(全英文)《飘》 读后感

Gone with the Wind is a moving novel whose story evokes my sympathy a thousand and one times and leads me to think profoundly about love and life in a realistic manner.

Among all the characters, Scarlett and Rhett impress me most. On one hand, they both are people with unique personalities; on the other, their romance which has come a long way does not have a happy ending.

My impression of Scarlett is ambivalent. She is much too naïve, even silly, and too vain in early years. Being a daughter of a rich family and extraordinarily charming, she is always surrounded by pursuers, which makes her vain and proud. Her love for Ashley, I think, is more the love for conquering a man who “does not lose heart to so beautiful and elegant a woman as her”, than the pure love for Ashley himself. Perhaps she was simply driven by her vanity and pride to do so; perhaps she just cannot bear it that there should be a man who does not love her. But i sn’t that childish and silly? Also, she impulsively marries Charles, a man who she does not love, only out of the purpose to “take revenge”. She is much more like a naïve little girl than a mature woman. While her perception of love dismays me, yet her persistence does touch me. Few women who are confronted with the same wretched situations as hers can live with them, let alone make a way out. But Scarlett makes it. When she finds Tara Manor burnt to the ground, her mother dead and her father mad, she does not break down; instead, she determines to regain the glorious happy old days, and she works really hard on the manor, which she has never done before. And when she comes across a Yankee soldier on her manor, she bravely kills him instead of screaming and running away, which in the past she would be very likely to do. To make a living, she establishes her own wood business, and runs it quite well. Despite her egoism, she is undoubtedly a strong-hearted woman who will never give in to fate and who actually has a kind heart and savvy mind. Those are merits difficult to be found in women of her time. As a matter of fact, I am not sure whether I like or dislike her. I admire her frankness, bravery and persistence, but I despise her perception of love.

Another key role, Rhett Butler, gains my favor more. He is just as perseverant in pursuing love, but much more mature than Scarlett. Unlike Scarlett, he knows his love well, and knows how to love the other. He knows Scarlett is childish and vain, but he tolerates it, rather than get furious with it or try to change it. For example, on the ball in Atlantic, when he knows Scarlett loves dancing but is not supposed to dance because she is in her widowhood, he invites her to dance with him in the name of fundraising for the Southern army, which satisfies her desire and at the same time avoids getting her into blame or gossip. And whenever Scarlett is in need, he just gives her whatever he can, regardless of what he may get from her. Deep in his heart, he likes to see Scarlett happy. That is what I believe love is: to love to see your beloved one happy. Besides R’s perception of love, his bravery and resourcefulness also