关于[飘]中斯嘉丽的性格分析

Abstract:

This paper mainly discusses Scarlett ’s particular characters. Scarlett, who’s clever, stubborn and hard-working, is different from other aristocratic woman. She has been married for three times and killed a soldier; then buys sawmills, peddles timbering herself and earns money openly. The worst thing is she succeeds in business while other gentlemen lead poor lives. She is different, and also damned. But she is judged as a new woman in the old time.

Key Words： Rebellious; different; new woman

关于《飘》中斯嘉丽的性格分析

摘 要：

这篇文章对于文学名著《飘》中的女主人公—斯佳丽·奥哈拉的独特个性进行了分析。斯佳丽不同于其他贵族妇女，她聪明﹑迷人﹑勤勉并且倔强而坚定。她共有三次婚姻，枪杀了一名正在家中行窃的北方士兵；后来买下锯木厂，自己为卖木材而四处奔波，最后公然地赚取了很多钱。在许多绅士还过着贫困潦倒的生活时，她却获得了成功，这是人们认为最不能接受的事情。她与众不同，因此被谴责，但却是“旧”时代的“新”女性。

关键词：反叛；与众不同；新女性

Katie Scarlett O′Hara, the leading role of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, always gets mixed reception. Scarlett, who’s clever , coquettish, stubborn and diligent, is different from other aristocratic woman. She has been married for three times and killed a thieving Yankee soldier; then buys sawmills, peddles timbering herself and earns money openly. The worst thing is she succeeds in business while other gentlemen lead poor lives. She is different, and also damned. She is judged as a new woman in the old time.

Undoubtedly, if Scarlett were in our society, she would live comfortably. Meanwhile, she is a good example of survival. But we can not imitate Scarlett in all her ways. On the other hand, critics

nowadays should criticize Scarlett in a new way, the way of how to survive in modern society.

Ⅰ. Present Social Situation of Women

Some novels and fictions create the images of women who are successful in career and gain respect from people. But these images are just the good wishes of the writers. The reason why these writers create such heroines is partly that in real life under that background, women can not easily succeed either in family life, career or interpersonal relationship.

An ideal woman is one who should at least be successful in career, family and interpersonal relationship. But do not be scared of the three goals which seem difficult to achieve. To be an ideal woman, one can get some inspiration or suggestions from Scarlet and Melanie, the two heroines in Gone with the Wind.

Ⅱ.Description of Scarlett’s Special Characters and Styles

Before the Civil War, Scarlett lives in a nearly perfect family. A gentle mother, a rich father, and a black mummy look after her well, and they make her a beautiful girl. On the other hand, she’s clever, brave and stubborn. Owing to these characters, her actions make her very welcome in gentlemen but unwelcome in ladies.

A. The Background of Scarlett’s Family

Scarlett shows her difference at the right opening of the novel. She has a ―gently bred Creole mother from the seacoast‖ (John, 253). Ellen O′Hara, has never been seen ―stirred from her austere placidity nor her personal appointments anything but perfect, no mater what the hour of day or night‖ (Margaret, 42). ―There was a steely quality under her stately gentleness that awed the whole household‖ (Margaret, 43). Scarlett regards her mother as ―something holy and apart from all the rest of humankind‖ and ―the embodiment of justice, truth, loving tenderness and profound wisdom —a great lady.‖ Young Scarlett, or Scarlett antebellum,

wants very much to emulate Ellen, but in order to avoid missing joys of life, she will follow her mother only on condition that ―some day when she was married to Ashley and old, some day when she had time for it‖(Margaret, 62). Nevertheless, Ellen does influence Scarlett much.

On the other hand, Scarlett’s father, Gerald O′Hara, a little, hard-headed and blustering Irish man, is not well educated, he believes that a man who wants to be rich should be strong and unafraid of work. And Gerald is hardy. ―When Gerald wanted something, he gains it by taking the most direct route‖ (Margaret,

48). This conclusion seemed to fit for Scarlett, too.

B. Scarlett’s Different Attitudes to the Social Life and Her Happiness Antebellum

As for Scarlett, in her face ―were too sharply blended the delicate feature of her mother, a coast aristocrat of French descent, and the heavy ones of her florid Irish father‖ (Margaret, 1). At the age of sixteen, thanks to Mammy and Ellen, she looked sweet, charming and giddy, but she was, in reality, self-willed, vain and obstinate. She had the easily stirred passions of her Irish father and nothing except the thinnest veneer of her mother’s unselfish and forbearing nature.she is high hearted, vivacious and charming, different from other ladies’ elegance. She is beautiful that she has made almost all the young men in the neighborhood court her; she has her own view that she always tries her best to gain what she wants —Ashley, or Tara, then Rhett. She will never know, and she would be pleased but unbelieving if she has been told, that her own personality, frighteningly vital though it was, was more attractive than any masquerade she might adopt. Undoubtedly, she is different, and because of this differences, Scarlett is destined to be damned —―No girl in the county, really liked Scarlett‖.

C. Scarlett’s Rebellious Activities in Atlanta during the Civil War

Then comes the Civil War. After her impulse (marry Charles H amilton to ―retaliate‖ Ashley Wilkes’ marriage to Melanie Hamilton) Scarlett is soon widowed, to her dismay, motherhood follows. Of course Scarlett can not fell contented in her widow life, she still wants to dance, laugh and be courted as Scarlett O′Hara, not Scarlett Hamilton. And so, with the help of Rhett Butler, Scarlett begins to search for another paradise in her life. When she is still in mourning, Scarlett ―tossed her head and sped out of booth‖ (Margaret, 189), hurriedly steps into the dancing floor, and begins her another rebel life. She begins to think for herself instead of letting others think for her again. At that very time, she forgets herself and her rearing neglects the look on the chaperons’ faces, cares not what she will be criticized, she just wants to dance, to release her partly from mourning.

D. Scarlett’s Pursuit of Freedom and Happiness

One whole year after Charles Hamilton’s death, Scarlett is partly liberated. Despite wearing mourning, she is back again where she has been before she marries Charles, as if she were Scarlett O′Hara again, the belle of the county. Careless of the disapproval of others, ―she behaved as she had behaved before her marriage—went to parties, danced, went riding with soldiers, flirted…‖(Margaret, 215). Life is still attractive, like she is. She enjoys her normal-like life again. She, Scarlett, energetic and animated, how can she be defined forever? Much less, the man she married has never gained her love at all! So that Scarlett, who is willing to, and destined to, pursue a passional life. Obviously, she is different, and still is scolded for being different from the social code. However, in modern society, no one has the right of obstructing a widowed lady from pursuing happiness, especially remarriage.

Scarlet t’s emotion, as the Christmas season of 1863 coming, is surged up because Ashley Wilkes will come home on furlough.

When Scarlett looks at Ashley, she ―knew her feeling of that long-past night were those of a spoiled child thwarted of a toy‖ (Margaret, 259). But unfortunately, she still looks upon her feeling to Ashley as ―love‖, even more than before. According to such deep feeling, or love, at least she thinks so, Scarlett promises Ashley that she will look after Melanie for him.

E. Scarlett’s Wisdom and Diligence in the Reconstruction Out of Scarlett’s expectation, the more terrible disaster occurs —Ellen O′Hara, her gentle, amiable mother, has died; her father has turned to a terribly old man with schizophrenia. Now he is like a child, no longer a strong man, the backbone of Tara. Both of her sisters are ill in bed; slaves have run away, with only three darkies still remaining. There remains not enough food, and all their cotton has been burnt to ashes. Meanwhile, their lot of Confederate cash becomes worthless. The most important is that she, Scarlettt Hamilton, will continue to carry her burdens.

The long road from Atlanta to Tara has ended, ―in a black wall, the road that was to end in Ellen’s arms‖ (Margaret, 409). Never again can Scarlett lie down, as a child, secure beneath her father’s roof with the protection of her mother’s love wrapped about her like an eiderdown quilt. ―There was no security or heaven to which she could turn now‖ (Margaret, 410); there is no one on whose shoulders she can rest her burdens. Now Scarlett is seeing things with new eyes, for somewhere along the long road to Tara, she has left her girlhood behind her. She is a woman now and youth is gone. The O′Hara’s do not take charity. The O′Haras look after themselves. Her burdens are her own and they are for shoulders strong enough to bear them. She can not desert Tara, ―She belonged to the red acres far more than they could ever belong to her. Her roots went deep into the blood–colored soil and sucked up life, as did the cotton‖ (Margaret, 411).

The next morning Scarlett forces her to endure body’s stiffness and sore, goes out to search for some food. In the Negroes’ garden patches of Wilkes’ plantation, she is licked down

by hunger and tiredness. When she arises at last and sees again the black ruins of the plantation, her head is raised high and something that is ―youth and beauty and potential tenderness‖ has gone out of her face forever. The lazy luxury of the old days is gone, never to return. ―There was no going back and she was g oing forward throughout the South for fifty years there would be bitter –eyed woman who looked backward… But Scarlett was never to look back‖ At that moment hunger grows at her empty stomach again and Scarlett says aloud: ―As god is my witness...the Yankees aren’t going to lick me. I’m going to live through this, and when it’s over I’m never going to be hunger again. No, nor any of my folks. If I have to steal or kill—as God is my witness, I’m never going to be hunger again‖ (Margaret, 419). This is her dauntlessness.

What an announcement of struggle! Indeed it is a day that is worthy of celebration. That symbolizes the birth of a completely new woman, a heroine in the old time. From then on, the shell of hardness, which has begun to form about her heart when she lies in the slave garden, is slowly thickening. Scarlett, who is more advanced than others, firstly realizes that her mother’s ordered world is gone and a brutal world has taken its place. ―She sees, or she thinks she sees that her mother has been wrong, and she changes swiftly to meet this new world for which she is not prepared‖ (Margaret, 425). This is her perceptivity.

Both of Scarlett’s two sisters and the slaves all refuse, or do not dare, to face the reality. Melanie, who can face the situation, but only endures and suffers passively, and she is not willing to, or can not, struggle against the bad luck positively and energetically. That is to say, once again, Scarlett is different and complained by everyone except Melanie—why does she become so cool, so chilly?

As for her courage and fieriness, Scarlett kills a thieving Yankees soldier, imperturbably and determinately —right before the Yankee’s shoot. Such an act is mass criticized by the critics, they accuse her of brutality and murderer. They condemn her living by hook or by crook, not like a fair lady. But actually, she only ―does what under the circumstances must be done if she is to

survived‖ (W.J, 109). In modern society, that is called ―legitimate defense,‖ is therefore guiltless. Anyway, Sca rlett saves other three sick girls and the babies. That is worthwhile. Even if Melanie were in the same situation, ―she’d have done the same thing‖ (Margaret, 431).

With Scarlett’s wisdom and diligence, the Tara can surely offer a better and better life if there were not the taxation affair. Then, in order to raise money, Scarlett has to go to Atlanta to drop on Rhett, ―being a mere woman in a society that is bankrupt and still dominated by men who are either stupid or idealistic—and in any case ineffectual —Scarlett must use the only means available to her for saving the family plantation: sex‖(W.J,108). However, this decision is not an easy one for her, Scarlett fights a quick battle with the ―...three most binding ties of her soul—the memory of Ellen, the teachings of her religion and her love for Ashley. She knew that what she had in her mind must be hideous to her mother even in that warm far off heaven where she surely was. She knew that fornication was a mortal sin. And she knew that loving Ashley as sh e did, her plan was doubly prostitution...‖ (Margaret, 528). Unfortunately, although she has planned to sacrifice herself to Rhett, she fails, for Rhett is in prison.

But in any case she will not give up Tara, and her folks. ―She will seduce her sister’s fiancé in order to get his memory‖ (W.J, 108) —If her sister is a little less selfish than her, Scarlett will need not to marry such an old man. After all, she victimizes herself. To get and save enough money, Scarlett buys a sawmill herself. She shuttled back and forth in Atlanta city with the whole town talking about her. And she makes a success. Simultaneously, she is excluded out of social contacts. All she has done is to be different from other women and she has made a little success of it. That is the one unforgivable sin in any society. 〝Be different and be damned 〞. As Rhett says to her, ―Scarlett, the mere fact that you’ve made a success of your mill is an insult to every man who hasn’t succeeded. Remember, a well-bred female’s place is in the home and she should know nothing about this busy brutal

world‖(Margaret, 663). By now, we know, perhaps only partly, the reason why she is 〝different and damned〞.

F. Scarlett’s Secret of Survival

Only Grandma Fontaine, ―gives Scarlett the formula for survival and sup plies the rational for Scarlett’s tooth -and-fang code of morality‖ (W.J, 109): ―we play along with lesser folks and we talk what we can get from them, and when we are strong enough, we kick the necks of the folks whose necks we’ve climbed over. That, my ch ild, is the secret of survival‖(Margaret, 701). Scarlett, too, refuses to be one of the lesser folks, she wants not only to survive but also 〝prevail and will use any means at hand to gain her ends.〞And Scarlett wins the economic battle at last, though she loses the battle of heart(W.J,110). Scarlett’s tragedy lines in her ―inability to understand the meaning of being a lady‖(Elizabeth, 402). ―No lady would admit that she, and not her husband, ran the plantation. No lady would admit to being hungry in public. No lady would admit to sexual desire or pleasure‖(Elizabeth, 399).

Ⅲ. Conclusion.

From what has been discussed the above a conclusion can be drawn that women have wakened from the long sleep. Today’s women, holding half the sky, are masters of their own fate, which bring them great desire to achieve what they dream of.

Scarlett can love and hate with a violence, ―her voice was brisk and decisive and she made up her mind instantly and with no girlish shilly-shallying. She knew what she wanted and she went after it by the shortest route, like a man, not by the hidden and circuitous routes peculiar to women‖ (Margaret, 624). She wants not only to survive, but also to prevail and will use any means at hand to gain her ends, and she wins, still keeps an uneasily known kind heart. Those are characters needed for success, in 21st Century. If Scarlett were living in modern society, instead of the old time, she surely could lead a happy and comfortable life, like many other white-collar women do.

In short, Scarlett is a new woman in the old time. She is different and damned. However, the society which we live in is an advanced one, so we can imitate her, of course not in all her ways. Fortunately, we could 〝be different〞as she is, moreover, not〝be damned 〞as she is.