“Tomorrow is another day”

From the quote above, we can easily feel hope and optimism. Undoubtedly, Scarlett, the leading character of the film, Gone With the Wind, is such a woman. Unlike other girls, Scarlett shows the image of a new woman to us in the great changes during the US Civil War. She knows what she really wants and she tries her best to get it. She is wild and she, actually, can do anything that a man can. In this essay, I am going to discuss the image of the new woman as portrayed by  in Victor Fleming’s classic, "Gone With the Wind".

Scarlett expresses love to a man openly, and tries her very best to love him. In the very beginning of the story, Scarlett tells us she will try her best to achieve her goal .. Scarlett loves Ashley, her neighbour. However, he is going to marry Melanie. Scarlett is depressed but later she thinks that if Ashley knew she loved him, he would probably leave Melanie. As a lady, it is inappropriate to ask for love at that time. But Scarlett does, shamelessly. She feels that it is not a big deal to disclose her feeling to others, although no  other girls would  express their  love frankly to a man . Of course, Ashley refuses indirectly. Scarlett does not give up. She marries Charles, the brother of Melanie, in the outbreak of the Civil War in order to antagonize Ashley. No matter how difficult it will be, she tries to get what she wants.

Scarlett is against convention. Scarlett meets Rhett by chance. Rhett is hiding nearby when Scarlett asks for Ashley’s love. On the other hand, Charles dies in wartime due to illness and Scarlett has to wear  black and enter no public party to show her mourning  and respect to her husband. Scarlett thinks that it is nonsense, partly because she does not love her husband, and partly because of her rebellious spirit. She goes to Atlanta so that she may get a chance to meet Ashley during his holiday as he will visit his wife who is living there. This is another evidence of evidence to show she is against convention. During her stay in Atlanta, she enters a party which is forbidden conventionally, although she wears  black. She even dances with Rhett who is willing pay 150 gold coins for the government. Superficially, Scarlett accepts his request for getting the donation for the governement. But in fact, she accepts the invitation to dance because she wants to dance. She likes to do what she wants even through she breaks convention. As for the purpose of  visiting Atlanta, she sees Ashley but still cannot get his love. Of course, she does not give up. She even promises to take care of the weak Melanie for him.

Scarlett shows great bravery which cannot be found from other women in the war. The North Yankees are winning in the civil war and Atlanta is going to be captured. All of Scarlett’s female relatives and friends leave for  the south but she stays, just for her promise to Ashley. After Melanie has given birth to a child, Scarlett takes her to her own home Tara. Rhett goes with them but finally joins the south army due to his conscience. Scarlett, with her courage , takes Melanie and her children home safely. She does not give up, no matter how difficult the journey is. But her home is not a paradise at that time.  The Yankees have destroyed Tara. Scarlett’s mother has died and her father is sick. All the servants have gone, leaving Nelly. Scarlett, now as the head of the family, has to take care of all the people there. She swears she will never be hungry again no matter what means it  takes. Her brave and rebellious spirit is inborn, and the civil war provokes it.

After the war, Scarlett has to work for the whole family. She works on  the farm although she was once a grand lady. She suffers but she does not say a word as her sisters does, as it is for her home Tara. She even kills a Yankee to protect her family. Her bravery leads her to do anything she can to protect herself and Tara. She asks Rhett for money gently and tricks Frank, the boyfriend of her own sister, to marry her. All she has done is  for Tara. Although her conduct may not be good, it shows her courage and an image of a new woman.

Scarlett is strong after the war. She wants to make money in order to  can protect herself and Tara. Scarlett starts her own business which is very common at that time. She manages her  husband’s timber business with harsh payments to the workers who are prisoners. She also has business with the Yankees which astonishes the conventional southerners. Once she rides alone and encounters a riot. She is blamed for her wildness. But she does not care. It is not a big deal that a girl rides alone. Scarlett’s husband dies in the shooting as he wants to eliminate the slum in which  the rebels live who have threatened Scarlett. Losing her second husband, Scarlett can still overcome it bravely.

Scarlett soon marries Rhett despite  convention. But it is not a happy marriage. Because of Ashley, Scarlett cannot love Rhett wholeheartedly. Rhett also knows that and their hearts are only linked by their daughter Bonnie. Many accidents happen. Scarlett loses her second baby because of Rhett’s jealousy . Later Bonnie dies also due to horse riding. Rhett breaks his heart but Scarlett still stands up. She is very depressed but she can still face it. When Scarlett knows that Ashley has never loved her, she feels nothing. She finds that she loves Rhett. But Rhett is leaving. She asks for his love, just like years before she asked Ashley. We can see that Scarlett is brave to show her own feeling. Unlike Ashley, she is not afraid to tell others what she feels. This is surely the spirit of a new woman. At last, she finds that her most beloved thing in the world is her home, Tara. Actually, from the beginning, what she has done is  all for the red earth in Tara. As the master of Tara, she has done everything to make it beautiful. It is rare at that time that a woman can be so brave, and Scarlett is one of them. She is afraid of nothing.

All in all, "Gone With the Wind" portrays  a strong woman. Scarlett is absolutely a new woman. She does not fear  convention. She acts according to her own will. Melanie is an open-minded woman. But Scarlett is open-acted. She is bad to a certain extent. But it is her only way to be her self, so that she will not be gone with the wind as the south civilization does. Her character as a new woman is obvious. She does not depend on anyone. “Tomorrow is another day.” She says after Rhett has left. From Scarlett’s mind, hope is always available. Her courage is overwhelming, even greater than that of any other men in the story.