Entering the critical dialogue about sentimental books one has to ask if purely descriptive, real and “true” writing can evoke such deep feelings in the reader or if highlighting features in fictional representations and thus creating another “sentimental” reality is what makes writing a great piece of art. Margaret Mitchell’s work "Gone with the wind" takes the reader to the lost era of southern grandeur, plantations and grand festivities.
In describing this time with a sense of longing and nostalgia out of Scarlett O’Hara’s view, Mitchell idealizes this home and the time of slavery and oppression for a part of the population of the United States. But these idealizations serve to evoke feelings of greatness and longing, and thus enable the reader to feel the grief and despair at the loss of it with the female protagonist. It may be true that through idealizing this time a false reality is created and sentimentalists seek consolation by believing these false realities.
Sometimes sentimentalists may want to evoke certain emotions, maintain an illusion and thus entertain highlighted thoughts about an object or a time. But if we rule the commitment of presenting the truth of reality higher than the feelings and pleasures of the audience, the value of aesthetic perfection and escapism, then the higher truth of a great book, to be able to feel your way into the protagonist, is lost. Through evaluating a famous novel by Margaret Mitchell we will find that the terms “great” and “sentimental” are not mutually exclusive but that sentimentality is a necessary feature and a source of inspiration to contribute to a literary masterpiece like “Gone with the wind.”
Table of Contents
1. Sentimentality - Illusion or inspiration?
Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this work is to explore the complex relationship between sentimentality and literary quality, specifically examining whether the evocation of emotional responses through idealized or "false" realities diminishes a work's artistic value. The central research inquiry focuses on how Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind utilizes sentimental devices to create a masterpiece that connects deeply with readers while navigating the ethical implications of romanticizing historically oppressive contexts.
- The role of sentimentality in literature and aesthetic perception.
- Anthony Savile’s philosophical framework regarding emotional evocation and falsification.
- The tension between historical truth and the audience's desire for emotional gratification.
- The impact of identifying with protagonists in sentimental narratives.
Excerpt from the Book
Sentimentality - Illusion or inspiration?
Mortimer J. Adler once said: “In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” Entering the critical dialogue about sentimental books one has to ask if purely descriptive, real and “true” writing can evoke such deep feelings in the reader or if highlighting features in fictional representations and thus creating another “sentimental” reality is what makes writing a great piece of art.
Margaret Mitchell’s work Gone with the wind takes the reader to the lost era of southern grandeur, plantations and grand festivities. In describing this time with a sense of longing and nostalgia out of Scarlett O’Hara’s view, Mitchell idealizes this home and the time of slavery and oppression for a part of the population of the United States. But these idealizations serve to evoke feelings of greatness and longing, and thus enable the reader to feel the grief and despair at the loss of it with the female protagonist.
It may be true that through idealizing this time a false reality is created and sentimentalists seek consolation by believing these false realities. Sometimes sentimentalists may want to evoke certain emotions, maintain an illusion and thus entertain highlighted thoughts about an object or a time. But if we rule the commitment of presenting the truth of reality higher than the feelings and pleasures of the audience, the value of aesthetic perfection and escapism, then the higher truth of a great book, to be able to feel your way into the protagonist, is lost.
Summary of Chapters
1. Sentimentality - Illusion or inspiration?: This chapter introduces the theoretical tension between sentimental aesthetic appeal and historical truth, using Gone with the Wind as a case study to argue that emotional engagement through idealization is a core component of literary masterpiece.
Keywords
Sentimentality, Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, Anthony Savile, Literary Aesthetics, Idealization, Emotional Response, Historical Realism, Empathy, Falsification, Southern Grandeur, Escapism, Critical Dialogue, Narrative Perspective, Cognitive Impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this academic text?
The text explores the nature of sentimentality in literature, questioning whether the use of idealized emotional narratives conflicts with the artistic and historical truth of a work.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The work covers philosophical perspectives on sentimentality, the aesthetics of escapism in fiction, the ethical implications of historical romanticization, and the reader's identification with flawed protagonists.
What is the central research question?
The work aims to determine if the terms "great" and "sentimental" are mutually exclusive, or if sentimentality serves as a necessary source of inspiration and engagement in literary classics.
Which scientific methodology is applied here?
The author employs a qualitative literary analysis, utilizing the philosophical framework provided by Anthony Savile to critique and evaluate the narrative structure of Margaret Mitchell's novel.
What core topics are addressed in the main body of the text?
The main body examines the mechanism of emotional evocation in Gone with the Wind, the distinction between emotional and cognitive impact on the reader, and the justification of popularity in sentimental literature.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include sentimentality, literary aesthetics, idealization, historical realism, and reader empathy.
How does the author interpret Savile’s argument regarding the "falsification" of reality?
The author discusses how Savile views sentimentality as a distortion of reality, but suggests that in art, this "falsification" is often necessary to achieve aesthetic brilliance and audience connection.
In what way does the text address the specific content of Gone with the Wind?
The text analyzes how the novel’s focus on Scarlett O'Hara’s perspective romanticizes the antebellum South and suppresses historical realities to maintain the reader's emotional bond with the protagonist.
- Citar trabajo
- Peggy Zawadil (Autor), 2013, Sentimentality in Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind". Illusion or Inspiration?, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/312199
