Journey Through Time: 10 Little-Known Facts About 'Gone With the Wind'
Welcome to a literary journey through the beloved classic, 'Gone With the Wind.' Margaret Mitchell's epic novel has captured the hearts of readers for generations, but did you know there's more to this timeless tale than meets the eye?
Join us as we delve into the depths of Scarlett O'Hara's world and uncover 10 fascinating little-known facts about 'Gone With the Wind.' From behind-the-scenes secrets to historical insights, prepare to be enchanted by the rich tapestry of trivia surrounding this iconic novel. Whether you're a lifelong fan or discovering it for the first time, get ready to embark on an adventure through the pages of literary history! 📖✨
1. Margaret Mitchell wrote the book out of boredom.
Boredom led 25-year-old Margaret Mitchell to write 63 of the most beloved chapters in literary history. According to the Margaret Mitchell House, Mitchell had taken time off to recover from 'a series of injuries' while working as a journalist for the Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine. When her ankle healed, this time slowly, she decided to occupy herself with writing.
2. Almost no one knew that she writes books.
Although Mitchell spent the next ten years working on characters and plots, almost no one knew she had written a book. She went to extreme lengths to hide her work from friends and family, including once hastily throwing a rug over the scattered pages on her living room floor when she unexpectedly had guests over.
3. Mitchell had no plans to publish the book.
Despite spending 10 years of her life working on this book, Mitchell had no intention of publishing it. When a 'friend' heard that she was thinking of writing a book (it had in fact been written), she said something like, 'Just imagine, you're writing a book! Irritated, Mitchell took her huge manuscript to a Macmillan editor the next day. She regretted it later and sent a telegram to the editor saying, 'I've changed my mind. Send the manuscript back.
4. Scarlett was originally intended to be Pansy.
You know her now as Scarlett, but the heroine of Gone with the Wind was called Pansy for years. It probably would have stayed that way if the publisher hadn't demanded a name change. 'We could call her 'Trash O'Hara',' Mitchell wrote to her friend and co-editor, 'I just want to finish the damn thing.'
5. Tara's name was also different during the writing process.
Speaking of name changes, in the first drafts of Gone with the Wind, Tara was referred to as 'Fountenoy Hall'.
6. Dr. Holliday was Mitchell's cousin.
Margaret Mitchell had another Southern legend in her family: Old West gunfighter (and dentist) Doc Holliday was Mitchell's cousin by marriage. Many believe that Mitchell used her famous relative as the inspiration for Ashley Wilkes.
7. Mitchell doesn't know what happened to Scarlett and Rhett.
Add Mitchell to the list of people who don't know what happens to Scarlett and Rhett at the end of the story. Even in her own mind she left the ending ambiguous without a 'real' ending. 'For all I know, Rhett might have found someone else, someone less difficult,' he told Yank magazine in 1945.
8. Even if you haven't read the book, you've heard the last line somewhere. "TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY."
This was also the tentative title of the book. Mitchell also considered calling it Bugles Sang True or Not in Our Stars. The title she finally settled on comes from Ernest Dowson's poem Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae sub Regno Cynarae
9. The novel had its detractors too.
Although Gone with the Wind is now a classic, not everyone was a fan of the epic novel at the time of its publication, and that includes the critics. Ralph Thompson, book critic for The New York Times, was not impressed. Among his reviews:
'The historical background is the book's chief virtue, and no matter how much importance is attached to Miss Mitchell's work, this novel is a shabby story of the times, with an unconvincing and somewhat absurd plot.'
10. The work broke a record with the movie rights.
When movie mogul David O. Selznick bought the film rights in 1936 for $50,000, it was the highest price ever paid for a book. Mitchell refused to participate in the making of the movie, but was said to have loved it, except for a few details (she found Tara too rich, for example). Although she had spent ten years writing her masterpiece, Mitchell was only able to enjoy the fame that followed for a short time (to be honest, she didn't really 'enjoy' fame). On the evening of August 11, 1949, Mitchell was struck by a speeding car on Atlanta's Peachtree Street on her way to see a movie with her husband. She died a few days later from her injuries.
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