Gone with the Wind (novel) Gone with the Wind (novel) Gone with the Wind is a novel by American writer Margaret Mitchell, first published in 1936. The story is set in Clayton County and Atlanta, both in Georgia, during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era. It depicts the struggles of young Scarlett O'Hara, the spoiled daughter of a well-to-do plantation owner, who must use every means at her disposal to claw her way out of poverty following Sherman's destructive "March to the Sea". This historical novel features a "Bildungsroman" or coming-of-age story, with the title taken from a poem written by Ernest Dowson. "Gone
Gone with the Wind (novel) inaccuracies of the novel, historian Richard N. Current points out: No doubt it is indeed unfortunate that "Gone with the Wind" perpetuates many myths about Reconstruction, particularly with respect to blacks. Margaret Mitchell did not originate them and a young novelist can scarcely be faulted for not knowing what the majority of mature, professional historians did not know until many years later. In "Gone with the Wind", Mitchell explores some complexities in racial issues. Scarlett was asked by a Yankee woman for advice on who to appoint as a nurse for her children; Scarlett suggested a "darky", much to the