4。2。2 Rhett’s Influence on Scarlett’s Release from the Old System 7

5。 Rhett as A Realistic but Aggressive Southern Gentleman 9

5。1 Rhett’s Realistic Attitudes 9

5。1。1 A Realistic Attitude towards the War 9

5。1。2 A Rational Attitude towards the Love 9

5。2 Rhett’s Aggressive Attitudes 10

5。2。1 Aggressiveness in Business 10

5。2。2 Passion for Love 10

6。 Conclusion 12

References 13

1。 Introduction

1。1 Literature Review

Gone with the Wind, since the 1000-page novel hit the world, has drawn much attention from the scholars abroad and at home。 A large amount of researches have been done on the themes of Gone with the wind, which are pided into four groups, namely, the relationship between the author and the heroine, the feminist studies, the cultural research, and the analysis of the characterization of heroes and heroines。 And among them, there are also several researches on the analysis of the image of Rhett。来自优Y尔L论W文Q网wWw.YouERw.com 加QQ7520~18766

Ben Railton’s (2003) “What Else Could a Southern Gentleman Do?”: Quentin Compson, Rhett Butler, and Miscegenation aims to compare the life of Quentin and Rhett, arguing that Quentin’s physical isolation and Rhett’s mental withdrawal from the South are of great importance to express the author’s attitudes towards the discrimination in the South。 In his opinion, Rhett is a cynical, self-absorbed critic of the Old South but finally changes into a nostalgic southern gentleman。 And what matters most is his deep sense of possibility and, consequently, the dangers of miscegenation in the Reconstruction South。

Huang Qinggui (2001), combines three theories, the “Politeness Policy” in modern pragmatics and semantics, Semantic Types, and Speech Act adapted from semantics, to offer a deep analysis on the characterization of Rhett Bulter。 His thesis focuses on the typical and dimensional conversations between Rhett and Scarlet, illustrating Rhett’s special identity, status as well as his particular characteristics。 Professor Huang emphasizes that Rhett is a total nasal, who thinks little of his reputation and even confesses that he only does the business for the money which is misunderstood by other southerners as a heroic feat。 Moreover, according to the “Politeness Policy”, Rhett, on purpose, violates the theory to leave Scarlett a misconception that he cares little about her, in order to win her love eventually。 

However, Sun Tiannan (2008) suggests that Rhett is seemingly rebellious to the South, objects the Southerners’ opinions, but is nostalgic in his deep heart。 Near the end of the war, Rhett chooses to join the army to fight for his hometown, which demonstrates his loyalty to South。 In addition, Zhou Mingyan (1997) and Shi Jingbi (2004) agree that only when people dare to throw off the shackles of the convention and to adapt themselves into the changing world can they master their own life。 And in their opinion, Rhett and Scarlett are such kind of persons who deserve the survival in the process of the war。