The Scarlett O'hara's Character Development

Scarlett O’Hara

Scarlett O’Hara, a well-known name throughout literature, is the main character of the book and film Gone With the Wind. She is the daughter of Gerald O’Hara, and the two live on a plantation outside of Atlanta, Georgia during the time of the Civil War. Scarlett was not generally thought to be beautiful, but men were caught by her charms. She used these charms “shamelessly to get what she wanted”. Played by Vivien Leigh in the film, Scarlett is portrayed as a unique woman who was used to having things her way.

Throughout the novel and movie, Scarlett is shown to be self-centered and shameless. She always had to be the center of attention, no matter what was happening. This is depicted in the film when she is seated with all of the men circled around her (Campbell 1). As for being unashamed, Scarlett lied, cheated, and even married her sister’s beau. There was no shame in these acts “if it got her what she needed” (“Scarlett O’Hara” 1). She was always in need of money and used whatever means she had to in order to get it.

Scarlett also exhibited a lot of unkindness throughout her life. She had an “exaggerated sense of worth” (1). No one cared for her much because she was not nice to them, excluding her sister. Despite the fact that Scarlett married her sister’s beau, the former still cared for her. Scarlett was also thought to be very seductive and provocative throughout the story. She used this to get attention and felt it necessary to keep up her appearance (Campbell 1).

The plot of Gone With the Wind is one of the most famous storylines in history. Scarlett had two husbands, both of whom died. She then failed in her attempt to win the love of Ashley Wilkes. Later, she marries Rhett Butler despite the fact that she does not know “fully if she truly loves him or not” (“Gone With the Wind” 1). The two have a little girl, Bonnie Blue Butler. Scarlett soon becomes pregnant again but experiences a bad fall which leads to a miscarriage. This incident sends her “marriage into a tailspin”. Rhett and Scarlett’s marriage begins to dissolve and they do not know how to fix it.

Finally, the two separate. One cause of this is that Scarlett is still pining for Ashley, despite the fact that she had not been able to win his love prior to her marriage. She later realizes that she loved Rhett all along, but he leaves her anyway. This is where the famous line, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn,” is said by Rhett. Their marriage is over and Scarlett is unable to have either Ashley or Rhett.

The film adaptation of this work is incredibly well-known. The main cast included Vivien Leigh as Scarlett, Clark Gable as Rhett, and Hattie McDaniel as Mammy. Hattie won for Best Actress in a supporting role. She was the first African American to win an Oscar and this was really a stand out moment in film history. These cast members, as well as the others, helped to make this movie a timeless classic (Campbell 1).

In the end, Scarlett was finally able to see the light and confessed her love to Rhett. This was all for naught, as Rhett’s “love for her had… worn out” (“Scarlett O’Hara” 1). The conclusion of this work shows the story of lost love. Scarlett O’Hara, a manipulative and charming woman, was not able to conquer the deaths and losses she suffered throughout her life. She searched almost endlessly for her ‘true love’ but did not realize what she had until it was too late”.