ABSTRACT
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell has always been regarded as one of the most classic love stories in American literature. The protagonist of this masterpiece Scarlett O′ Hara’s particular characters have always been discussed and criticized by readers and scholars. The other main female character Melanie in the novel who plays an important role in Scarlett’s growth has hardly been mentioned. The paper mainly uses the methods of analysis and giving examples to have a comparative study on the similarities as well as differences of the two main female characters in the novel. It analyses their different personalities, their attitudes towards the past, the causes of their quite different destinies, etc. with the purpose of helping readers have a more profound and comprehensive understanding of Scarlett and Melanie. In conclusion, this paper indicates that there are qualities from both females that should be advocated.
Keywords：Gone with the Wind; Scarlett ; Melanie; Female Characters; Features
Contents
1.Introduction of the Author and the Novel…………………………………………1
2. Descriptions of Female Characters in 19th Century……………………………….3
2.1 Description of the Victorian Womanhood……………………………………….…..3
2.2 The Appearance of Female with Sense of Rebellion…………………………….. …4
3. An Analysis of the Personality of Two Female Characters………………………..6
3.1 Similarities in Features……………………………………...……………………….6
3.2 Differences between the Two Female Characters……………………..………..……9
4.Analysis of the Attitudes towards the Past………………………………………...12
4.1 Common Features of their Reliance on the Past……………………………………12
4.2 Different Features of their Attitudes towards the Past……………………………...13
5.Causes of their Different Destinies…………………………………………………15
5.1 Internal Causes 15
5.2 External Causes 16
6.Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………...17
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………18
References……………………………………………………………………………..19
