Set in Georgia during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era, Gone with the Wind is the only novel written by American journalist Margaret Mitchell. An immediate bestseller, it received a Pulitzer Prize in 1937, just a year after its publication, and was made into a beloved Oscar-winning film, starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, in 1939. This sweeping work of historical fiction centers on the spirited and headstrong Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara as she tries to adapt to life during this time of bloodshed, turmoil, and transformation. Against this often frightening backdrop unfolds an epic tale of romance. From unrequited passion to a tumultuous relationship with the charming Rhett Butler, Scarlett's quest for love sees her scheme, plot, and betray those around her.
These 30+ Gone with the Wind quotes explore some of the novel's key themes, including fate, love, and resilience. Read on to discover the drama and magic of this American literary classic.
The best quotes from Gone with the Wind on acceptance and fate
"Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect."
"What is broken is broken—and I'd rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived."
"War and marriage and childbirth had passed over her without touching any deep chord within her and she was unchanged."
"I was right when I said I'd never look back. It hurts too much, it drags at your heart till you can't ever do anything else except look back."
The best quotes from Gone with the Wind on independence and self-realization
"Fighting is like champagne. It goes to the heads of cowards as quickly as of heroes. Any fool can be brave on a battlefield when it's be brave or else be killed."
"Now you are beginning to think for yourself instead of letting others think for you. That's the beginning of wisdom."
"She hasn't your strength. She's never had any strength. She's never had anything but heart."
"Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is."
"She knew what she wanted and went after it by the shortest route."
The best quotes from Gone with the Wind on legacy and values
"The land is the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for, because it's the only thing that lasts."
"Money is the most important thing in the world. It represents health, strength, honor, generosity, and beauty."
"You're like the thief who isn't the least bit sorry he stole, but is terribly, terribly sorry he's going to jail."
"Perhaps–I want the old days back again and they'll never come back, and I am haunted by the memory of them and of the world falling about my ears."
The best quotes from Gone with the Wind on love and relationships
"I can't go all my life waiting to catch you between husbands."
"I only know that I love you. That's your misfortune."
"I'd cut up my heart for you to wear if you wanted it."
"If he's forgotten me, I'll make him remember me. I'll make him want me again. "
"Why are you so blind? Why can't you see that no matter what happens, I shall always love you?"
"You're so brutal to those who love you … You take their love and hold it over their heads like a whip."
"If I said I was madly in love with you you'd know I was lying."
"She could never respect a man who let her run over him."
"You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how."
"Great balls of fire. Don’t bother me anymore, and don’t call me sugar.”
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
The best quotes from Gone with the Wind on society and expectations
"That is the one unforgivable sin in any society. Be different and be damned!"
"There'll always be wars because men love wars. Women don't, but men do."
"There's just as much money to be made in the wreck of a civilization as in the upbuilding of one."
"Why is it a girl has to be so silly to catch a husband?"
"Marriage, fun? Fiddle-dee-dee. Fun for men you mean."
The best quotes from Gone with the Wind on resilience and determination
"Burdens are for shoulders strong enough to carry them."
"I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."
"With enough courage, you can do without a reputation."
"Anyone as selfish and determined as you are is never helpless."
"They were the eyes of a happy woman, a woman around whom storms might blow without ever ruffling the serene core of her being."
“As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again."
"After all, tomorrow is another day."
