WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here.
PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.
1. What are you currently reading? Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I would be hard placed to think of a more influential novel than this one. Scarlett O'Hara is the prototypical diva heroine, strong-willed and beautiful who has a lot to learn about life. Would we have had Erica Kane on All My Children or Rose in Titanic without Scarlett? Then there's Melanie, the yin to her yang. Selfless, honest and eager to see the good in everyone. GWTW is one of the best selling books -- and, when you adjust for inflation, most profitable movies -- of all time. And it's got three-dimensional women at its core! Imagine that!
It's also insanely entertaining. Margaret Mitchell keeps us inside Scarlett's head almost the whole time. We see the war and the fall of a civilization through this girl's eyes. We meet at least a gazillion other citizens of Atlanta or The County: Tarletons and Fontaines and Munroes and Calverts and Merriweathers ... Yet I never get them confused. Mitchell draws even the minor characters sharply and uniquely. Brava!
All of this is not to say it's not disturbing at times. The way the Confederacy is portrayed -- as though there is moral equivalency with the Union and that The Cause is admirable -- is skin crawly on its face. Slavery is presented as acceptable and even benign. Again, skin crawly. No, obscene.
We live in a country where people continue to revere the Confederacy without taking single moment to consider how that makes their neighbors of color feel. GWTW is a constant reminder of America not only in the 1860s but well into the 20th century and beyond. At a time when school boards resist telling our young people the truth about our history of race and slavery, this book remains highly relevant.
2. What did you recently finish reading? The Boys by Clint Howard and Ron Howard. I enjoyed this joint memoir enormously. "Opie Cunningham" and the kid from Gentle Ben have some terrific stories to tell! While the setting is Hollywood, the vibe is universal and highly relateable.
It's got popular and promising young Jean giving up her own acting career because she doesn't ever want to be separated from the love of her life, husband Rance. Then there's Rance, a struggling working actor, facing the fact that his pre-school aged son Ronnie is a more marketable commodity than he is. How does a family navigate all that and maintain their values? Rance and Jean were not perfect, but they were admirable. They are the heroes of this book, and I liked Rance and Jean very much.
PS I'm happy to report that Andy Griffith showed up for Ron Howard's wedding, and Henry Winkler is an all-around mensch.
One thing I suspect people up north do not realize is that most white people in southern states do not see or socialize with different races. My county is 95% white. Virginia is 68% white statewide. They worship the Confederacy because they haven't got the context to do otherwise. Their pawpaw told them the Civil War had nothing to do with slavery and everything to do with states' rights and they've had no reason to learn otherwise. They also lack empathy, and I blame homeschooling for a lot of today's problems. But that's just me and what do I know.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but I still don't get it. Virginia is 20% black. I don't accept that citizens can think it's absolutely OK to cause 2 in 10 of their fellow statesmen pain by displaying the Confederate flag. Also, I can intellectually separate "state's rights" from "slavery" as the reason for the war. But what I can't get away from is secession and firing upon the American flag. That's treason. The Confederacy killed more American soldiers than any other Army. Then there's this: They lost. It's weird to celebrate the losers. Now, from a feminist standpoint, Scarlett and Melly had it going on. There's much, MUCH about GWTW to admire. But not the glorification of The Cause.
DeleteNo argument from me. It was treason. And yes, they lost. It is nothing to celebrate. I don't think it's ok to cause anyone pain for anything, but I am an anomaly, at least locally. I don't understand it either and I live amongst it. But I do think that lack of education and lack of interplay between the races plays some role. Segregation here is strong and it seems to happen, not naturally, but it's there. I just came from the store and there was no one of color in the place. I honestly can't explain this anymore than I can explain why people would vote for the orange one. It has baffled me for years and what I wrote to you is the only reason I have been able to come up with. It's not a good reason.
DeleteJust last night, my husband told me that I need to read Gone with the Wind. He said it was one of his favorite books, and one of the only books that made him cry. Thanks for reviews!
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