



And what does she want? Most assume it is to live life adored as a Southern belle, flocked with beaux enchanted by her, the way that she always has. But in her heart is love for the well-mannered but drawn and bookish Ashley Wilkes. However, he cannot marry her because he is set up to marry with the mousy and polite Melanie Hamilton. As her heart is broken, she falls into marriage with other men, is a victim of the cruelties of war, and ends up needing courage she has never known, trying to figure out what love really is.



Margaret Mitchell has undoubtedly created a masterpiece here, although it isn't the greatest book I've read. Like many classics, it is a bit long and dull. In her character, Scarlett, she has placed a bit of an unlikable and unrelatable cold and selfish countenance, as well. However, the tale is epic and shouldn't go without reading. It is mature, though not raunchy, and will probably be most enjoyed by young women due to its romance. This novel is wordy and a little dry, so it may not be enjoyed by readers who like fast-paced excitement. If you do read it, however, you may be swept away in the wind of its text, so classic and enjoyable.


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170 Reviews


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Sun Aug 28, 2011 1:32 am
Boolovesyou wrote a review...



Hey Painting!

Just have a few spelling errors here for you fix!

this means hardship and devestation, but also love and togetherness.

Devastation

Scarlett, she has placed a bit of an unlikable and unrelatable cold and selfish countenance,

Unrelatable isn't really a word. Not relatable. Something along those lines

Thats all!

PM me or post on my wall if you have any questions!

-Boo




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Sun Aug 21, 2011 6:48 pm
Starhunter wrote a review...



Hey! Just a quick foreword- I've never read "Gone with the Wind," although I did see the movie. (I know, I know, not the same)

The first paragraph isn't quite linked with the rest of the review. I think the way you started was good, but you should try to link your talk of feelings to "Gone with the Wind" better, state how it's relevant to the story. Scarlett is a very passionate character, and you could build on that. You didn't actually mention the book in your first paragraph... you might want to add something about the author. Also I believe the Reconstruction came after the Civil War, not before. Not sure though.
The second paragraph is good, but since it is stating the plot of the book, you might want to be a little more clear and fix your phrasing a little. It is a little hard to read around. I really liked how you pretty much hit the nail on the head, though, saying Scarlett just wants to find out what love really is. I never noticed that before, but that really is it! Good deduction there.
And your last paragraph... you might want to make it a little less personal, and be more subjective. At the beginning of the paragraph is sounds like you didn't really like it, although at the end you said you did. That's not really clear in this paragraph. You can't really say it's "long and dull, like most classics"- you can't really group classics that way. I know what you mean- I don't really like classics either- but you've got to remember there's a reason they're still around: people really liked them. People wrote in a "wordy and dry" way because that's the way people wrote back then. (Also, it's kinda funny that your main complaint seems to be that's it's a classic, yet you also use it as a compliment in your last sentence :).

Overall, I think you should just try to be more clear and a little more subjective. Watch your adjective choice, too (words like "mousy" and "bookish" could be taken as negatives.) Otherwise, it's good. You really nailed what Scarlett's after, and also your talk of feelings in the beginning really got me in the mood. I got the feeling from the beginning that Scarlett is blown around by her feelings like a wind. Book reviews are tricky to do so good job. Keep up the good work! :)





The heavens laugh with you in your jubilee; my heart is at your festival.
— William Shakespeare