IntroductionGone with the Wind is a classic fictional love story that depicts life in the Old South before, during, and after the Civil War. The book was originally written in 1936 by Margret Mitchell, the film adaptation was released in 1939, directed by Victor Fleming and starring Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh. Ms. Mitchell grew up listening to the Civil War stories of Confederate veterans. It was reported that they told him everything; everything there is, except that they had lost the war, she found out when she was 10 years old. Although the book was written 71 years after the end of the Civil War, Ms. Mitchell did her research and appears to have been inspired by the childhood stories she was told. This is evident in the detailed descriptions of the characters' clothing, homes, and daily discussions and interactions throughout the book. Although not everything is historically correct, most of what is contained in the book is accurate. At the time the film was released, "whore" was considered vulgar and controversial and they used the term "darkies" to describe slaves. Film Summary The film revolves around the sometimes love-hate relationship between Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'. Hara and how she will do whatever it takes to survive. It overly romanticizes the old south and the way plantations were managed and deals with topics such as slavery, the rebuilding of the south and has a strong feminist survival theme. Scarlett “makes her uncontrollable self-centeredness seem like the most charming thing in the world.” world." She is a young southern belle and all the men in the county are infatuated with her. Although she could have any man she wanted, her eyes are set on Mr. Ashley Wilkes who is engaged to her c...... middle of paper ......e (Ashley's wife) dying and a promise to take care of their son, Scarlett realizes her true love for Rhett, even though he is too late as Rhett walks away from the marriage She will return to the Tara plantation to find a way to win him back.Mitchell, Margaret, Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, 1936-1949, edited by Richard Harwell, New York. : Macmillan, 1976. "Gone with the Wind" is essentially a collection of letters written by Mrs. Mitchell to those who wrote to her about Gone with the Wind. One letter in particular is addressed to Vivian Leigh. plays Scarlett in the film. Thompson, C. Mildred. Reconstruction in Georgia: Economic, Social, Political, 1865-1872, Gloucester, Mass. : P. Smith, 1964-1915. This book contains the history of the Reconstruction of Georgia. It gives you an overview of the economic, social and political aspects of reconstruction.