美國文學(xué)期末論文.doc

美國文學(xué)學(xué)期作業(yè)（2016-2017學(xué)年度第一學(xué)期）年級：姓名： 學(xué)號：論文成績：AnAnalysisofScarlettsCharacterinGonewiththeWindA war swallowed a beautiful woman, a perfect family and a love. Everything seemed to be a dream, going with the wind.Recently, I have just finished reading a famous novel written by Margaret MitchellGone with the Wind, which is one of the most popular works among American novels. It took the author about 10 years.GonewiththeWindisoneofthemostpopularAmericannovels.Whenitwaspublished,itssalesbrokemanyrecordsamongthepublishingcircles,anditisfamousallovertheworld.ThenovelmainlydescribesthelifeofScarlettwhoisthedaughterofTarasmasterduringtheAmericanCivilWar.MeanwhilewiththehintofatriangularlovebetweenScarlett,AshleyandRhett,thenoveldepictsawideandprosperouspictureofthesociallifeoftheSouthinAmerica.Notonlytherichcontentofthenovelbutalsothecomplexplotsandthecontradictionsbetweenthefiguresofthenovelhaveanimportantartisticeffectonshapingthecharactersinthenovel.Amongalltheroles,Scarlett,isthemostsuccessfulonewhoisfullofconflictingandcomplicatedfeatures.BeforetheCivilWar,spoiledandbeautifulScarlettisaproudprincess.Sheisalsonaveandcarefreeforsheisbroughtupinarichfamily,inwhichtheyhavemanylargefertilefieldstogrowcottonsandmanyslavesthatworkforthem.Itisnonecessaryforhertothinkaboutanythingbutjusttodressinnewcostumestoattractthesightsoftheboysandtojointheballs.Wherevershegoes,sheisalwaysthefocusandcenteramongtheyounggirls,andsheisadoredbymanymen,whichirritatestheothergirls.Soshegraduallybecomesagirlwhoiscoddled,undisciplined,egotistic,fractiousandnarcissistic.Shebelieveseverymanaroundthevillagewillfallinlovewithher,andshecantendurethetalkwithoutatopicofher.Butherself-centeredandexclusivecharactercausesthetragediesofherlove.AfterherfailuretoconfesstoAshley,shedoesntfalldownorleaveawaywhichshowshercourageforlifeatthefirsttime.With the outbreak of the war, she loses everything she owns. In the summer of 1864, Sherman starts to attack Atlanta and everyone is fleeing the city. But Scarlett has to stay at Atlanta with Melanie for she has made a promise to Ashley to look after Melanie who is going into labor，she even braves the life danger to escort Melanie and her newly-born baby to go back to Tara in the flames of war. Her kindness conquers the selfishness, which shows her nice aspect. She is so horrible but she sticks to go back home, but what she sees in Tara is only the endless loneliness and desolation.Thewarabsolutelychangesthewayofherlifeandheraffectionatehomestead,Tara.Scarlettcantleadalifecomfortablyasachildanymore,forthereasonthatnoonecanprotectherfromthreat.Scarlettchangesherconceptsforthenewlife.ShelaysdownherpositionofaladyofnoblebirthandchangesherconceptsoftheoldSouthernlife.Shewantstofeedherfamilyandherselfthroughherownwork,whichshowsherrealisticcharactertowardslife.Whenhersistersandthehouseservantscomplain,ScarlettevenworksinthefieldsofTaraherselftoensureagoodharvestofcotton.Toher,thememoryofhungerisclearerthanthememoryofbrain.Shevowsherfamousline,AsGodasmywitnessIwillneverbehungryagain.”ThetransitionofthelivingenvironmentistheexteriorreasonforScarlettschanginghercharacter,whichcausesScarlettsdistinctivecharacter.Beforethewar,Scarlettlivesinthetraditionalandconservativeplantationandthelifestyleformsherplantationmasterscharacteroflovinglandthananythingelseintheworldandherrebelliouscharacterspontaneously.Sheleadsanextremelypoorlifeduringandafterthewar,andthatabominableenvironmentmoldshercharactertoconfronttherealitybravely;andherindependenceandselfishnesstoovercomedifficulties.Therichlifeexperiencebeforewar;theunstablelifeduringthewarandtheextremelypoorlifeafterwarprovidethefoundationtoformthecharacterofScarlett.Andthusinsuchenvironment,Scarlettscharactercanbecomplicated.Scarletthasthestrongcouragetofacefreshandbloodandtoovercomedifficulties,butthiswishofindependenceisnotacceptedbythesocietyatthattime.Butinmodernsociety,Scarlettisdefinitelyanindependentfemalewhohasstrongwill.Shehasthespiritofnotadmittingfailureevenitisatpresent.Scarlett is a hybrid who exhibits more of her Irish fathers hard-headedness than her mothers refined Southern manners. Although initially she tries to behave prettily, her instincts rise up against social restrictions. Scarletts mother Ellen and Mammy also teach her all that a gentlewoman should know, but Scarlett never learns nor does she see any reason for learning it. Scarlett shows her distain for the artificial manners. She does as what she says with the development of the novel. Scarlett does not like the other girls at that time, who lead a life of waiting, they wait for mens allegiance and acceptance; they wait for love and they wait for appreciation and compliment. Scarlett is completely different from them at all; instead, she strives for love and happiness actively. Her action is not different from the modern people.Scarlett hates the rules of the society. When she becomes a widow who has to wear black weeds and cant show her face in the public, she is very displeased. After the war, in order to rebuild and protect Tara, she even goes outside to manage a sawmill herself and does other business successfully. People at that time cant endure women to appear in public for earning money, and the men cant tolerate the women who can defeat them. But Scarlett disregards of what people say, but just does what she believes. As for Scarlett view of love and marriage spends most of her life being adored and loved by others. Wherever she goes, she is always the center and focus among the girls. Although she marries three times, she never understands the meaning of love or gets the true love. Scarlett divides love and marriage into two parts, which proves that she is a character full of contradictory and complexity. In the novel, Scarlett has been thinking that she love