Margret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind is both a romance and a meditation on the changes that swept over America in 1860’s. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937. The novel illustrates the struggles of the southern people who lived in the civil war era. The story opens in the pre war Georgia, where tradition, chivalry and pride thrive. As the civil war began, the setting shifts to Atlanta where the war leads to the breakdown of traditional gender roles and power structures. The epic tale comes to an end in 1871 after the democrats regain power in Georgia. The novel has a genuine sweep, a convincing feel for the passage of time. It shows the South before, during and after the war, all seen through the eyes of Scarlett O’Hara.
Gone With The Wind is the story of woman’s life during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. From her young, innocent days on a feudalistic plantation to the war torn streets of Atlanta, from the utmost luxury to absolute starvation and poverty – from her innocence to her understanding and comprehension of life. The story is about Scarlett O’Hara, the spoilt daughter of a wealthy plantation owner.
Tiger Hills written by Sarita Mandana is a multi- generational tale set against the picturesque backdrop of Coorg – the Scotland of India. The Europeans had settled down in the area in their estates on the coffee plantation. The original inhabitants of the area dwelled in villages in their golden thatched homes. Each family had its own wetlands and grazing pastures. And then there were these dense forests “simmering with a dangerous, compelling beauty, marked by faintest of trails.”
Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Gone With The Wind and Tiger Hills
2. The Setting and Historical Context
3. Protagonists: Scarlett O' Hara and Devi
4. Hardships and Resilience
5. Attachment to the Land
6. Narrative Conclusions and Comparative Stylistics
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this comparative analysis is to examine the thematic and character-driven parallels between Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind" and Sarita Mandana's "Tiger Hills," focusing on how their female protagonists navigate historical shifts and personal adversity.
- Analysis of the historical and geographical settings of Georgia and Coorg.
- Examination of character traits and the development of Scarlett O' Hara and Devi.
- Comparative study of resilience and the response to societal breakdown.
- Evaluation of the protagonists' deep emotional attachment to their ancestral lands.
- Investigation into the stylistic differences and narrative resolutions in both epics.
Excerpt from the Book
A Whiff of Familiarity in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind and Sarita Mandana’s Tiger Hills
Scarlett O’ Hara was the first child born to Gerald O’ Hara and Ellen O’Hara. She grew up in the house called Tara at Georgia. Tara was Scarlett’s world – sheltered, privileged, prim and ordered. The house had no architectural plan “extra rooms added where a when it seemed convenient.” Scarlett loved Georgia and Tara with its ‘savagely red land,blood coloured after rains, brick dust in drought, yielding the best cotton in the world.” She equally loved her mother, Ellen O” Hara, the mistress of Tara, who brought order, dignity and grace into the house hold, and she gave to Tara a beauty it never had before. Scarlett regarded her mother as someone holy and apart from the rest of mankind. When Scarlett was a child, she confused her mother with Virgin Mary and when she grew old she never changed her opinion. Ellen, her mother, depicted comfort and bliss that only heaven could provide. Scarlett had the sensibility to discern goodness in a human heart. And yet she believed that goodness could be worn and taken off as one pleased. She understood that being just, truthful, tender and unselfish would keep her from many joys of life.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction to Gone With The Wind and Tiger Hills: Provides an overview of both novels, highlighting their status as epic narratives set against significant historical backdrops.
2. The Setting and Historical Context: Explores the distinct environments of post-Civil War Georgia and colonial Coorg, detailing the societal changes each narrative captures.
3. Protagonists: Scarlett O' Hara and Devi: Compares the personalities and backgrounds of the two leading women, emphasizing their strength and complex motivations.
4. Hardships and Resilience: Discusses how both characters face intense personal and political struggles, demonstrating grit and determination in the face of adversity.
5. Attachment to the Land: Examines the deep connection both Scarlett and Devi maintain with their respective lands, which serves as a central pillar in their lives.
6. Narrative Conclusions and Comparative Stylistics: Contrasts the literary styles and the final resolutions of both novels, evaluating how each author concludes their sweeping saga.
Keywords
Gone with the Wind, Tiger Hills, Comparative Literature, Historical Epic, Scarlett O' Hara, Devi, Resilience, Coorg, Georgia, Gender Roles, Narrative Style, Plantation, Cultural Identity, Literary Analysis, Heroine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this comparative analysis?
The work examines the thematic connections, character developments, and stylistic choices present in Margaret Mitchell’s "Gone with the Wind" and Sarita Mandana’s "Tiger Hills."
What are the primary thematic fields covered in the text?
The study focuses on the impact of historical periods on individual lives, the role of land in identity, female agency, and the nature of resilience.
What is the ultimate goal of the comparative research?
The goal is to analyze how these two distinct works utilize similar narrative structures and female character archetypes to explore societal change and personal endurance.
Which methodology is employed in this analysis?
The work utilizes a comparative literary analysis approach, drawing parallels between character development, environmental settings, and narrative outcomes in both novels.
What is discussed in the main body of the text?
The main body explores the backgrounds of the protagonists, their relationships with their ancestral lands, their reactions to social upheavals, and their distinct emotional journeys.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
Key terms include literary comparison, historical fiction, resilience, female protagonist, ancestral land, and character arc.
How do the protagonists' attachments to their land differ or align?
Both Scarlett and Devi view their respective lands—Tara and the coffee plantation—as central to their existence, laboring fiercely to preserve their connection to them despite personal tragedies.
In what ways does the author interpret the final resolutions of these novels?
The author observes that while both stories end on notes of realization and personal growth, Scarlett’s journey ends with an individualistic triumph, whereas Devi’s conclusion emphasizes forgiveness and acceptance of her past.
- Quote paper
- Pragya Shukla (Author), 2011, A Whiff of familiarity in Margaret MitchellMitchell’s 'Gone with the Wind' and Sarita Mandana’s 'Tiger Hills' , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/180678
