The Fire and The Whip

In Gone With The Wind there are two main characters, Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. They both are very similar in personality, which is why they are attracted to each other. But there are some differences that set them apart. I have picked a symbol for each of them to represent their personalities and beliefs.

Scarlett: Fire. This is the first picture that pops into my head when I think of Scarlett O'Hara. Her name literally means red, and boy is that name appropriate for her. Scarlett, like fire, can put on a face of warmth and kindness when she wants. When its cold you want to sit be the fire, right? But she puts on these faces to hide her anger toward other people and her annoyance at people who don't have common sense and don't see reality. She has a quick temper and like fire can flare up any time. She hates people who are kind to her, but doesn't get along with Rhett, the only person who challenges her, making her a complex character to understand. She is hard to tame and burns brighter once she gets going. She does have moments of comfort though, like a fire's warmth, and she has common sense, like any person should have when they are around a fire. She has a big personality and challenges the image women have during her time period. She breaks a lot of stereotypes and doesn't care what others say about her. People respect, love, criticize, and hate her at the same time. She is definitely the perfect character to match with Rhett, as the relationship can get very tense because they are so alike.

Rhett: Rhett Butler is a whip. An item people don't like associating with or using, but they do anyway out of greed and necessity. He is the town scoundrel, disowned by his family and banned from the city of Charleston. During the war, his reputation gets worse, as he deals with the Yankees and makes millions that he is not willing to share with the rest of the South. The southern social life is what made him an outcast, so he has no problem seeing it fall after the war, much to the shock of the Southerners. Like a whip, he is witty, sharp and sarcastic with his tongue and can beat almost any one in a duel. He puts people in their place and speaks only common sense. He is the only man that sees through Scarlett and encourages her to be headstrong and not listen to others. The people of Atlanta still do business with him because they need money, but they hate him and want him gone. When a horse sees a whip, it is fairly content to stay moving and motivated, as it doesn't want the whip to be used. Much like a horse and a whip, Scarlett is motivated by Rhett to do well in business and to have her life together, as she doesn't like being teased by him. Rhett's main soft spot is with children, a point where him and Scarlett differ. Scarlett thinks children are a pain, while Rhett believes they are a joy and has a preference to girls over boys. He loves women and can be demeaning to them, while at the same time believes they are just as sensible as men and loves showering them with gifts.

Again, I will say that I strongly encourage you to read this book. It is long, but well worth it and amazing. I have fallen in love with the characters and I want other to as well. Do you believe these symbols are accurate? Do you have any others that would work? Thanks for reading!