Disclaimer: I am African from Africa 😉
This assignment is designed to give you a chance to express your emotional reaction to this topic. Please provide a brief (150 – 250 word) response.
What is your reaction to the film Gone With the Wind?
Gone with the Wind was released in 1939, just 74 years after the end of the Civil War. Meaning the events depicted in the movie were just as close in time to its initial audience as World War II is to contemporary movie audiences. Hugely popular with audiences, Gone with the Wind was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won eight. One of those awards went to Hattie McDaniel, an African American actress for her portrayal of a slave.
She became the first black person to win an Academy Award but had to sit at a table in the back of the room for the ceremony. The movie was such a commercial success that the studio re-released several times over the years. Adjusting for inflation, it remains the highest-grossing film in history.
To say that Gone with the Wind presents a romanticized view of slavery and life in the antebellum South would be an understatement. It is steeped in the mythology of the Lost Cause, which is why it is assigned viewing for this module. The movie is available from any of the online streaming services.
NOTE:
*Substantive sources include newspapers of record like the New York Times, Washington Post, major news sources and magazines. Scholarly sources include books, peer-reviewed articles from academic journals, and primary sources such as diaries or original government documents.
* Addresses question, is relevant to the topic, and draws upon assigned material.
*Also draws upon (and cites) at least one substantive or scholarly source beyond assigned material