The Bulldog Beat

Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novel Hits 75

Related Content

Last 5 stories in Arts & Entertainment

• Fashion Is Not Just a Passion - May 10, 2013
• Ionia Illustrates Individualism - March 25, 2013
• Anticipation Arises Among Young Jazzers - February 6, 2013
• Maroon 5 Overexposed - February 6, 2013
• The Vibe of Video Games - January 17, 2013

Other stories that might interest you...

• Mitchell McPherson
• Sample Headline
• Fill a Bowl, Feed a Soul
• Witty Webcomic Websites
• Students Salute Summer

Bayley Rewa, Arts and Entertainment Writer
May 29, 2012
Filed under Arts & Entertainment

Gone with the Wind is a timeless love story, which took place in the ravages of the Civil War.  The book just celebrated the 75^th anniversary of winning the Pulitzer Prize on May third.  Everyone is at least somewhat familiar with the characters: Scarlett O’Hara, Rhett Butler, and the rest.  Did you know that Scarlett was almost named Pansy?  Additionally, many may not know that Mitchell wrote the last chapter first.

Margaret Mitchell started writing this book while recovering from a broken ankle.  Her husband, John Marsh, bought her a typewriter to write herself a book after she read so many.   When it was published in June 1936, it sold one million copies in the first six months.  She didn’t like the fame that came with the book and wouldn’t sign any autographs or let biographers in.  She didn’t even want to help out with the now classic movie.

“She had the determination and will to educate Americans about their past,” said Veronica Zielke, who is an aspiring author.

Mitchell was probably inspired by all of the Civil War stories she heard while growing up, and researched everything extensively to get it perfect.  It is a very long book, containing over 60 chapters!  Unfortunately, this was the first and last book she wrote, because she was hit by a car and died when she was 48.  She has written other stories, but they were never published.  She has also destroyed some of them as well, which is a shame because who knows if there was another classic among them.

“I read (Gone with the Wind) when I was sixteen years old, and I thought it was fascinating because I could learn about the Civil War, but this was through one person’s eyes,” says Jody Rewa, who has read the book twice and seen the movie.  She recommends it for teenagers.  The story is much too complicated to summarize here, but feel free to look it up, or ask someone about it.  You could even read it.  This is a classic novel that should be enjoyed through all generations of readers.