Can We Really Change?

As I wrote in my last post, the Southern way of life in Gone With the Wind changes dramatically with the Civil War. This external change affects not only the way of life, though; it changes the characters themselves.

Scarlett: Scarlett probably goes through more changes than any of the other characters. She starts out as a foolish child who wants nothing more than to catch as many beaux as possible. She wants to be petted and taken care of. However, by the end, Scarlett becomes much more than a silly girl. She becomes a survivor, a bussinesswoman, a plantation manager, and yes, even a murderer. She is a woman who can and will do anything to save herself and those closest to her from ruin, hunger, or death.