Scarlett O’Hara: An Indestructible Woman

The premiere of Gone with the Wind (Victor Fleming, 1939) was a historical and cultural event. At a time when television was in its early stages of development, cinema was conquering the people. If we add to this a very expensive production, a face as well known as that of Clark Gable, the unique outfits of Scarlett O’Hara and a promotion never seen in its time, the result is extraordinary.

The event was such that, in Atlanta, a parade, dances and endless events were organized to celebrate the premiere of the film. The state of Georgia was turned upside down with the festivities and on its premiere day, December 15, 1939, it was declared a statewide holiday. Thus, Gone with the Wind began to build a myth that would lead to a total of 10 Oscars. In short, a never-before-seen and unrepeatable cinematographic event. In Spain, it was released 11 years later, but its success was equally overwhelming.

However, although the film is still a classic and its impact has been studied from various perspectives, the truth is that the values ​​it transmits have become somewhat outdated. The image it gives us of black characters – totally stereotyped – of slavery and the values ​​of the time do not have the same depth today. But Gone with the Wind is not only a 1939 film, it takes place in the 19th century.

But if there is a character that, from my point of view, deserves to be rescued and is quite timeless, this is none other than the exceptional Scarlett O’Hara played by Vivien Leigh. Scarlett is one of the most remembered female characters in movie history. How to forget the dazzling drapery dress? How to forget his inordinate love for Ashley Wilkes and his relationship with Rhett Butler?

Neither heroine nor lady in distress

The magnitude of the film and its length – no less than 4 hours – allow us to witness the evolution of an unprecedented character. Scarlett O’Hara presents herself as a vain, selfish young woman, aware of her beauty and her ability to get what she wants. He has lived a wealthy life, but he is not satisfied with the role that society has given him.

Both in the homonymous novel and in the film, Scarlett breaks with all the molds of her time. She is not submissive, she does not allow herself to be manipulated by men and neither does she want to live in their shadow. She is not a heroine, because her values ​​are far from what the moral of the time dictated, she is interested and very selfish; but neither is she a ‘lady in distress’ looking for a man to rescue her. In the face of adversity, Scarlett O’Hara is a strong woman, determined and capable of supporting her family.

It is irreverent, not even mourning can quench your desires and your craving for fun as any man would. When feminism was not yet talked about, when women were relegated to the home, Scarlett O’Hara showed that she could do anything, that nothing was going to stop her and that no man was above her. She is not nice, nor endearing, and she doesn’t want to be; on the contrary, it is arrogant, irreverent and very independent. Not even war can defeat it.

But Scarlett’s intentions are selfish, we meet her in love – almost obsessed – with Ashley Wilkes, the man who is going to marry her cousin Melanie. Melanie is the opposite of Scarlett, she is naive, sweet and angelic, so much so that, at times, we would like to wake her up from that wonderful dream in which she seems to live. He does not believe in evil and is unable to see that Scarlett, in reality, does not feel any kind of compassion for anyone and does not care about breaking a marriage.

This relationship with Melanie will be a constant throughout the film, in parallel, another love triangle will begin to take shape from the intrusion of Rhett Butler. Scarlett likes the impossible, so she falls in love with Ashley; while Butler, a businessman of doubtful morality, will be fascinated by the undisciplined young woman. However, the war will break into their lives, breaking the comfort of Scarlett and her family.

In the face of danger, she is the one who takes the reins, who manages to resurrect her beloved Tara -the family plantation-. Without Scarlett, most of the characters that accompany her would not have survived. Marriage after marriage, a widow, something that would have been devastating for a woman of her time, but Scarlett is an incorrigible and always manages to get ahead. She becomes an entrepreneur in a world dominated by men and, like the phoenix, manages to rise from its ashes again and again.

Scarlett O’Hara: a different woman

Yes, Scarlett O’Hara is different, she is a woman who stands out in her time – both in fiction and in reality. The cinema has given us countless ‘domesticated’ women, obedient, who follow the example of what a woman ‘should be’. Women devoted to their children and their husbands who seem to have no greater aspiration in life. On the contrary, the protagonist of Gone with the Wind stands as the true queen of her story, the men and the rest of the stories revolve around her.

She is far from being a good mother and a good wife, her marriages and practically all her actions are driven by her own interest. Scarlett O’Hara must conform, as best she can, to a world dominated by men. Rhett Butler is an opportunist, something that is not a mystery to Scarlett, but if he is an opportunist, she can be too. We can make a reading of this character from the ambition that moves his actions, however, his complexity is infinitely greater.

At times, we see that she can be compassionate, that she is protective of her loved ones and that she dares to ‘wear the pants’ of the house, to make the important decisions. Melania, on the other hand, despite her naivety, is quite intellectual, but above all, kind. She will always be grateful to Scarlett for helping her survive and for resurrecting a family legacy that seemed doomed.

The young and coquettish Scarlett that we were introduced to at the beginning seems to have disappeared, between ragged dresses she gets food from a land that seemed doomed. She makes those around her survive and faces any adversity. Nothing can stop her, not even the scarcity, if she cannot have a dress in conditions to visit Rhett Butler and achieve her more than interested purpose, she will make a dress for the occasion out of curtains.

Throughout the film, we see her descend from the top to hell itself, however, she never allows anything, absolutely nothing, to end up sinking her. His pride and ambition may show absolute coldness, but deep down, the blows have ended up being devastating. Scarlett O’Hara dons armor that will always protect her, that will keep her distant. Only Melanie’s death will make her connect with reality, with the pain that it may have caused and, finally, she will know the value of kindness and love.

Without a doubt, Scarlett O’Hara is one of those characters that last over time, that are timeless and that, even today, are current. He is a truly interesting character, who deserves a more detailed and in-depth analysis. It allows us to see a constant evolution from adolescent happiness to maturity of a woman who has suffered, but has never been crushed. We can adore her, even hate her, but what is beyond doubt is her great impact. Indomitable, proud, beautiful, flirtatious … but, above all, a fighter, a true survivor impossible to defeat.