Is Scarlett O'Hara a typical Republican?

[malatesta1137]

I've been watching Gone With The Wind with different eyes these days. Before, I used to think of Scarlett as vivacious, full of life. Now I see her as somewhat of an Ann Coulter from the South (with better looks).

Scarlett is spoiled, selfish, superficial, thinks money is the most important thing in life, always scheming against members of her own family, marries men she doesn't love, does business with the enemy, hires convicts so she has to pay them nothing and is cold and uncaring towards her own daughter, Bonnie Blue Butler. And after starving and going through all kinds of hardships, instead of becoming humble and thankful, she turns vindictive and malicious. If that's not a typical Republican for you, nothing else is.

As for Rhett Butler, I see him as a libertarian, doesn't care much about what others think or do, as long as his freedoms are guaranteed.

Melanie and Ashley are the true liberals in the film. Melanie is kind, caring and unselfish. Ashley is the philosopher, the man with grand principles and integrity. What do you guys think?

[KurtNYC]

1. And for her the Civil War was a war on "Tara"

[mark11727]

8. Oh fiddle-dee-dee

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Close

Scarlett, however, grew up and out of a lot of her childish "Republican" ways -- though not all of them.

Ashley and Melanie, I think, have always gotten bad raps.

One thing to keep in mind: the Republican party was the progressive party in the middle 1800s, and stayed that way until Taft's authoritarian faction defeated Roosevelt's (TR's) Progressives before WWI.

--bkl

[malatesta1137]

4. Of course I meant

Scarlett has all the traits of Republicans from today, not from her days.

[MisterP]

6. I recall a split between reformists/Locofocos and corporatists

under Grant in the 1870's. Taft also signed some non-regressive legislation. The modern Republican party began emerging under Coolidge (who initiated Hoovernomics), Goldwater, Nixon, Reagan, and Gingrich, with each one reshaping the party into what it is now.

[BlackJack8324]

3. Union soldiers were the Republicans

The true Republicans were the Union soldiers in the film who justified carrying the war over from Confederate soldiers to Southern people and took over private homes.

[mcar]

5. If you read the book,

you see that Scarlett actually grows and changes as a result of all the selfish mistakes she makes. That's not quite as obvious in the movie.

I don't see Ashley as a liberal, though. He never truly stands up for what he believes in until the end -- I mean he never truly admits he loves Melanie until she is dying. More of a Naderite, I think.

[malatesta1137]

7. Ashley does admit to Scarlett

at Twelve Oaks that he loves Melanie, doesn't he? And he marries her.

I think Ashley is a liberal, especially when he refuses to hire convicts for the lumber business, as he feels sorry for them for being underfed and always sick.