Scarlett O’Hara is not only one of the most famous fictional female protagonists of all time, but one of the most controversial too. The main character of Margaret Mitchell’s epic novel Gone With the Wind has been a subject of debate since the book was first published in 1936.

Set in the American South, it tells the story of a beautiful but spoiled young aristocrat amid the turmoil and turbulence of the Civil War, and her complicated love affairs with two men, Ashley Wilkes and Rhett Butler.

Never mind the great portrayal by Vivien Leigh in the famous and much-acclaimed 1939 film of the book, Scarlett still remains a character that, in my opinion, is despised too much. Although even haters agree that she is resilient and resourceful, she is still endowed with all the worst features.

Does the story of a young woman forced to work, marry and even kill in order to survive and succeed give a green light to misogyny? Is the problem hidden in Scarlett’s character, a headstrong, petulant, arrogant noble lady? Or are people just not able to handle complicated characters nowadays?

Of course, as a human being, she is not ideal. She has her flaws and does questionable things. For instance, marrying someone for their money, knowing that they love you when you don’t love them, is not nice. Even Margaret Mitchell admitted that she didn’t create Scarlett to be likeable and couldn’t understand why some people found her amazing.

As I am one of those who finds her character amazing, I want to begin by highlighting her strengths.

As a young aristocrat on a Georgia plantation, unprepared for a tough life, who should have never had to face any challenges other than marrying wisely, Scarlett suddenly finds her life turned upside down, amid the death and destruction of the Civil War.

Yet, somehow, she manages to save not only herself, but also Melanie (her arch rival in love) and her newborn child, whom she helped to deliver – all during the Yankee invasion of Atlanta. She manages to get money, and thrives in business, opening her own sawmill.

I see Scarlett as a deep and realistic protagonist, with an ambition and toughness rarely seen in aristocratic women of the time. This was a deeply patriarchal society, when women didn’t have the power to make contracts, own property or vote. They had to give any money they made over to their husbands.

Scarlett is not a perfect character, as she is not a perfect woman of her time. She doesn’t follow social conventions from a young age, she thinks only about herself most of the time. But it is important to keep in mind that all she did, she did for the only purpose of survival.

Yes, she succeeded by means that cannot be seen as fair in today’s society, but she used what she could (such as her beauty) as she did not have anything else left. As a result, she was despised and had to listen to unkind rumours about herself from people who were part of her world.

For me, this makes her a very strong, but also really complicated character. She is not ideal. Her flaws are usually highlighted even more than her strengths. Indeed, she is selfish and arrogant. She is materialistic and lacks empathy in some situations. She is certainly not perfect.