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Introduction:
Gone With the Wind is a romantic and historical novel by Margaret Mitchell. It was published in 1936. The setting of the story is Georgia at the time of the Civil War. This novel is best known for the love triangle between Ashley Wilkes, Scarlett O’Hara, and Rhett Butler. It received many awards and was made into a movie in 1939.

Plot:
Part 1
On the eve of the Civil War, Scarlett O’Hara is upset to learn her neighbor Ashley will marry another. At a party, Scarlett tries to win Ashley but is overheard by Rhett Butler. When war comes, Scarlett hastily marries Charles Hamilton, who soon dies. As a young widow, Scarlett resents the social restrictions, mourning her lost freedom more than her husband.
Part 2
After her husband’s death, Scarlett moves to Atlanta to live with her sister-in-law Melanie. Scarlett throws herself into Confederate war efforts, hoping to help Ashley, the man she loves. When Scarlett scandalizes society by dancing with Rhett Butler, Melanie defends her. Scarlett continues flirting, often with Rhett. Heartbroken, Scarlett sees Melanie is pregnant with Ashley’s child, convinced he loves Scarlett instead.
Part 3
As Atlanta falls, Scarlett begs Rhett to take her family to Tara. He leaves them at the city’s edge. At Tara, Scarlett finds her family struggling – her mother is dead, her father lost, sisters sick. Scarlett works hard to survive. When Ashley returns, he and Scarlett share a kiss, but he plans to move away. Scarlett convinces him to stay, promising to restrain her feelings.
Part 4
After the war, Tara struggles with taxes. Scarlett visits jailed Rhett, but he won’t help. She then marries Frank Kennedy to get his money. Scarlett runs his store and buys a mill, shocking people. When Frank dies in a Klan attack, Rhett proposes to Scarlett, and she accepts.
Part 5
Scarlett and Rhett fought a lot after moving to a fancy house. Rumors spread of an affair with Ashley. Rhett got angry, and Scarlett had a miscarriage. Scarlett went home to recover. When she returned, Melanie died and Rhett left, saying he didn’t love Scarlett anymore. Their daughter Bonnie also died. Heartbroken, Scarlett decided she would try to win Rhett back another day.

Analysis:
The novel has historical and romantic elements while narrating Scarlett O’Hara’s life. The main focus of the story is the love triangle between Scarlett, Rhett, and Ashley. Even though Scarlett knows Ashley is married to Melanie Hamilton, she loves Ashley. Meanwhile, Rhett also knows how Scarlett desperately wants Ashley, he starts growing feelings for her. This triangle is important as they go through incidents such as Rhett and Scarlett getting married, and Scarlett and Ashley kissing. Another important part of the story is the historical events. The setting is the Civil War. This is crucial as it plays a vital part in the plot of the story. The O’Haras and the families around them have been harmed. Not just the Yankees but having attacks in the town. In the novel, we can also see how Scarlett marries not just two but three times. This is unusual because even if she did have a divorce, it would usually be one time. Additionally, during that time frame, it would be disrespectful to marry many times. In the scene where Scarlett tries to attract guys to the ball to make Ashley jealous, Scarlett looks pathetic. This shows how much she is willing to do for her and Ashley. A confusing point is when she loves Ashley but realizes that she loved Rhett all along. After all, maybe she had never loved Ashley before because she was desperate for love. When someone is desperate for love, it’s easier to think you love someone because the need or urge for it is ultimate.

Conclusion:
Gone With the Wind is a historical and romantic novel by Margaret Mitchell. It was published in 1936 and was made into a movie in 1939. The setting is in Georgia at the time of the Civil War. The novel mainly focuses on the relationship between Scarlett O’Hara, Rhett Butler, and Ashley Wilkes but it also focuses on the war. The incidents between Ashley and Scarlett and Scarlett and Rhett are significant to the story’s plot as it shows how Scarlett slowly shifts her feelings toward Rhett. This book has earned awards for outstanding plot and story and is famous for its love triangle.