Scarlett And Lily In The Face Of Adversity

1926 Words4 Pages

Extended Essay
English

“How does Mitchell and Wharton use the actions of Scarlett and Lily in the face of adversity to reveal societal and cultural differences?”

Anna Ginther: (0008280-0151)
Supervisor: Aimee Ricken

How does Mitchell and Wharton use the actions of Scarlett and Lily in the face of adversity to reveal societal and cultural differences?
IDEAS:
Relationships with men/ jealousy towards other women
Differences when going into work force
Ultimate demise (Suicide vs. Perseverance)
Reaction to depravity of situation
Juxtapose initial description to end
Conflict is a necessary tool for authors to use in order to weave a story and develop their characters. When faced with difficult decisions or grim situations, one's actions …show more content…

The Columbia Guide to American Women in the Nineteenth Century. New York: Columbia UP, 2000. Questia School. Web. 12 May 2015. This guide covers women in all regions of America in the nineteenth century, focusing on aspects such as their role in labor, household duties, gender roles, and the economy. It also contains other sources of related works for further research. It will be useful to me in evaluating and comparing Northern and Southern culture in the nineteenth century in its chapters on gender roles, the Civil War and Reconstruction, and households and labor.
Marcellus, Jane. "What It Means to Be a Lady- Margaret Mitchell’s "Gone with the Wind" (1936)." Women in Literature: Reading through the Lens of Gender. Ed. Jerilyn Fisher and Ellen S. Silber. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. 118-19. Questia School. Web. 12 May 2015. This book contains an analysis of Scarlett O’Hara’s role in Gone with the Wind as a figure of strength through overcoming the traditional ideal of the South’s women, the Southern belle. It includes commentary on how characters Melanie and Mammy perpetuate the patriarchal system of gender roles in the South, which may be useful in my development of Scarlett’s character in my paper, by comparing her with other characters. However, I could argue with this source’s assertion that Scarlett loses her Southern belle charm by discussing her manipulation of men through her …show more content…

It discusses how Scarlett is still considered a heroine due to her strength and courage, despite the fact that she is selfish and is lacking in many virtues. It also contains information about Mitchell writing her novel in the 1920’s, which I could examine in determining if Scarlett’s characterization is an accurate appraisal of Southern culture, or Mitchell’s views in her own time.
Sochen, June. Herstory: A Woman's View of American History. New York: Alfred, 1974. Questia School. Web. 12 May 2015. This book discusses how in an industrial society, women in high society were figurines that displayed their husbands wealth. It describes the increase in conspicuous consumption and idolization of the rich. This could help me develop why Lily is so determined to remain at a high social class and why she fell into a depression, because she was not accustomed to the active role that women of the lower class had to fill.
Mitchell, Margaret. Gone with the Wind. New York: Macmillan, 1936. Print. This book is tells the story of Scarlett O’Hara whom I will be analyzing, therefore a majority of my quotes will be found from

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