On The Deconstruction Of The American “Southern Myth” In Gone With The Wind

Margaret Mitchell is a woman writer who has written only one work in her life.Her novel Gone with the Wind,which took her ten years to write,is a war novel,a historical novel and a love novel.This work recreates the historical background and social situation before and after the American Civil War with the main line of the heroine Scarlett’s ten-year life experience.As a post-World War I Southern woman writer,Mitchell’s works could not be separated from the influence of the “Southern myth”,but the reality of the defeat of the South and the changes in life brought by industrialization also made Mitchell realize that the “Southern myth” had lost its value.This paper analyzes the deconstruction of the “Southern myth” in Gone with the Wind in the context of American history and culture,and consists of the following three chapters.The first chapter analyzes the deconstruction of the “Southern myth” in Gone with the Wind.The three aspects of deconstruction are family myth,gender structure and idyllic life.The “Southern myth” is also known as the “Southern family myth”,and the father-centered family structure and stable marriage are an important part of the “Southern myth”.But the author’s female perspective shows the importance of the mother’s role in the family,and with the defeat and post-war reconstruction,the stability of marriage was also greatly affected,thus deconstructing the “Southern family myth”.Secondly,the division of gender roles is also an important part of the “Southern myth”.The gender roles and gender norms of “lady” and “gentleman” are conventional social rules,and the text has created all kinds of gender images,therefore,deconstructed the division of gender roles.Finally,the author confronts the demise of idyllic life and admits the backwardness of the South and the necessity of industrialization for the development of Southern society.The second chapter analyzes the reasons for the author’s deconstruction of the “Southern myth” from the background of the time and the author’s experiences.First,the rise of women’s consciousness after World War I broke the original gender positioning.Secondly,Mitchell’s family story and personal experience also show her knowledge and understanding of the “Southern myth”.The third point is the impact of industry on Southern society.The economic crisis and identity crisis in Southern society make the author realize that the“Southern myth” can only be an anesthetic for Southerners at this time,not a permanent solution.The third chapter analyzes the significance of the author’s deconstruction of the “Southern myth”.The first part is historical significance.As an enduring work of literature,both the characters in the book and the first generation of readers after its publication have experienced hardships such as war and economic crisis,and Scarlett’s vitality in the book has inspired these people in similar situations.The third part analyzes the literary significance.In the process of deconstructing the “Southern myth”,the author breaks the male narrative and creates a female world by breaking through the image of women portrayed in the male narrative.