Margaret Mitchell: biography, quotes, photos, works

Margaret Mitchell - certainly, many people know this name. What comes to your mind when you hear it? Many will say: "A famous writer from America, the author of" Gone with the Wind ". And they will be right. Do you know how many novels Margaret Mitchell wrote? And do you know the unique fate of this woman? But there is so much to tell about her ...

The novel "Gone with the Wind", which gained worldwide fame, was published for the first time in 1936. He was translated into many languages, survived more than 100 reprints. And to this day this novel remains a bestseller of a planetary scale. He radically changed the life of Margaret Mitchell. Photo and biography of her you will find in this article.

Family M. Mitchell

Margaret was born on the threshold of the 20th century - November 8, 1900. She was born in the US state of Georgia, in the city of Atlanta. Her parents were quite wealthy. In the family, the girl was the second child. The older brother Margaret (born in 1896) was called Stephen (Stevens). Note that the ancestors of Margaret (which is not surprising), were not Native Americans. My father's ancestors moved from Ireland to the USA, and from the mother's side - from France. During the Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, both grandfathers of the future writer participated in battles on the side of the southerners.

The Influence

Peggy's father (that's the name of Margaret, and later - close friends) was a well-known lawyer in his city, specializing in real estate. The family belonged to the higher world. Eugene Mitchell, the head of it, dreamed of becoming a young writer, but this dream did not come true for unknown reasons. He was a great storyteller, an educated man, he presided over the historical society of the city. What did he say to his children? Of course, about the last war, which told them a lot of stories.

Mother's influence

Mother Margaret (her name was Maria Isabella) was an educated, purposeful woman and even extraordinary for her time. She was among the founders of the movement that fought for women's suffrage, as well as the Association of Catholics. Maria Isabella tried to instill in her daughter a good taste.

Enthusiasm for literature, the behavior of young Margaret

Little Margaret was carried away by literature in primary school. She began writing short plays for the school theater. Peggy was fond of love and adventure novels. And at the age of 12 she got acquainted with cinematography. The girl studied mediocrely, especially mathematics was not easy for her. It is known that Margaret behaved like a boy. She loved riding, climbing fences and trees. However, at the same time, she danced well and knew ballroom etiquette well.

After graduating from high school, Margaret Mitchell continued her studies in the seminary named after them. Washington, as well as in Northampton College, located in Massachusetts.

Death of mother and groom

Mother Margaret died in 1918 from an epidemic of influenza. The girl had to return to Atlanta. Then, in 1918, her fiancé, Lieutenant Henry Clifford, died in France in the Battle of the Meuse River.

Margaret is the hostess of the estate

Margaret took over the duties and concerns of the owner of the estate. For several years she was engaged exclusively in his affairs. This circumstance, however, does not fit with the impertinent character of Margaret Mitchell. Her biography of that time was devoid of harmony with the inner world. This situation was burdensome girl. Mitchell years later will describe his insolence and inclination to brave deeds in the person of Scarlett, the main character of her only novel. She will say about her that she is "smart like a man", however, as a woman is completely devoid of this quality.

Acquaintance with John March and an unexpected marriage

The girl met in 1921 with a responsible and reserved young man named John Marsh. Friends and family Margaret were convinced that this couple will get married. There was also an acquaintance with parents, a wedding day was appointed. However, something inexplicable happened that plunged everyone into amazement. In 1922, September 2, Margaret married the loser Reda Apshou, who was engaged in illegal supplies of alcohol. The conjugal life of this couple was intolerable. Margaret was always beaten and insulted. She was helped out of the most severe depression by the support and love of John March. This man forgot about his jealousy. He managed to drop all grievances and help Margaret to take place as individuals in this world.

Divorce and a new marriage

Mitchell in 1925 divorced her husband and married Marsh. The newlyweds felt happy. At last they have found each other. It was John who persuaded his wife to take up the pen. The girl began to write not for success and not for the public, but because she wanted to understand herself, for her own inner balance.

The fact is that Margaret was a housewife and read a lot, passing the time. However, for such an active nature it was not enough to read. She began to feel depressed. Therefore, John Marsh came up with a way to make the life of his wife more intense and interesting. He gave her in 1926 a typewriter, congratulating the girl with the beginning of a writer's career. Margaret liked the gift, and she began to sit for hours over this chattering apparatus, from which she extracted lines with stories from the recent past of the US-the wars of the North and the South, in which her ancestors participated.

Create a novel

John, returning from work, carefully read what his wife wrote the day. He worked as an editor in the newspaper, so he could tell what was wrong. After this, the couple discussed new twists and turns of the plot. Together they amended the text, and also finalized the chapters of the work. John Marsh turned out to be a brilliant adviser and a good editor. He found the literature necessary for the novel, carefully delving into the details of the era described in the book.

By December 1932 the book was finished. However, it was being finalized before July 1935, as the editor of McMillan persuaded the girl to publish her novel. His preparation for publication began, individual episodes began to be collected. The title of the novel was based on the poem "Gone with the Wind" by Ernest Dawson, a work known at the time.

The huge success of "Gone with the Wind"

The success of the work of Margaret Mitchell was enormous. The novel, published by the publishing house, became a real event in the literature of the United States. In 1936 he received the Pulitzer Prize, the most prestigious award in this country. Margaret Mitchell, according to many critics, managed to recreate the American dream in his work. The novel became a symbol of an American citizen, a model of his behavior. Contemporaries compared the characters of the book with the heroes of ancient legends. During the war, men were brought up usually in the spirit of democratic individualism and enterprise, and women wore Scarlett's hair and clothes. Even the light industry of America quickly reacted to the popularity of the new novel: boutiques and shops had gloves, hats and dresses in the style of Scarlett. Producer David Selznik, very famous in America, for more than four years, was creating a script for the film "Gone with the Wind."

The screen version of the novel

The screen version of the novel began in 1939. Margaret flatly refused to appear in this film. However, it literally filled up with oral requests and letters, in which they expressed a request to help in the creation of the picture and attach to the shooting of one of their relatives or even acquaintances. Mitchell did not even want to go to the premiere of the film. Too heavy for this woman was the burden of glory. She understood that her work had become a world heritage. However, Margaret did not want to interfere with the lives of her family and her personal life strangers.

Unexpected popularity

This is not surprising, because the recognition and glory fell completely unexpectedly on Margaret Mitchell. Her biography became the property of the whole country. Her popularity in society was enormous. Mitchell began to invite to the American educational institutions for lecturing. She was photographed, she was interviewed ... For many years the history of Margaret Mitchell was of no interest to anyone. She lived a measured, quiet life with her husband, and now she suddenly found herself in full view of the whole country. Marsh tried in every possible way to protect his wife from pesky journalists. He took over all the correspondence with the publishing houses, and also managed finances.

Let's pay tribute to John March

Having become acquainted with the history of the creation of this remarkable novel, it is possible to say with full confidence that John Marsh is a vivid example of how a real man, without a moment's hesitation, gave his beloved woman his priority of affirmation in the family. At the cost of his career, John created almost ideal conditions for Margaret, to realize her talent. Huge role of the spouse could not but appreciate Mitchell herself, who dedicated her novel to D.R. M.

How Margaret Mitchell died

The writer died in Atlanta, her hometown, on August 16, 1949. She died from wounds received a few days earlier in a traffic accident. But how did this tragic event happen? Let's talk about him.

In 1949, on September 11, Mitchell went with her husband to the cinema. The couple walked leisurely along the Peach Street, which Margaret loved so much. Suddenly, at a high speed, a taxi pulled out from behind the turn and was hit by Mitchell. They say that the driver was drunk. Not regaining consciousness, on August 16, Margaret passed away. She was buried in the Oakland cemetery of the city of Atlanta. John Marsh lived another three years after her death.

The relevance of the work

For a person there is nothing more close and closer than a story in which he is told about himself. Probably, that's why the work "Gone with the Wind" will never lose its relevance. It will be considered a classic of world literature for many years to come.

Margaret Mitchell lived a very bright and rich life. A brief biography introduces readers to only its main events. Her story is an example of what women can do in literature (as, indeed, in life) no less than men. And even more than many of them.

Margaret Mitchell: quotes

In conclusion, we will quote several statements by M. Mitchell. All of them are from her remarkable work:

• "I will not think about it today, I'll think about it tomorrow."
• "When a woman can not cry, it's scary."
• "The hardships either heal people, or break."