Margaret Mitchell - of course, many are familiar with this name. What comes to mind when you hear it? Many will say: "Famous writer from America, author of" Gone with the Wind. " And they will be right. Do you know how many novels Margaret Mitchell wrote? Do you know the unique fate of this woman? But so much can be said about her ...
Gone with the Wind, a world-famous novel, was first published in 1936. He was translated into many languages, survived more than 100 reprints. And to this day, this novel remains a bestseller on a planetary scale. He radically changed the life of Margaret Mitchell. You can find a photo and a biography in this article.
Family M. Mitchell
Margaret was born on the threshold of the 20th century - November 8, 1900. She was born in the US state of Georgia, in the city of Atlanta. Her parents were quite wealthy. In the family, the girl was the second child. The older brother Margaret (born 1896) was named Stephen (Stevens). Note that Margaret's ancestors (which is not surprising) were not Native Americans. Ancestors on the father's side moved from Ireland to the USA, and on the mother's side - from France. During the Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, both grandfathers of the future writer participated in battles on the side of the southerners.
Father's influence
Peggy's father (as Margaret was called in childhood, and later on as close friends) was a well-known lawyer in his city, specializing in real estate. The family belonged to the upper world. Eugene Mitchell, her head, dreamed of becoming a writer in her youth, but this dream did not come true for unknown reasons. He was a great storyteller, an educated person, he presided over the historical society of the city. What did he talk about to his children? Of course, about the past war, which told them many stories.
Mother influence
Mother Margaret (her name was Maria Isabella) was an educated, purposeful woman, and even outstanding for her time. She was among the founders of the women's rights movement, as well as the Catholic Association. Maria Isabella tried to instill good taste in her daughter.
Passion for literature, the behavior of young Margaret
Little Margaret became interested in literature in elementary school. She began to compose small plays for the school theater. Peggy was fond of romance and adventure novels. And at the age of 12, she met with cinema. The girl studied mediocre, in particular, mathematics was not easy for her. It is known that Margaret acted like a boy. She loved horseback riding, climbing on fences and trees. However, at the same time, she danced well and knew ball etiquette.
After graduating from high school, Margaret Mitchell continued her studies at the seminary. Washington, as well as Northampton College, located in Massachusetts.
Death of mother and groom
Mother Margaret died in 1918 from an influenza epidemic. The girl had to return to Atlanta. Then, in 1918, her fiancé, Lieutenant Henry Clifford, died in France in the Battle of the Meuse.
Margaret - the mistress of the estate
Margaret took over the duties and concerns of the landlady. For several years she was exclusively engaged in his affairs. This circumstance, however, is not compatible with the impudent character of Margaret Mitchell. Her biography of that time was devoid of harmony with the inner world. This situation weighed on the girl. Mitchell, years later, will describe his insolence and penchant for bold actions in the person of Scarlett, the main character of her only novel. She will say about her that she is “smart as a man”, but as a woman she is completely devoid of this quality.
Acquaintance with John Marsh and unexpected marriage
The girl met in 1921 with a responsible and restrained young man named John Marsh. Margaret's friends and relatives were convinced that this couple would get married. The meeting with the parents also took place, the wedding day was appointed. However, something inexplicable happened, which plunged everyone into amazement. In September 1922, Margaret married a loser Red Upshaw, who was involved in the illegal supply of alcohol. The married life of this couple was unbearable. Margaret all the time suffered beatings and insults. She was brought out of a severe depression by the support and love of John Marsh. This man forgot about his jealousy. He managed to discard all grievances and help Margaret to take place as individuals in this world.
Divorce and new marriage
Mitchell divorced her husband in 1925 and married Marsh. The newlyweds felt happy. Finally they found each other. It was John who convinced his wife to take up the pen. The girl began to write not for success and not for the public, but out of a desire to understand herself, for the sake of her own inner balance.
The fact is that Margaret was a housewife and read a lot, short time. However, for such an active nature, reading alone was not enough. She started to have depression. Therefore, John Marsh came up with a way to make his wife’s life more intense and interesting. He gave her a typewriter in 1926, congratulating the girl on the beginning of her writing career. Margaret liked the gift, and she began to sit for hours over this stinging apparatus, from which she extracted lines with stories from the recent past of the United States - the war of the North and South, in which her ancestors participated.
Creating a novel
Returning from work, John carefully read what his wife had written for the day. He worked as an editor in a newspaper, so he could tell what was wrong. After that, the couple discussed new plot twists. Together they amended the text, and also finalized the chapters of the work. A brilliant adviser and a good editor turned out to be John Marsh. He found the literature needed for the novel, carefully delving into the details of the era described in the book.
By December 1932, the book was completed. However, it was finalized before July 1935, as the editor of Macmillan persuaded the girl to publish his novel. Its preparation for publication began, separate episodes began to come together. The name of the novel was derived from the poem "Gone With the Wind" by Ernest Dawson, a work known at that time.
Gone With The Gone With The Wind
The success of Margaret Mitchell's work was overwhelming. The novel, published by the publisher, became a real event in US literature. In 1936, he received the Pulitzer Prize, the most prestigious in this country. Margaret Mitchell, according to many critics, managed to recreate the American dream in his work. The novel became a symbol of the citizen of America, a model of his behavior. Contemporaries compared the characters of the book with the heroes of ancient legends. During the war years, men were usually brought up in the spirit of democratic individualism and enterprise, and women wore Scarlett's hair and clothes. Even the light industry of America quickly reacted to the popularity of the new novel: gloves, hats and dresses appeared in boutiques and shops in the Scarlett style. Producer David Selznik, very famous in America, has been creating the script for Gone With the Wind for more than four years.
The film adaptation of the novel
The film adaptation of the novel began in 1939. Margaret categorically refused to star in this film. However, she was literally overwhelmed with verbal requests and letters, in which she expressed a request to assist in creating the picture and to attach one of her relatives or at least acquaintances to the shooting. Mitchell did not even want to go to the premiere of the film. The burden of glory was too heavy for this woman. She understood that her work had become world heritage. However, Margaret did not want strangers to interfere in her family and in her personal life.
Unexpected popularity
This is not surprising, because recognition and glory fell completely unexpectedly on Margaret Mitchell. Her biography became the property of the whole country. Her popularity in society was huge. Mitchell began to invite to educational institutions in America to give lectures. She was photographed, she was interviewed ... For many years, the story of Margaret Mitchell was of no interest to anyone. She lived a measured, quiet life with her husband, and now she suddenly appeared in full view of the whole country. Marsh tried his best to protect his spouse from pesky journalists. He took over all correspondence with publishers, and also managed finances.
Let's pay tribute to John Marsh
Having become acquainted with the history of the creation of this wonderful novel, it is safe to say that John Marsh is a vivid example of how a real man, without hesitating for a minute, passed on to his beloved woman his priority of affirmation in the family. At the cost of his career, John created almost ideal conditions for Margaret, to realize her talent. The huge role of the spouse could not but be appreciated by Mitchell herself, who dedicated her novel to D. R. M.
How Margaret Mitchell died
The writer died in Atlanta, her hometown, on August 16, 1949. She died from wounds received a few days earlier in a traffic accident. But how did this tragic event happen? We will tell about him too.
In 1949, September 11, Mitchell and her husband went to the cinema. The couple walked slowly along Peach Street, which Margaret loved so much. Suddenly, at a high speed, a taxi flew from behind the bend and knocked Mitchell down. They say that the driver was drunk. Without regaining consciousness, Margaret passed away on August 16. She was buried at the Auckland Cemetery in Atlanta. John Marsh lived for another three years after her death.
Relevance of the work
For a man, there is nothing dearer and closer than a story that tells about himself. Perhaps that is why the work "Gone with the Wind" will never lose its relevance. It will be considered a classic of world literature for many years to come.
Margaret Mitchell lived a very bright and eventful life . A brief biography acquaints readers only with its main events. Her story is an example of what women can do in literature (as, indeed, in life) no less than men. And even much more than many of them.
Margaret Mitchell Quotes
And in conclusion, we give a few statements by M. Mitchell. All of them are from her wonderful work:
- "I will not think about it today, I will think about it tomorrow."
- "When a woman can't cry, it's scary."
- "The burdens either cut people, or break."