One of the few things I was known for in high school was being a book nerd.  Which I guess is the only thing anybody ever got right about my personality. Overall, during summer months I can read up to ten books a month.  Their stories usually mesh together at some point, over the years. However, I do have a few favorite books under my belt. My favorite classical book is “The Picture of Dorian Grey” by Oscar Wilde.  It reads much more like a contemporary novel than work by Dickens or other classical authors, mostly because the story is very clear cut and moves along in a fashion without too much fluff. Another one of my favorite books is the Motley Crue autobiography “The Dirt.” I’ve read this book about five times.  Lastly my favorite book of all time is “Gone With the Wind,” by Margaret Mitchell.

“Gone With the Wind,” is a civil war era novel from the viewpoint of a wealthy, plantation owning Southern family, the O’haras.  They did own slaves, though this was not the main focus of the movie. The current copy I have of the novel is 1024 pages long, paperback. Now the novel has an even more special meaning as I got my current copy on my boyfriend and I’s first date.

I’ve always thought critically about issues regarding race, even before attending college.   Although last year I was approached by a friend when talking about how “Gone With the Wind” was my favorite novel.    Later the critique of this novel resurfaced earlier this year when my class was critiquing direct Quentin Tarantino’s movies and how he adds issues of racism in his movies without actually addressing them.  What I personally loved about “Gone With the Wind” is the strength of the main character Scarlett O’ Hara. However, the movie and the book I now see is somewhat problematic in the way that it portrays the lives of the slaves.  The film does show one of them getting yelled at and slapped, but all the slaves are seen as almost thankful to live with the O’haras. While “Gone With the Wind” will probably always be my favorite book, I do think it deserves to be critiqued by myself and by others.