An Intertextual Interpretation Of Gone With The Wind

Margaret Mitchell,combining the history of the Civil War and her own experience,created a historical romance,Gone With the Wind.Mitchell looked back upon the history of American South from mid-nineteenth century to early twentieth century,which was not accidental.The Southern writer peers at Mitchell's times also looked back upon this history,leading to the prosperity of literature in the South in the 1930 s,represented by William Faulkner.The study of intertextuality in literature can be divided into two steps---relation and transformation.The creation of Gone With the Wind reflects its intertextuality with pre-existent texts.This thesis analyzes from three aspects the relations and transformation between Gone With the Wind and its pre-existent texts---the historical texts of American South from mid-nineteenth century to early twentieth century.Chapter One analyzes intertextuality between Gone With the Wind and Absalom,Absalom! by William Faulkner.This chapter discusses,from the aspect of literary texts in intertextuality,the relations and transformation between Gone With the Wind and its pre-existent texts which are represented by Absalom,Absalom! in the aspect of literary texts in intertextuality.Their intertextual relations are reflected in the similarities of the two novels.Female characters are outstanding in the two novels due to their feminist consciousness.In contrast,many Southern white males are lost in the past and do not know what to do in the new world.Some aggressive white males propose to learn from the north.However,Mitchell and Faulkner,growing up in the backward postwar South,disagreed with either northernizing the South or sticking to the tradition.They were eager to find a new way for their beloved South,but they failed due to the limitations of their times.The novel's transformation of its pre-existent texts is reflected by Mitchell rewriting history from females' perspective and challenging males' dominance in literature.Chapter two discusses intertextuality between Gone With the Wind and Southern social values.This chapter discusses,from the aspect of social contexts in intertextuality,the relations and transformation between Gone With the Wind and its pre-existent texts which are represented by Southern social values in the aspect of social contexts in intertextuality.Social values include politics,economy,and ideology,and Southern social values witness huge changes from mid-nineteenth century to early twentieth century.Their intertextual relations are reflected by the accord between Gone With the Wind and Southern social values in the aspect of politics,economy,and ideology.In the aspect of politics,racial relations in Gone With the Wind are in accordance with those reflected by American mainstream culture.In the aspect of economy,heroine Scarlett's career choices are in line with the change of economic values in the South.In the aspect of ideology,Scarlett's love choices are in keeping with the change of Southerners' ideology.The novel's transformation of its pre-existent texts is reflected by Mitchell's beautifying the Ku Klux Klan and challenging the enormous criticism about the Ku Klux Klan.Chapter three analyzes intertextuality between Gone With the Wind and the life of its author Margaret Mitchell.This chapter discusses,from the aspect of historical background in intertextuality,the relations and transformation between Gone With the Wind and its pre-existent texts which are represented by the life ofMargaret Mitchell in the aspect of historical background in intertextuality.Their intertextual relations are reflected by Mitchell projecting her life on the creation of her nineteenth-century heroine Scarlett.The former projects her Irish ancestry and Irish spirits onto the latter.They challenge patriarchal society in love,marriage,and career.However,limited by their times,they retreat to a traditional female role and give up female autonomy.The novel's transformation of its pre-existent texts is reflected by Mitchell's viewing history as a late-comer rather than a witness.To conclude,Gone With the Wind is in a fictional way constructed out of already existent history from mid-nineteenth century to early twentieth century.Intertextuality consists of relations and alterations in the two texts.Gone With the Wind finds its origin or source from already existent history,which is relations.The novel retells the history from the perspective of a female,combining the author's own ideology,and viewed by an author as a late-comer,which are alterations.Thus,the novel has intertextual relations with history.