Novel " gone With the Wind"is the most beloved work for millions. It was written about 70 years ago by the talented writer Margaret Manerlin Mitchell, whose life, in fact, is divided into "before" and "after" the publication of the novel "Gone with the Wind". In this article we will tell you about life and work of the writer, as well as some interesting facts from her life.

Margaret Mitchell: biography

The future writer, like her heroine Scarlett, was born in the South of the USA, in the capital of Georgia, Atlanta, at the very beginning of the 20th century. Her parental family was wealthy. The girl was mixed French (by mother) and Irish (by father) blood. Margaret Mitchell's grandfathers participated in the war between the North and the South and were on the side of the southerners. One of them almost died, having received a bullet in the temple, but miraculously escaped. And the other grandfather, after the victory of the Yankees, was hiding for a long time.

The writer's father, Eugene Mitchell, was the most famous lawyer and real estate expert in Atlanta. By the way, in the years of his youth he dreamed of a career as a writer. He was also chairman of the Atlanta Historical Society, and studied the history of the country, especially during the Civil War. It was thanks to him that his children - Stephen and Margaret Mitchell (see photo in the article) - from early childhood grew up in an interesting and fascinating atmosphere of various exciting stories about the past and present. Their mother was a socialite who spent all her evenings at balls and parties. They had many servants in the house, whom she skillfully managed. Her image can also be found in the novel.

Education

At school, Peggy (as Margaret was briefly called as a teenager) made great strides precisely in the humanities. Her mother was a supporter of classical education and made children read the works of the classics of world literature: Shakespeare, Dickens, Byron, etc. Peggy always wrote interesting essays, as well as scripts and plays for school productions. She especially liked to write stories about distant exotic countries, to which she ranked Russia. Her fantasies surprised and delighted with the creative gift of a talented girl. In addition, young Margaret Mitchell loved to draw, dance, and ride horses.

She was well brought up, but she was a girl of character, a little stubborn and having her own opinion about everything in her environment. As a teenager, she was fond of reading cheap romance novels, but also continued to read the classics. Probably, this mix contributed to the birth of a brilliant novel, which became one of the most sought after in the 20th century. After graduating from high school, she entered the Seminary. Washington, and after that she studied at Smith College (Northampton, Massachusetts) for another year. She dreamed of going to Austria for an internship with the great psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.

growing up

However, her dream was not destined to come true. When she was 18, her mother died from the Spanish pandemic, and then she had to return to Atlanta to take care of the house and family. This important scene from her life later formed the basis of the tragedy of Scarlett, who learned about the death of her mother from typhus. During this period, Margaret Mitchell began to look at many seemingly ordinary things from a different angle. This period of her life greatly contributed to the writing of the novel.

Journalism and first marriage

In 1922, Margaret began her career as a journalist for the Atlanta Journal. She signed with her school nickname, Peggy. Like Scarlett, she had many admirers, because nature endowed her with appearance, charm, and fortune, which was also important in those distant times. It is said that before she accepted a marriage proposal from her first husband, Berrien Kinnard Upshaw, she was made about 40 proposals. However, her first marriage was short-lived, moreover, the young divorced just a few months after the wedding.

Berrien was a real handsome man, and an irresistible passion flared up between them, but soon, on the basis of all the same passion, they began to have terrible quarrels, and it was unbearable for both of them to live in such a difficult atmosphere, which is why they had to go through the humiliating divorce procedure. In those days, American women tried not to bring matters to a divorce, but Margaret was a different kind of berry, she was ahead of her time and did not want to be led by public opinion. Her actions sometimes shocked the conservative local society, but this did not bother her much. Why not Scarlett?

Second marriage

The second time Margaret marries John Marsh, an insurance agent. And a year after that, she injures her leg and leaves the editorial office of the magazine. Together with her husband, they settle in a beautiful house near the famous Peach Street. After that, she turns into a real provincial lady housewife. Her second husband is not as handsome and attractive as Ashpoe, but he wraps her in love, attention and peace. She devotes all her free time to writing stories about two brave girls, about war, about survival, and, of course, about love. Every day she comes up with new stories, and there are more and more written pages. At that time, Margaret became a regular visitor to libraries, where she studied the history of the Civil War, checked the dates of events, etc. This went on for 10 years - from 1926 to 1936.

Novel "Gone with the Wind"

According to legend, Margaret Mitchell, an American writer, created a book from the end. The first page she wrote became the final part of the novel. But the most difficult thing for her was writing the first chapter. She remade it as many as 60 times. And only after that sent the book to the publisher. In addition, until recently, her heroine was called differently. And the name Scarlett came to her mind already at the publishing house. Those readers who knew her personally, after reading the book, said that they see in Scarlett many features of the writer herself. These assumptions infuriated the writer; she said that Scarlett was a prostitute, a corrupt woman, and she was a lady respected by all.

Some readers have also speculated that she copied Rhett Butler from her first husband, Bjerren Upshaw. It also made Margaret nervously laugh. She asked that acquaintances not try to find similarities where there is none. In addition, she liked to repeat that main theme romance is not love, but survival.

Confession

When the book was published, the clan of "literary professionals", consisting of authoritative critics, did not want to recognize the hitherto unknown writer Margaret Mitchell, whose works were published only in a newspaper. Readers had a completely different opinion about the novel. His fame was passed from mouth to mouth, and people were in a hurry to buy a book to enjoy reading and learn the details of the story of the heroes. From the very first days of sales, the novel became a bestseller, and exactly a year later, an unknown writer received the authoritative Pulitzer Prize.

The book has been reprinted seventy times in the United States. It has also been translated into many languages of the world. Of course, many were interested in who Margaret Mitchell was, books, a list of works written by her. They could not even imagine that the author of this magnificent novel is a beginner, and "Gone with the Wind" is her first serious work, on which she spent 10 years.

Popularity

Margaret Mitchell was very burdened by the sudden surging of her fame. She almost did not give interviews. She turned down an offer to make a film about her life. She also did not agree to write a sequel to the novel so beloved by everyone. The writer did not allow the names of the characters in her novel to be used in the advertising industry. There was even a proposal to create a musical based on the work "Gone with the Wind". She did not consent to this either. She has always been a closed person, led a rather quiet life, so the popularity that fell upon her brought her out of her usual balance for her and her family.

Nevertheless, many fans of her work were looking for a meeting with her, and from time to time she still had to attend creative evenings, where lovers of her novel gathered and wished to meet the author - Margaret Mitchell. The books they bought were immediately signed by the author. At these meetings, the question was often asked whether she would continue her creative career. Margaret didn't know what to say to that. However, the novel "Gone with the Wind" was the only one in her life.

Screen adaptation

Yet Ms. Mitchell allowed her book to be made into a feature film. This happened in 1939, 3 years after the publication of the book. The film was directed by Victor Fleming. The premiere of the picture took place in the homeland of the writer, in Atlanta. This day in the state of Georgia was declared a non-working day by the governor. After a long search (1,400 girls participated in the casting), the British actress Vivien Leigh, who was very similar to Margaret in her youth, was chosen for the role of the main character, but the magnificent actor Clark Gable was invited to play the role of adventurer and heartthrob Rhett Butler. It is believed that the choice of the main characters in the film was just perfect and that it was impossible to find more suitable candidates. 54 actors and about 2,500 extras played in the film. The film "Gone with the Wind" was awarded 8 statuettes "Oscar". It was a record that lasted for 20 years, until 1958.

Margaret Mitchell: interesting facts about the novel "Gone with the Wind"

Initially, the novel was called - "Tomorrow will be another day." However, the publisher asked her to change the title, and then she chose the words from Horace's poem: "... carried away by the wind, the aroma of these roses was lost in the crowd ..."
On the first day of the book's sale, 50,000 copies were sold. For the first year it had to be reprinted 31 times. During this period of time, she earned $ 3 million.
Having written one chapter, Margaret hid the manuscript under the furniture, where it lay for two weeks. Then she pulled out the sheets, reread them, made corrections, and only then wrote further.
When it was decided to make a film adaptation of the novel, producer D. Selznick bought the film rights from her for $50,000.
Margaret first named the main character Pansy, then decided to change everything at once, but in order not to mistakenly leave the old name in the manuscript, she had to re-read the novel from cover to cover several times.
Margaret was essentially an introvert, she simply hated to travel, but after the release of the book she had to travel a lot around the country and meet readers.
The phrase "I won't think about it today, I'll think about it tomorrow" has become a motto for many people around the world.

Epilogue

Margaret Manerlin Mitchell, the famous American writer, author of the only but legendary book Gone with the Wind, passed away in the most ridiculous way. On a warm August evening, she was walking down the street of her native Atlanta and was suddenly hit by a car driven by a drunk driver, a former taxi driver. Death did not come instantly, she suffered for some time from severe injuries received in a car accident, but was unable to recover from them and died in the hospital. August 16, 1949 is considered the day of her death. She was only 49 years old.

Terentyeva Tatyana Vitalievna

Faculty of Philology of Moscow State Pedagogical Institute M. E. Evsevyeva Saransk, Russia

Resume: The article examines the novel "Gone with the Wind" by M. Mitchell from the standpoint of demonstrating the loss of the Golden Age of the American South after the end of civil war 1861‒65. The author touches upon the significant role of M. Mitchell's novel in changing the mass consciousness in relation to traditional American mythology.

Key words: M. Mitchell, American myth, Mass culture, Civil War

«Gone with the wind» by M. Mitchell as the heritage of mass culture

Terentyeva Tatyana Vitalyevna

philology faculty MSPI named after M. E. Evsevyev Saransk, Russia

Abstract: The article examines the novel of M. Mitchell, "Gone with the Wind" from the perspective of demonstrating of the loss of the Golden Age of the American South after the Civil War of 1861‒65. The author concerns the significant role of the novel in changing of mass consciousness in the relation to the traditional American mythology.

Keywords: M. Mitchell, American myth, mass culture, the Civil War

As you know, reading a foreign language fiction contributes to the emergence of socio-cultural knowledge and ideas. There are cases when a work, in terms of its artistic level, is unworthy of comparison with the classics, nevertheless, gains unheard of popularity. In American literature, an example of such a novel is Gone with the Wind by M. Mitchell. Published in 1936 and filmed three years later, this novel, which gives a rather banal picture of the Civil War, made in the spirit of pseudo-historical fiction, which has always been one of the mainstreams of US popular literature, has been one of the most popular for more than half a century. books read, successfully competing with the classics. Is it a love story that has no likeness, love-war, love-extermination, where it grows through cynicism, despite etching from both sides; either a ladies' novel that has risen to real literature, because only a lady, probably, could spy on her heroine, how she kisses herself in the mirror, a lot of other more subtle internal details: whether this is a country estate novel, as we once did, only this estate cracks, burns and disappears in the first half of the novel, as if it were not there.

At the center of the novel was the legend of the heroism and valor of the Southerners in the Civil War. The writer tried to rethink the heroic past of her people. M. Mitchell's two grandfathers fought on the side of the southerners. The writer herself grew up in an atmosphere of stories about the events of this legendary era. Describing the events of the war years, she shows scenes of life away from the trenches. But what is happening in the military, put into the background, invades the lives of the heroes and greatly shakes it.

The events of the Civil War of 1861–65, according to culturologists, are significant in today's perception of the US past. The myth of the Civil War, preserved in the literature of the American South for almost half a century, gained particular relevance by the end of the Great Depression of 1929-39. According to a pre-American Civil War myth, Americans were the most happy people. After the war, the "magnolia" paradise shattered into pieces, leaving a confused people who could not adapt to the loss of the Golden Age. The American South needed traditional values that would moral support, which makes it possible to oppose the heroic past to the vague present, and, relying on it, to build new system moral values. Among the constituent parts of the “southern myth”, the following elements stand out: 1) war is a purely male occupation; 2) the cult of the "beautiful southern lady"; 3) self-confidence of southerners; 4) the endurance of the southerners and the super-bravery of the soldiers of the Confederation; 5) the kindness of a negro can only be spoiled; 6) code of honor "gentleman"; 7) the disappointment that befell the southern aristocrats after the end of the war.

Referring to the work, we note that the attraction of many American writers to modern mythology in literature is explained by their passionate desire to find in modern world stable values and guidelines.

According to the norms and ideas of that time, war was considered a male occupation, especially when it comes to southerners. It is believed that a true gentleman is always ready for exploits. In contrast to such a mythical statement, M. Mitchell cites the arguments of the aristocrat Ashley Wilkes, trying to tell readers about his view of the Civil War. “War is a dirty business, and dirt disgusts me. I am not a warrior by nature and I am not looking for a heroic death under bullets. M. Mitchell debunks the myth that the head of any house in the southern states is a man. The main character M. Mitchell Scarlett was the model of a woman with two children, leading a household and a sawmill at the same time. But what happened in the family of Scarlett's parents: Gerald “it seemed that, having heard the thunderous voice of the owner, everyone rushed to do his will. He was far from thinking that only one voice - the quiet voice of his wife - obeyed everything in the estate. All were participants in a delicate conspiracy: the owner must consider that here his word is the law.

M. Mitchell does not support the myth of a "beautiful southern woman" with snow-white skin, secular manners, a calm temperament, who observes religious precepts. Scarlett easily discards all moral precepts. Her appeal to God is blasphemous. As a result, she lies to her loved ones, violates the commandments “Thou shalt not kill,” closes her eyes to the theft of servants, and is ready for adultery. M. Mitchell confirms with his novel that “the moral code of the southern community justifies any lie, murder, if they are aimed at protecting the myths of the “traditional society”.

The novel Gone with the Wind by M. Mitchell is the final stage of the romantic tradition. The hero of this novel, Tommy, once said: “If our mother-in-laws went to war with us, we would have dealt with the Yankees in a week. We held out for so long because our women stood behind us. Having lost the only value that they had before the war, their men, they do not give up and make plans for the future: “All of us who have sons must raise them worthy to take the place of the departed, grow them as brave as those » .

M. Mitchell highlights the ideal southerner - an aristocrat. This image is represented by Elline Robillard, Scarlett's mother. She is a symbol of real southern aristocracy, to which her daughter is trying to join. More often than not, Scarlett did things that Ellyn Robillard would not approve of. With the death of the mother, the perfection of the dream was destroyed. The myth does not withstand a collision with reality. The heroine nostalgically resurrects in her mind the state of a childhood gone forever. Reality does not match the dream and Scarlett wants to, at least mentally, at least for a moment, return to the past, where the dream was a reality.

M. Mitchell in the novel "Gone with the Wind" combines the facts of American history with fictional situations. It was based on the stories of contemporaries of the Civil War and on the many books she read. scientific research, correspondence of prominent military figures of the North and South. Critics saw M. Mitchell's novel as a defense of the position of the South. In our opinion, M. Mitchell convincingly presented both the "southern" and "northern" points of view in the novel. Despite the fact that Margaret grew up and lived all her life in the South, she sees the failure of the positions of the southerners. With a deep understanding of the historical subtext of events, M. Mitchell draws a series of scenes in which the bluster of southern society clashes with Rhett Butler's confidence in the futility of the "Southern Cause".

There is an opinion that with the beginning of the Civil War, the southerners made a feasible contribution to the equipment of military squadrons. Slave owners donated horses and money to the Right Cause. M. Mitchell departs from this mythical statement, citing the words of Mrs. Tarleton, who does not want to part with her horses. And here are the experiences of the main character of the novel Scarlett O'Hara on the same occasion: “If the detachment takes all the living creatures from her, no one in the house will last until spring. The question of what the army would eat did not bother her. Let the army feed itself as best it can.”

Speaking about the courage of the southerners, it is impossible not to note the attitude of M. Mitchell to the legendary steadfastness of the Confederates. She managed to show the resilience and inflexibility of several characters in her novel. Uncle Henry Hamilton, for example, after returning from the front, was so emaciated that “his rosy cheeks sagged and dangled, and his long gray hair was indescribably dirty. Lice crawled on him, he was almost completely barefoot, hungry, but still unbending in spirit.

Even the behavior of the wounded soldiers is distinguished by restraint and patience: “The orderlies with a stretcher scurried back and forth, often stepping on the wounded, and they were stoically silent, looking up, waiting for the orderlies to reach their hands.”

M. Mitchell pays no less attention to the issue of the devotion of the servants. To the “positive” servants, she refers Mammy, who guesses the desires of her masters from a half-word, Pork, who is ready to go to crime in the name of her masters, and Dilsey, who is ready to work anywhere, just to thank her master. Using the example of Dilsey, the myth that the kindness of a Negro can only be spoiled is rejected.

War changes people. People around evaluate a person by the degree of his participation in the Civil War. So Rhett Butler has changed. Now he is attracted to what he discarded in his youth: family and honor. At the beginning of the war, he declared: “The fate of the Confederacy does not bother me at all. You can’t lure me into any army with a roll.” A little later, the code of honor of a “true gentleman” leads him to the front in the ranks of the retreating southerners, although at that moment it was clear to everyone that the South was defeated. In response to a question from Scarlett, he succinctly explains: “Perhaps because of the damned sentimentality that lurks in every southerner. Our South needs every man now. I'm going to war." Unlike Scarlett, Ashley Wilks was a dreamer. Ashley himself admitted: "I am not fit to live in this world, and the world to which I belonged has disappeared." On the one hand, drawing the images of Ashley Wilks and the Scarlett sisters and Aunt Pitty, M. Mitchell emphasizes their ornamentality. These people are used to being cherished and cherished, and the slightest change in living conditions is an insurmountable barrier for them. They feel powerless to change anything. Looking at Scarlett, it is clear that the author was trying to show that not all southerners are hothouse plants. With the onset of the war, Scarlett is disillusioned with the system of education in which she grew up. But in the most difficult moments, in a ghostly haze, her ancestors stood before Scarlett. She recalled stories about how each of them got into such troubles, from which, it seemed, it was impossible to get out. But they all managed and later achieved prosperity and well-being. And Scarlett herself eventually becomes a model of a woman who managed to go through all the obstacles and not break. This new myth about a southern woman who can endure everything and not give up, the author of the novel wanted to emphasize, in our opinion.

The American critic, Malcolm Cowley, wrote that Gone with the Wind is an encyclopedia of "southern legend". M. Mitchell told it in such a way that the legend is strengthened, although it is told by mixing realism with romanticism. The defeat of the South gives the past a special significance. There is a need to justify defeat at all costs. This contributes to the transformation of historical information into a legend. The legend begins to dominate the facts of this historical event and changes them.

Despite all the external contradictions between north and south, their positions were not so far apart. The result of the Civil War was not the overthrow of the South, but rather an alliance of victors and vanquished.

According to many researchers, M. Mitchell's novel embodies the well-established myths of the American South about the "special path of the South", about social harmony that was destroyed by the war, about the unity of slave owners and slaves and about the perniciousness of its destruction, about the aristocratic code of life, for the preservation of which are ordinary southerners. Despite the fact that in the novel by M. Mitchell in the description of the South and in the characters of the characters there are significant deviations from the canons of the "southern myth", it should be emphasized that the novel by M. Mitchell actively contributed to the further preservation and spread of the "southern myth", including far outside the southern states".

The American Historical Southern Romance is emphatically pacific. M. Mitchell in his novel to a certain extent follows the traditions of the literature of the “lost generation” in depicting the war. American historical novel"Gone with the Wind" corrects, changes the idea of American history that has developed in the mass consciousness. In addition, he began to destroy traditional American mythology, both the "Southern Myth" and the "American Dream".

Bibliography:

1. Dergunova, N. A. The myth of reality in the apocalyptic novel by A. A. Trepeznikov "The Adventures of the Damned" / N. A. Dergunova // Humanitarian sciences and education. ‒ 2012. ‒ No. 2. ‒ P. 92–95.

2. Kadomtseva, S. Yu. The myth of the South and the Civil War in the novels of M. Mitchell and A. Tate / S. Yu. Kadomtseva // Vestnik PSLU. ‒ 2010. ‒ No. 4. ‒ P. 207‒211.

3. Mitchell, M. Gone with the Wind. Novel: in 2 vols. Vol. 1 / M. Mitchell. ‒ Saransk: Mordov. book. publishing house, 1990. ‒ 576 p.

4. Mitchell, M. Gone with the Wind. Novel: in 2 vols. Vol. 2 / M. Mitchell. ‒ Saransk: Mordov. book. publishing house, 1990. ‒ 576 p.

5. Prokhorets, E. K. Foreign language artistic text as a means of developing socio-cultural competence among students of non-linguistic universities / E. K. Prokhorets // Humanitarian sciences and education. ‒ 2012. ‒ No. 3. ‒ P. 37–41.

6. Faulkner, W. Works: in 6 vols. T. 3 / W. Faulkner. ‒ M.: Art. lit., 1986. ‒ 475 p.

Biography

American writer. Margaret Mitchell was born on November 8 (in some sources - November 9) 1900 in Atlanta (Georgia, USA), in a wealthy family. Paternal ancestors were from Ireland, maternal - French. During the years of the Civil War between North and South (1861-1865), both of Margaret's grandfathers fought on the side of the southerners; one received a bullet in the temple, only accidentally not hitting the brain, the other hid from the victorious Yankees for a long time. The father of Margaret and her brother Stevens, Eugene Mitchell, a prominent lawyer in Atlanta, a real estate expert who dreamed of becoming a writer in his youth, was chairman of the local historical society, thanks to which the children grew up in an atmosphere of stories about the amazing events of the recent era.

Margaret took up literature at school: for the school theater she wrote plays from the life of exotic countries, including from the history of Russia; she loved to dance and ride horses. After graduating from high school, she studied at the Seminary. J.Washington, then for almost a year she studied at Smith College in Northampton (Massachusetts), dreaming of going to Austria for an internship with Sigmund Freud. But in January 1919, her mother died of the flu, and Margaret stayed at home to care for her sick father. In 1918, in France, in the battle on the Meuse River, Margaret's fiancé, Lieutenant Clifford Henry, died; every year on the day of his death, she sent flowers to his mother. From 1922, Margaret took up journalism, becoming a reporter and essayist for the Atlanta Journal, specializing in historical essays. What is known about Margaret's first marriage is that she did not part with a gun until she filed for divorce in 1925. After the divorce, her ex-husband (Berry Kinnard Upshaw, nicknamed Red) was found murdered somewhere in the Midwest. In 1925, she remarried - to insurance agent John Marsh, at the request of her husband, she left her job as a reporter and settled with him not far from Peach Street, famous for her. The life of a typical provincial lady began, although Margaret's house differed from other provincial houses in that it was full of some kind of papers, which both guests and herself made fun of. These pieces of paper were the pages of the novel "Gone with the Wind" (Gone with the Wind), created from 1926 to 1936.

Gone with the Wind began in 1926 when Margaret Mitchell wrote the main line of the last chapter: "She failed to understand either of the two men she loved, and now she has lost both." In December 1935, the final (60th!) version of the first chapter was written, and the manuscript was sent to the publisher. The name of the main character of the novel was found at the last moment - right at the publishing house. It is believed that the main characters of the novel had prototypes: for example, the image of Scarlett reflects many of the character traits and appearance of Margaret Mitchell herself, the image of Rhett Butler may have been created with Red Upshaw, Margaret's first husband. According to one version, for the title of the book, words were taken from Horace's poem, arranged by Ernst Dawson: "I forgot a lot, Cinara; blown away by the wind, the aroma of these roses was lost in the crowd ..."; the estate of the O'Hara family began to be called the same as the ancient capital of the Irish kings - Tara. Margaret herself defined the theme of the novel as "survival".

The clan of "professionals from literature", which consisted of authoritative critics, did not recognize the novel by Margaret Mitchell, an unknown author at that time. The general opinion of the "professional" critics was De Voto, who said that "the number of readers of this book is significant, but not the book itself." A different assessment of the novel was given by Herbert Wells: "I'm afraid that this book is better written than other respected classics." There were rumors from the world of professional writers that Margaret copied the book from her grandmother's diary or that she paid Sinclair Lewis to write the novel. Despite all this, the novel became a bestseller from the first days of its publication, received the Pulitzer Prize (1938), went through more than 70 editions in the United States, and was translated into many languages of the world.

Margaret Mitchell flatly refused to continue the novel, saying jokingly: "Brought by the Breeze" - a novel in which there will be a highly moral plot in which all the characters, including Beauty Watling, will change their souls and characters, and they will all wallow in hypocrisy and stupidity " She also refused to shoot a "film about the author of the novel", refused to give interviews, did not agree to the use of names associated with the novel in the advertising industry (there were applications for the appearance of Scarlett soap, Rhett men's travel bag, etc.) , did not allow to make a musical out of the novel.

In 1939, Gone with the Wind was filmed by director Victor Fleming (Metro Goldwyn Mayer). In 1936, David Selznick, who wanted to bring the novel to the screen, paid a record $50,000 for that year to win the film rights from the Warner brothers. Margaret, fearing the failure of the film, refused to take any part in its creation, including the selection of actors for the main roles and help in preparing the script. As a result, the script was rewritten by many people, going in circles from one screenwriter, writer, director to another, including Salznick himself, until he returned to Sydney Howard, who offered the script that served as the basis for the film adaptation of the novel. The search for an actress for the role of Scarlett lasted about two years. The problem of the "actress" was resolved when the shooting of the film had already begun - in 1938, a beautiful Englishwoman, a pupil of Catholic monasteries, Vivien Leigh, very similar to Margaret at the age of 20, appeared on the set. Although Margaret Mitchell often reminded at the time that Melanie was the true heroine of Gone with the Wind, and Scarlett could not be, Scarlett was the film's key figure. The film premiered on December 14, 1939 in Atlanta. The film stars Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O'Hara), Clark Gable (Rhett Butler), Olivia de Haviland (Melanie Wilks), Leslie Howard (Ashley Wilks), Thomas Mitchell (Gerald O'Hara, Scarlett's father), Barbara O'Neal (Elyn O "Hara, Scarlett's mother), Hattie McDaniel (Mammy). In 1939, Gone with the Wind won eight Oscars: Best Film of the Year; Best Director (Victor Fleming); Best Actress (Vivien Leigh); Best Supporting Actress (Hattie McDaniel); the best adaptation of the novel to the screenplay; best cinematography; best artist; best installation. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Olivia de Haviland).

Scarlett's popularity grew at an incredible rate. Attempts by reporters to ask Margaret if she wrote off this woman from herself infuriated her: "Scarlett is a prostitute, I am not!" "I tried to describe a far from delightful woman, about whom little good can be said, and I tried to withstand her character. I find it ridiculous and ridiculous that Miss O" Hara has become something of a national heroine, I think it's very bad - for the moral and mental state of the nation - if the nation is able to applaud and be carried away by a woman who behaved in this way ... "Over time, Margaret gradually warmed to her creation. At the premiere of the film Gone with the Wind, she already thanked for the attention "to me and to my poor Scarlett."

Margaret Mitchell died on August 16, 1949 in Atlanta (Georgia), having died from injuries received in a car accident thanks to a drunk taxi driver.

Sources of information:

Margaret Mitchell. "Gone With the Wind". "Margaret Mitchell and her book", introductory article, P. Palievsky. Ed. "Pravda", 1991.
Reviews of the film "Gone with the Wind" and the TV series "Scarlett".
kinoexpert.ru
Project "Russia congratulates!"

Margaret Manerlyn Mitchell (born Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell; November 8, 1900 – August 16, 1949) was an American author of the best-selling novel Gone with the Wind. The novel, published in 1936, won the Pulitzer Prize, went through more than 70 editions in the United States, was translated into 37 languages, and filmed in 1939 by director Victor Fleming. Gone with the Wind won 10 Oscars.

Margaret Mitchell was born November 9, 1900 in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of lawyer Eugene (Eugene) Mitchell and Mary Isabella, often referred to as May Belle. Margaret's brother, Stephen, was four years older than her.

Until you lose your reputation, you will never understand what a heavy burden it was, and what true freedom is.

Mitchell Margaret

Margaret's childhood passed literally on the knees of Civil War veterans and maternal relatives who lived during the war.

The impressionable child has always admired the stories about the Civil War that his parents told. Having begun her studies, she first attends the Washington Seminary, then in 1918 enters the prestigious Smith College for Women (Massachusetts).

She returns to Atlanta to take over the household after her mother's death from the great Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 (Mitchell would later use this important scene from his life to stage the tragedy of Scarlett learning of her mother's death from typhus when she returned to plantation of Tara).

In 1922, under the name Peggy (her school nickname), Mitchell began working as a journalist, becoming a leading reporter for the Atlanta Journal.

In the same year, she marries Berrien Kinnard Upshaw, but they divorce a few months later. In 1925 she marries John Marsh. An ankle injury in 1926 makes her job as a reporter impossible, and she resigns from the newspaper.

Encouraged by her husband, Margaret began work on the novel, which lasted ten years. Episodes were written randomly, then put together.

Why should young people want security? Leave it to the old and tired... It amazes me in some young people how, as far as I can understand, they not only long for security, but confidently demand it as their legal right, and become bitterly annoyed if it is not presented to them on silver platter. There is something unsettling for a nation if its young people cry out for security. Youth in the past was assertive, willing and able to try their hand.

Mitchell Margaret

The editor of a major publishing house, who arrived in Atlanta, learned about the voluminous manuscript (more than a thousand printed pages). Mitchell did not immediately agree to publish the book (previously titled Tomorrow is Another Day).

Over the next year, Mitchell worked painstakingly on the text, paying particular attention to historical details and dates.

The title changes to "Gone with the Wind" (a line from a poem by Ernest Dawson). The release of the book took place in June 1936, accompanied by a huge publicity support, in which Mitchell herself played an active role.

The book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937. The author herself was seriously involved in the affairs surrounding the sale of the novel, establishing rights and royalties, controlling publications in other languages.

Despite numerous requests from fans, Margaret Mitchell did not write another book. On August 11, 1949, on her way to the cinema, she was hit by a car (whose driver used to work as a taxi driver, hence the frequent erroneous claims that she was hit by a taxi), and after 5 days she died without regaining consciousness.

Margaret Mitchell photo

Margaret Mitchell - quotes

Margaret Mitchell is a writer best known for her novel Gone with the Wind. The book was first published in 1936. It has been translated into various languages and reprinted over 100 times. The work was often called the “book of the century”, since the popularity of the novel, even in 2014, surpassed other best-selling works.

Childhood and youth

Margaret Mitchell was born November 8, 1900 in Atlanta, Georgia, in a wealthy and prosperous family. She was a Scorpio by zodiac sign and Irish by nationality. Mitchell's paternal ancestors moved to the United States from Ireland, and relatives on the mother's side moved to a new place of residence from France. Both those and others played for the southerners during the Civil War of 1861-1865.

The girl had an older brother named Stephen (Stephen). My father worked as a lawyer and dealt with real estate litigation. Eugene Mitchell brought the family into high society. He had an excellent education, was chairman of the city historical society, and in his youth dreamed of becoming a writer. He raised children in respect for their ancestors and the past, often talking about the events of the Civil War.

The efforts of the mother cannot be underestimated. Educated and purposeful, she was known as an outstanding lady, ahead of her time. Maria Isabella was one of the founders of the campaign for women's suffrage and was a member of the Catholic Association. The woman instilled good taste in her daughter and instructed her in Right way. Margaret also liked cinema, adventure novels, horseback riding and climbing trees. Although the girl behaved excellently in society and danced well.

Margaret Mitchell in her youth

During her school years, Mitchell wrote plays for the student theater club. Then, as a student at the Washington Seminary, she attended the Philharmonic in Atlanta. There she became the founder and leader of the drama club. In addition to theatrical business, Margaret was interested in journalism. She was the editor of the school yearbook Facts and Fantasy and served as president of the Washington Literary Society.

At 18, Margaret Mitchell met Henry Clifford, a 22-year-old New York native. The acquaintance took place at a dance and gave hope for the development of relations, but Henry was forced to go to the front to participate in the battles of the First World War in France. Margaret went to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. In this educational institution, she studied psychology and philosophy.

In 1918, Margaret learned about the death of her fiancé. Her sadness was redoubled when the news came that her mother had died from a flu epidemic. The girl returned to Atlanta to help her father, became the mistress of the estate and plunged into managing it. History is seen in Mitchell's biography. Margaret was a daring, courageous and intelligent woman. In 1922, she became a reporter for the Atlanta Journal, for which she wrote essays.

Books

Gone with the Wind is the novel that brought fame to Margaret Mitchell. In 1926, the writer broke her ankle and stopped working with the magazine she worked for. She was inspired by the independent work, although she wrote it non-linearly. Being a southerner, Margaret created a novel about the events of the Civil War, evaluating them from her own, subjective point of view.

But Mitchell was attentive to historical facts and was based in descriptions on a variety of sources. She even interviewed former combatants. Subsequently, the author said that the characters of the novel do not have real prototypes. But, knowing the peculiarities of the views of suffragettes, understanding the mores and characteristics of the era of the Great Depression, the popularization of psychoanalysis, Mitchell gave the main character unusual qualities and characteristics. A woman of not the best morals has become a symbol of America.

Margaret carefully worked through each chapter. According to legend, the first had 60 variations and drafts. Interesting fact: originally main character the author named Pansy, and just before giving the manuscript to the publisher, she changed her mind, correcting the name to Scarlett.

The book was published by Macmillan in 1936. A year later, Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize. From the first days, the sales statistics of the novel went through the roof. In the first 6 months, over 1 million copies were sold. Today, the book is sold at 250,000 copies a year. The work has been translated into 27 languages and has been reprinted more than 70 times in the USA alone.

The film rights were sold for $50,000, and this amount was a record. In 1939, Victor Fleming's film based on Mitchell's novel was released. He received 8 Oscar statuettes. The role was played, and Scarlett played.

The actress for the main role was searched for for 2 years and only the performer who reminded the director of the young Margaret was approved. Scarlett's popularity increased after the premiere of the tape. Women's outfits in the style of the heroine appeared on the shelves of stores.

Margaret Mitchell flatly refused to create a continuation of the novel. Moreover, she bequeathed to destroy her other works after her death, so it is impossible today to compile a complete bibliography of the writer. If there was a sequel to Scarlett's story, the reader won't know about it. Other works under the name of the author were not published.

Personal life

Margaret Mitchell has been married twice. Her first husband was an illegal alcohol supplier, a violent man Berrien Kinnard Upshaw. The beatings and bullying of her husband made the girl understand that she had made the wrong choice.

In 1925, Mitchell divorced him and married John Marsh, an insurance salesman. It is curious that the young people had known each other since 1921 and were planning an engagement. Their relatives already knew each other, and the wedding day was determined. But Margaret's rash act almost broke her personal life.

The wedding of Margaret Mitchell and her first husband Berrien Upshaw. Left - future husband John Marsh

John insisted that Margaret leave her job as a reporter, and the family settled on Peach Street. There, the former journalist began to write a book. The husband showed miracles of loyalty and patience. He forgot about his jealousy and completely shared the interests of his wife. Marsh persuaded Margaret to take up the pen not for the public, but for her own satisfaction, because after becoming a housewife, Mitchell often experienced depression due to the lack of an important occupation.

Simple reading was not enough for her inquisitive mind. In 1926, Mitchell received a typewriter as a gift from her husband. John supported his wife in everything. Returning from work, he read the material written by her, helped think through plot twists and turns and conflicts, made corrections and looked for primary sources to describe the era.

The publication of the novel brought the author worldwide fame, but the fame that fell on Mitchell became a heavy burden. She did not want increased attention and did not even go to the premiere of the film based on her book. Margaret was invited to lectures at universities, her photos appeared everywhere, and journalists pestered her with requests for interviews.

Responsibility during this period was assumed by John Marsh. The writer's husband maintained correspondence with publishers and controlled financial matters. He devoted himself to the self-realization of his wife. The wife appreciated the feat, so the novel "Gone with the Wind" was dedicated to the beloved man Margaret Mitchell.

Death

Margaret died on August 16, 1949. The cause of death was a traffic accident. She was hit by a car driven by a drunk driver. As a result of the accident, the writer never regained consciousness. The woman was buried in Atlanta, at the Oakland Cemetery. Husband Margaret Mitchell lived after her death for 3 years.

In memory of the writer, there are several quotes, the film "Burning Passion: The Story of Margaret Mitchell", describing the woman's biography, photos, interviews and an immortal novel.

In 1991, Alexandra Ripley published a book called Scarlett, which became a kind of continuation of Gone with the Wind. The presentation of the novel stirred up a new wave of interest in the work of Margaret Mitchell.

Quotes

"I won't think about it today, I'll think about it tomorrow"

"When a woman can't cry, it's scary"

"Loads either hew people or break them"