My Letter to Scarlett by Lindsay

My Letter to Scarlett by Lindsay - April 2014 Scholarship Essay

Fade in on a barren field. A woman caked with dust crumbles to the ground in despair, burying her tear-stained face into the dark soil. Muffled sobs fertilize the earth. Slowly rising towards the sky, her figure is a black silhouette against the fiery sunset burning her shoulders. She raises a fist to the heavens with steel in her eyes and plants herself with the solidity and stature of a Greek sculpture, trembling but vowing fervently “As God as is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again!” Her face floats off the page and before my own, burning with bitterness at a war that has struck her with affliction; burning even stronger is the gleaming resilience swimming in her eyes staring back into mine. As I have repeatedly visualized and reimagined this expression of hers over time, I have come come to think of her depicted spirit as a powerful key to harness in the face of my own future and personal feats. The ability to thrive off of downfall and spring upward with new seeds of dreams and prosperity in hand is a quality of life I strive for. Thus, to my fixated mindset on adapting and growing with change around me, I owe my utmost gratitude to the brazen but perseverant morale of Scarlett O’Hara.

In Margaret Mitchell’s "Gone With the Wind," the expressed notion that life endlessly shifts in its restless stages from obstacles to opportunity, revolution to digression, and failure to success evaluates and confirms the human need to coincide with this cyclic movement. The tale of how a Technicolor world in the South made the transition from being the pinnacle of promise and hope to nothingness in the arms of the Civil War paints a picture of how an individual learns to cope with angles of tragedy, love, failure, and triumph. Throughout the story, Scarlett’s domineering manipulation and skill of making calculated impressions upon others to attain her desires may appear to brim with conceit or self-absorption. However, it is the underlying strength of her independent will that she internalizes to overcome and thrive off of hardship that continually speaks in large volumes to me. The hearth of conviction residing in her persona has impacted me to exercise diligence in progressing towards my own goals and achievements as well.

Furthermore, the fact that Scarlett is not materialized as a caricature of heroic bronze but as a stubborn, flawed being welded with mere flesh and blood has taught me that in spite of my past mistakes and present faults, I am still capable of great accomplishments so long as I can acknowledge my weaknesses and utilize them to enrich my strengths. Scarlett’s self-centered essence during her quest to survive the war makes her out to be relatable in the sense that she is imperfect but enables herself to grow over time in attempting to dissuade herself from narrow-mindedness. She does not undergo quick metamorphosis into a figure of generosity and selflessness; rather, she shows glimpses of change through traumatic events that reshape her perspective and rejuvenate a new type of geniality about her. Consequently, this character development within Scarlett has affected my outlook on the process of self-realization by motivating me to use the passion I have towards my objectives of success in life to my advantage. The evolution of the self does not happen over night, and as I have gathered from Scarlett’s endeavors as well as my own, it is a limitless process of attacking areas for improvement.

Moreover, the bold decisions Scarlett makes whether through social interaction or participation in economic affairs to sustain a living is outstanding to me because of the fearlessness she portrays. This audacious approach of firm determination has inspired me to not be afraid of taking risks and remaining true to my instincts. In the midst of a monotonous society where so many people are hung up on creating an image for themselves and maintaining a certain reputation, I have found it important to keep authenticity aflame behind my actions as well as to remain genuine in light of my thoughts and opinions, even if they differ from the majority of the crowd. Similar to Scarlett, I have found that it is crucial to disregard what others think about myself to a certain extent as far as not conforming to a general consensus of opinion simply to blend in and gain acceptance. Just as keen independence occupies every bone within Scarlett, I have grown to take pride in the liberty of self-expression and individualism, mobilizing confidence in both my innate assets and quirks.

Overall, Scarlett O’Hara has thrust an enormous effect on me in her show of immeasurable strength and courage in a storm of challenging hurdles. The change she underwent as a result of hardship has revealed to me that my downfalls in life are not chances to succumb to atrophy, but rather chances to learn and thrive from misfortune to continue the penultimate climb to success. Because of Scarlett, I look forward to discovering and rediscovering myself along the journey towards prosperity, knowing that even in times of suffering, my lowest points are not my endings but beginnings. After all, tomorrow is another day.