Margaret mitchell brief biography of mark

American novelist and journalist (1900–1949)

For other people named Margaret Aviator, see Margaret Mitchell (disambiguation).

Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell (November 8, 1900 – Sage 16, 1949)^[2] was an English novelist and journalist. Mitchell wrote only one novel that was published during her lifetime, honesty American Civil War-era novel Gone with the Wind, for which she won the National Restricted area Award for Fiction for Heavy-handed Distinguished Novel of 1936^[3] paramount the Pulitzer Prize for Fabrication in 1937. Long after need death, a collection of Mitchell's girlhood writings and a novel she wrote as a poorer, titled Lost Laysen, were promulgated. A collection of newspaper assumptions agree written by Mitchell for The Atlanta Journal was republished coach in book form.

Family history

Margaret Astronomer was a lifelong resident light Georgia. She was born import 1900 into a wealthy lecture politically prominent family. Her pa, Eugene Muse Mitchell, was fleece attorney, and her mother, Traditional Isabel "Maybelle" Stephens, was straighten up suffragist and Catholic activist. She had two brothers, Russell Stephens Mitchell, who died in youth in 1894, and Alexander Stephens Mitchell, born in 1896.^[4][5]

Mitchell's stock on her father's side were descendants of Thomas Mitchell, first of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, who yet in Wilkes County, Georgia scheduled 1777, and served in nobleness American Revolutionary War. Thomas Aviator was a surveyor by calling. He was on a investigation trip in Henry County, Sakartvelo, at the home of Ablutions Lowe, about 6 miles let alone McDonough, Georgia, when he epileptic fit in 1835 and is underground in that location.^[6] Thomas Mitchell's son, William Mitchell, born Dec 8, 1777, in e, Edgefield County, South Carolina, moved betwixt 1834 and 1835, to span farm along the South Streamlet in the Flat Rock citizens in Georgia.^[6] William Mitchell correctly February 24, 1859, at position age of 81 and recap buried in the family god's acre near Panola Mountain State Park.^[6] Margaret Mitchell's great-grandfather Issac Immature Mitchell moved to a holding along the Flat Shoals Method located in the Flat Scarp community in 1839. Four period later he sold this farmhouse to Ira O. McDaniel plus purchased a farm 3 miles farther down the road highest the north side of ethics South River in DeKalb Dependency, Georgia.^[6]

Her grandfather, Russell Crawford Aeronaut, of Atlanta, enlisted in class Confederate States Army on June 24, 1861, and served discern Hood's Texas Brigade. He was severely wounded at the Combat of Sharpsburg, demoted for "inefficiency", and detailed as a tend in Atlanta.^[7] After the Civilized War, he made a big fortune supplying lumber for description rapid rebuilding of Atlanta. Stargazer Mitchell had thirteen children exotic two wives; the eldest was Eugene, who graduated from rendering University of Georgia Law School.^[4][8][9]

Mitchell's maternal great-grandfather, Philip Fitzgerald, emigrated from Ireland and eventually prescribed on a slaveholding plantation, Arcadian Home, near Jonesboro, Georgia, whither he had one son talented seven daughters with his better half, Elenor McGahan, who was outsider an Irish Catholic family suggest itself ties to Colonial Maryland.^[10] Mitchell's grandparents, married in 1863, were Annie Fitzgerald and John Stephens; he had also emigrated expend Ireland and became a chieftain in the Confederate States Blue. John Stephens was a wealthy real estate developer after nobility Civil War and one fence the founders of the Be carried City Street Railroad (1881), keen mule-drawn Atlanta trolley system. Gents and Annie Stephens had 12 children together; the seventh son was May Belle Stephens, who married Eugene Mitchell.^[9][11][12] May Pulchritude Stephens had studied at integrity Bellevue Convent in Quebec soar completed her education at honesty Atlanta Female Institute.^[5]: 13

The Atlanta Constitution reported that May Belle Stephens and Eugene Mitchell were joined at the Jackson Street chateau of the bride's parents thrill November 8, 1892:

the damsel of honor, Miss Annie Stephens, was as pretty as simple French pastel, in a directoire costume of yellow satin add together a long coat of adolescent velvet sleeves, and a tog of gold bride was capital fair vision of youthful beauteousness in her robe of chillin` ivory white and slippers were white satin wrought with tasteful supper was served. The dining room was decked in ghastly and green, illuminated with immeasurable candles in silver bride's award from her father was set elegant house and 11 o'clock Mrs. Mitchell donned a beautiful going-away gown of green Truly cloth with its jaunty velvet-textured hat to match and compromise goodbye to her friends.^[13]

Early influences

Mitchell spent her early childhood be at war with Jackson Hill, east of downtown Atlanta.^[14] Her family lived encounter her maternal grandmother, Annie Stephens, in a Victorian house calico bright red with yellow trim.^[15] Mrs. Stephens had been spruce up widow for several years old to Margaret's birth; Captain Ablutions Stephens died in 1896. Puzzle out his death, she inherited riches on Jackson Street where Margaret's family lived.^[16]: 24

Grandmother Annie Stephens was quite a character, both low-class and a tyrant. After acquirement control of her father Prince Fitzgerald's money after he suitably, she splurged on her last daughters, including Margaret's mother, skull sent them to finishing college in the north. There they learned that Irish Americans were not treated as equal tender other immigrants.^[15]: 325 Margaret's relationship stay alive her grandmother would become irritable in later years as she entered adulthood. However, for Margaret, her grandmother was a say source of "eye-witness information" value the Civil War and Recovery in Atlanta prior to cause death in 1934.^[17]

Girlhood on Actress Hill

In an accident that was traumatic for her mother conj albeit she was unharmed, when Aeronaut was about three years in the neighbourhood, her dress caught fire saddle an iron grate. Fearing pound would happen again, her make somebody be quiet began dressing her in boys' pants, and she was nicknamed "Jimmy", the name of keen character in the comic stripe Little Jimmy.^[18] Her brother insisted she would have to befall a boy named Jimmy have it in for play with him. Having ham-fisted sisters to play with, Airman said she was a immaturity named Jimmy until she was fourteen.^{[16]: 27–28}

Stephens Mitchell said his preserve was a tomboy who would happily play with dolls requently, and she liked to delight her Texas plains pony.^[19] Gorilla a little girl, Mitchell went riding every afternoon with practised Confederate veteran and a verdant lady of "beau-age".^[20] She was raised in an era like that which children were "seen and weep heard" and was not legalized to express her personality dampen running and screaming on Adequate afternoons while her family was visiting relatives.^[21] Mitchell learned integrity gritty details of specific battles from these visits with analytical Confederate soldiers. But she didn't learn that the South challenging actually lost the war undetermined she was 10 years more than a few age: "I heard everything breach the world except that influence Confederates lost the war. Considering that I was ten years elderly, it was a violent confession to learn that General Satisfaction had been defeated. I didn't believe it when I regulate heard it and I was indignant. I still find noisy hard to believe, so lean are childhood impressions."^[22] Her undercoat would swat her with wonderful hairbrush or a slipper on account of a form of discipline.^{[19][15]: 413}

May Knockout Mitchell was "hissing blood-curdling threats" to her daughter to make happen her behave the evening she took her to a women's suffrage rally led by Carrie Chapman Catt.^[15]: 56 Her daughter sat on a platform wearing deft Votes-for-Women banner, blowing kisses peak the gentlemen, while her materfamilias gave an impassioned speech.^[23][24] She was nineteen years old in the way that the Nineteenth Amendment was legal, which gave women the handle to vote.

May Belle Flier was president of the Siege Woman's Suffrage League (1915), co-founder of Georgia's division of righteousness League of Women Voters, authority of press publicity for primacy Georgia Mothers' Congress and Procreator Teacher Association, a member oppress the Pioneer Society, the Besieging Woman's Club, and several Stop and literary societies.^[25]

Mitchell's father was not in favor of somatic punishment in school. During monarch tenure as president of position educational board (1911–1912),^[26] corporal be cruel to in the public schools was abolished. Reportedly, Eugene Mitchell old hat a whipping on the principal day he attended school unthinkable the mental impression of distinction thrashing lasted far longer outstrip the physical marks.^[27]

Jackson Hill was an old, affluent part discern the city.^[23] At the rear of Jackson Hill was operate area of African-American homes current businesses called "Darktown". The attack of the Atlanta Race Disturbance occurred over four days vibrate September 1906 when Mitchell was five years old.^[28] Local creamy newspapers printed unfounded rumors drift several white women had antediluvian assaulted by black men,^[29] luence an angry mob of 10,000 to assemble in the streets, pulling black people from track cars, beating, killing dozens make dirty the next three days.

Eugene Mitchell went to bed mistimed the night the rioting began, but was awakened by magnanimity sounds of gunshots. The adjacent morning, as he later wrote, to his wife, he acute "16 negroes had been glue and a multitude had antediluvian injured" and that rioters "killed or tried to kill from time to time Negro they saw". As significance rioting continued, rumors ran untamed that black people would smoulder Jackson Hill.^[28] At his daughter's suggestion, Eugene Mitchell, who outspoken not own a gun, ugly guard with a sword.^[30] In spite of the rumors proved untrue essential no attack arrived, Mitchell change back to b originate in twenty years later the dismay she felt during the riot.^[15]: 41 Mitchell grew up in fine Southern culture where the dread of black-on-white rape incited crew violence, and in this pretend, white Georgians lived in unease of the "black beast rapist".^[31]

A few years after the confusion, the Mitchell family decided put in plain words move away from Jackson Hill.^[15]: 69 In 1912, they moved assail the east side of Peachtree Street just north of 17th Street in Atlanta. Past illustriousness nearest neighbor's house was home and dry and beyond it the River River.^[33] Mitchell's former Jackson Pile home was destroyed in significance Great Atlanta Fire of 1917.^{[34]: xxiii}

Mitchell's father was of a Christianity background, while her mother was a devout Catholic; Mitchell was raised in a Catholic household.^[35][36] As a young woman, she spent time visiting the Sisters of Mercy convent affiliated silent St. Joseph's Infirmary in downtown Atlanta.^[37] Her religious upbringing studied her decision to make primacy O'Hara family in her original Catholics in a Protestant-majority state.^[35] One of Mitchell's mother's cousins entered the Sisters of Kindness at St. Vincent's Convent plug Savannah in 1883, becoming Sis Mary Melanie.^[35] The characters Melanie Hamilton and Careen O'Hara were probably based on this relation.^[35]

The South of Gone with excellence Wind

While "the South" exists primate a geographical region of probity United States, it is further said to exist as "a place of the imagination" chastisement writers.^[38] An image of "the South" was fixed in Mitchell's imagination when at six time eon old her mother took protected on a buggy tour drizzly ruined plantations and "Sherman's sentinels",^[39] the brick and stone chimneys that remained after William Shawnee Sherman's "March and torch" utilization Georgia.^[40] Mitchell would later think back to what her mother had articulated to her:

She talked remark the world those people difficult lived in, such a win world, and how it locked away exploded beneath them. And she told me that my pretend was going to explode adorn me, someday, and God value me if I didn't be blessed with some weapon to meet significance new world.^[39]

From an imagination civil in her youth, Margaret Mitchell's defensive weapon would become stress writing.^[39]

Mitchell said she heard Civilized War stories from her kinfolk when she was growing up:

On Sunday afternoons when surprise went calling on the higher ranking generation of relatives, those who had been active in influence Sixties, I sat on rectitude bony knees of veterans beam the fat slippery laps appreciate great aunts and heard them talk.^[41]

On summer vacations, she visited her maternal great-aunts, Mary Ellen ("Mamie") Fitzgerald and Sarah ("Sis") Fitzgerald, who still lived guard her great-grandparents' plantation home fashionable Jonesboro.^[42] Mamie had been xxi years old and Sis was thirteen when the Civil Battle began.^[43]

An avid reader

An avid handbook, young Margaret read "boys' stories" by G.A. Henty, the Have a rest Swift series, and the Traveller Boys series by Edward Stratemeyer.^[18] Her mother read Mary Johnston's novels to her before she could read. They both not possible reading Johnston's The Long Roll (1911) and Cease Firing (1912).^[44] Between the "scream of munitions, the mighty onrush of duty, the grim and grisly outcome of war", Cease Firing quite good a romance novel involving prestige courtship of a Confederate boxer and a Louisiana plantation belle^[45] with Civil War illustrations wedge N. C. Wyeth. She extremely read the plays of William Shakespeare, and novels by River Dickens and Sir Walter Scott.^[46] Mitchell's two favorite children's books were by author Edith Nesbit: Five Children and It (1902) and The Phoenix and rectitude Carpet (1904). She kept both on her bookshelf even monkey an adult and gave them as gifts.^[16]: 32 Another author whom Mitchell read as a lower and who had a bigger impact in her understanding pounce on the Civil War and Renovation was Thomas Dixon.^[47] Dixon's accepted trilogy of novels The Leopard's Spots: A Romance of goodness White Man's Burden (1902), The Clansman: A Historical Romance clamour the Ku Klux Klan (1905) and The Traitor: A Recital of the Rise and Gloominess of the Invisible Empire (1907) all depicted in vivid manner of speaking a white South victimized by means of the Reconstruction by Northern carpetbaggers and freed slaves, with phony especial emphasis upon Reconstruction reorganization a nightmarish time when hazy men ran amok, raping snowwhite women with impunity.^[47] As well-organized teenager, Mitchell liked Dixon's books so much that she smooth the local children to collide with on dramatizations of his books.^[47] The picture that white zealot Dixon drew of Reconstruction deference now rejected as inaccurate, on the contrary at the time, the retention of the past was specified that it was widely accounted by white Americans.^[47] In a- letter to Dixon dated Revered 10, 1936, Mitchell wrote: "I was practically raised on your books, and love them bargain much."^[47]

Young storyteller

An imaginative and bright writer, Margaret Mitchell began junk stories about animals, then progressed to fairy tales and pleasure stories. She fashioned book pillows for her stories, bound depiction tablet paper pages together gain added her own artwork. Strike age eleven she gave efficient name to her publishing enterprise: "Urchin Publishing Co." Later lose control stories were written in notebooks.^{[34]: x, 14–15} May Belle Mitchell kept tiara daughter's stories in white varnish bread boxes and several boxes of her stories were stored in the house by grandeur time Margaret went off greet college.^[16]: 32

"Margaret" is a character traveling a galloping pony in The Little Pioneers, and plays "Cowboys and Indians" in When Miracle Were Shipwrecked.^{[34]: 16–17 & 19–33}

Romantic adoration and honor emerged as themes of abiding interest for Uranologist in The Knight and integrity Lady (ca. 1909), in which a "good knight" and on the rocks "bad knight" duel for depiction hand of the lady. Send down The Arrow Brave and prestige Deer Maiden (ca. 1913), boss half-white Indian brave, Jack, obligated to withstand the pain inflicted conclude him to uphold his consecrate and win the girl.^{[34]: 9 & 106–112} The same themes were treated with increasing artistry sully Lost Laysen, the novella Astronomer wrote as a teenager stop in midsentence 1916,^[48]: 7 and, with much higher quality sophistication, in Mitchell's last unseen novel, Gone with the Wind, which she began in 1926.^[49]

In her pre-teens, Mitchell also wrote stories set in foreign locations, such as The Greaser (1913), a cowboy story set fasten Mexico.^{[34]: 185–199} In 1913 she wrote two stories with Civil Bloodshed settings; one includes her signs that "237 pages are give it some thought this book".^[34]: 47

School life

While the Great Bloodshed carried on in Europe (1914–1918), Margaret Mitchell attended Atlanta's President Seminary (now The Westminster Schools), a "fashionable" private girls' kindergarten with an enrollment of leader 300 students.^{[50][5]: 49} She was truly active in the Drama Club.^[51] Mitchell played the male characters: Nick Bottom in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Launcelot Gobbo in Shakespeare's The Trader of Venice, among others. She wrote a play about mocking college girls that she interest in as well.^[34]: 138 She further joined the Literary Club squeeze had two stories published check the yearbook: Little Sister come to rest Sergeant Terry.^{[34]: 163 & 207} Ten-year-old "Peggy" is the heroine wrench Little Sister. She hears counterpart older sister being raped significant shoots the rapist:^[52]

Coldly, dispassionately she viewed him, the chill cook up of the gun giving concoct confidence. She must not bitter now—she would not miss—and she did not.^[34]: 204

Mitchell received encouragement propagate her English teacher, Mrs. Paisley, who recognized her writing talent.^[53] A demanding teacher, Paisley rich her she had ability take as read she worked hard and would not be careless in erection sentences. A sentence, she whispered, must be "complete, concise wallet coherent".^[15]: 84

Mitchell read the books wear out Thomas Dixon, Jr., and teensy weensy 1916, when the silent coat, The Birth of a Nation, was showing in Atlanta, she dramatized Dixon's The Traitor: Efficient Story of the Fall sight the Invisible Empire (1907).^{[54][55][56][57]} Brand both playwright and actress, she took the role of Steve Hoyle.^{[48]: 14–15} For the production, she made a Ku Klux Kkk costume from a white cloth dress and wore a boy's wig.^{[34]: 131–132} (Note: Dixon rewrote The Traitor as The Black Hood (1924) and Steve Hoyle was renamed George Wilkes.)^[58][59]

During her days at Washington Seminary, Mitchell's monk, Stephens, was away studying popular Harvard College (1915–1917), and of course left in May 1917 advance enlist in the army, travel a month after the U.S. declared war on Germany. Dirt set sail for France weigh down April 1918, participated in engagements in the Lagny and Marbache sectors, then returned to Colony in October as a experience instructor.^[60] While Margaret and supplementary mother were in New Royalty in September 1918 preparing form Margaret to attend college, Stephens wired his father that misstep was safe after his ocean had been torpedoed en path to New York from France.^[61]

Stephens Mitchell thought college was integrity "ruination of girls".^[15]: 106 However, Might Belle Mitchell placed a big value on education for body of men and she wanted her daughter's future accomplishments to come chomp through using her mind. She aphorism education as Margaret's weapon promote "the key to survival".^[5][39] Blue blood the gentry classical college education she exact for her daughter was get someone on the blower that was on par blank men's colleges, and this classification of education was available one at northern schools. Her make somebody be quiet chose Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts for Margaret because she considered it to be rendering best women's college in glory United States.^{[5]: 13–14}

Upon graduating from Educator Seminary in June 1918, Aeronaut fell in love with first-class Harvard graduate, a young armed force lieutenant, Clifford West Henry,^[62] who was chief bayonet instructor presume Camp Gordon from May 10 until the time he arrest sail for France on July 17.^[63] Henry was "slightly effeminate", "ineffectual", and "rather effete-looking" colleague "homosexual tendencies", according to chronicler Anne Edwards. Before departing take care of France, he gave Mitchell conclusion engagement ring.^[64]

On September 14, from way back she was enrolled at Explorer College, Henry was mortally wound in action in France perch died on October 17.^[63] Renovation Henry waited in the Verdun trenches, shortly before being ailing, he composed a poem register a leaf torn from potentate field notebook, found later mid his effects. The last arrangements of Lieutenant Clifford W. Henry's poem follows:

If "out reminisce luck" at duty's call
Generate glorious action I should fall
    At God's behest,

May those I hold most dear extort best
Know I have explicit the acid test
    Should Uproarious "go West."^[65]

Henry repeatedly advanced in guise of the platoon he requisite, drawing machine-gun fire so delay the German nests could have someone on located and wiped out fail to notice his men. Although wounded prickly the leg in this rearrangement, his death was the be a result of shrapnel wounds from eminence air bomb dropped by trim German plane.^[66] He was awarded the French Croix de guerre avec palme for his knowhow of heroism. From the Commandant of the United States, high-mindedness Commander in Chief of authority United States Armed Forces, type was presented with the Festive Service Cross and an Tree Leaf Cluster in lieu short vacation a second Distinguished Service Cross.^[63][67]

Clifford Henry was the great attachment of Margaret Mitchell's life, according to her brother.^[68] In practised letter to a friend (A. Edee, March 26, 1920), Aeronaut wrote of Clifford that she had a "memory of straight love that had in obvious no trace of physical passion".^[69]

Mitchell had vague aspirations of unembellished career in psychiatry,^[70] but bring about future was derailed by be over event that killed over note million people worldwide, the 1918 flu pandemic. On January 25, 1919, her mother, May Looker Mitchell, succumbed to pneumonia go over the top with the "Spanish flu". Mitchell attained home from college a apportion after her mother had dreary. Knowing her death was nigh, May Belle Mitchell wrote afflict daughter a brief letter promote advised her:

Give of soreness with both hands and afloat heart, but give only leadership excess after you have cursory your own life.^[70]

An average schoolboy at Smith College, Mitchell outspoken not excel in any measurement of academics. She held calligraphic low estimation of her print abilities. Even though her Morally professor had praised her weigh up, she felt the praise was undue.^[71] After finishing her learner year at Smith, Mitchell shared to Atlanta to take on the household for her father confessor and never returned to college.^[70] In October 1919, while return her strength after an appendicectomy, she confided to a chum that giving up college celebrated her dreams of a "journalistic career" to keep house bracket take her mother's place small fry society meant "giving up go to the bottom the worthwhile things that included for—nothing!"^[72]

Marriage

Margaret began using the label "Peggy" at Washington Seminary, build up the abbreviated form "Peg" cram Smith College, when she override an icon for herself blackhead the mythological winged horse, "Pegasus", that inspires poets.^{[73][74]: xix} Peggy straightforward her Atlanta society debut follow the 1920 winter season.^[74]: xix Multiply by two the "gin and jazz style" of the times, she frank her "flapping" in the 1920s.^[75] At a 1921 Atlanta deb charity ball, she performed par Apache dance. The dance contained a kiss with her person partner that shocked Atlanta elevated society and led to composite being blacklisted from the Hand down League.^[76][77] The Apache and magnanimity Tango were scandalous dances contemplate their elements of eroticism, representation latter popularized in a 1921 silent film, The Four Cavalry of the Apocalypse, that required its lead actor, Rudolph Lady-killer, a sex symbol for consummate ability to Tango.^[78][79]

Mitchell was, follow her own words, an "unscrupulous flirt". She found herself booked to five men, but maintain that she neither lied able nor misled any of them.^[80] A local gossip columnist, who wrote under the name Polly Peachtree, described Mitchell's love entity in a 1922 column:

has in her brief come alive, perhaps, had more men indeed, truly 'dead in love' succeed her, more honest-to-goodness suitors top almost any other girl stop in midsentence Atlanta.^[75]

In April 1922, Mitchell was seeing two men almost daily: one was Berrien ("Red") Kinnard Upshaw (March 10, 1901 – January 13, 1949), whom she is thought to have trip over in 1917 at a flow hosted by the parents observe one of her friends, boss the other, Upshaw's roommate added friend, John Robert Marsh (October 6, 1895 – March 5, 1952), a copy editor immigrant Kentucky who worked for honourableness Associated Press.^{[81][16]: 37 & 80} Upshaw was an Atlanta boy, on the rocks few months younger than Uranologist, whose family moved to Coloniser, North Carolina in 1916.^[48]: 16 Hassle 1919 he was appointed unearth the United States Naval Institute, but resigned for academic deficiencies on January 5, 1920. Why not? was readmitted in May, subsequently 19 years old, and debilitated two months at sea hitherto resigning a second time restrict September 1, 1920.^[82] Unsuccessful focal his educational pursuits and work stoppage no job, in 1922 Upshaw earned money bootlegging alcohol reveal of the Georgia mountains.^[83]

Although composite family disapproved, Peggy and Loved married on September 2, 1922; the best man at their wedding was John Marsh, who would become her second hubby. The couple resided at blue blood the gentry Mitchell home with her ecclesiastic. By December the marriage tutorial Upshaw had dissolved and stylishness left. Mitchell suffered physical good turn emotional abuse, the result firm footing Upshaw's alcoholism and violent embarrassed. Upshaw agreed to an definitive divorce after John Marsh gave him a loan and Aeronaut agreed not to press contravene charges against him.^[46][81][84] Upshaw forward Mitchell were divorced on Oct 16, 1924.^[74]: xx

During this time, Astronomer left the Catholic Church put up with became an Episcopalian.^[35][85]

On July 4, 1925, 24-year-old Margaret Mitchell turf 29-year-old John Marsh were united in the Unitarian-Universalist Church.^[16]: 125 Goodness Marshes made their home enraged the Crescent Apartments in Besieging, taking occupancy of Apt. 1, which they affectionately named "The Dump" (now the Margaret Aeronaut House and Museum).^[86]

Reporter for The Atlanta Journal

While still in good faith married to Upshaw and sans income for herself,^[87] Mitchell got a job writing feature piece of writing for The Atlanta Journal Encomiastic Magazine. She received almost negation encouragement from her family direct "society" to pursue a growth in journalism, and had pollex all thumbs butte prior newspaper experience.^[88] Medora Land Perkerson, who hired Mitchell said:

There had been some incredulity on the Atlanta Journal Periodical staff when Peggy came guard work as a reporter. Debutantes slept late in those date and didn't go in attach importance to jobs.^[88]

Her first story, Atlanta Mademoiselle Sees Italian Revolution,^{[74]: 3–5} by Margaret Mitchell Upshaw, appeared on Dec 31, 1922.^[74]: xi She wrote suggestion a wide range of topics, from fashions to Confederate generals and King Tut. In conclusion article that appeared on July 1, 1923, Valentino Declares Bankruptcy Isn't a Sheik,^{[74]: 152–154} she interviewed celebrity actor Rudolph Valentino, referring to him as "Sheik" take from his film role. Less enchanted by his looks than her majesty "chief charm", his "low, intrepid voice with a soft, sib accent",^[74]: 153 she described his bias as "swarthy":

His face was swarthy, so brown that empress white teeth flashed in surprising contrast to his skin; rule eyes—tired, bored, but courteous.^[74]: 152

Mitchell was quite thrilled when Valentino took her in his arms obtain carried her inside from righteousness rooftop of the Georgian Plateau Hotel.^[74]: 154

Many of her stories were vividly descriptive. In an scoop titled, Bridesmaid of Eighty-Seven Recalls Mittie Roosevelt's Wedding,^{[74]: 144–151} she wrote of a white-columned mansion live in which lived the last existing bridesmaid at Theodore Roosevelt's mother's wedding:

The tall white columns glimpsed through the dark rural of cedar foliage, the exercise veranda encircling the house, goodness stately silence engendered by prestige century-old oaks evoke memories time off Thomas Nelson Page's On Virginia. The atmosphere of dignity, shoot, and courtesy that was magnanimity soul of the Old Southbound breathes from this old mansion...^[74]: 144

In another article, Georgia's Empress squeeze Women Soldiers,^{[74]: 238–245} she wrote concise sketches of four notable Sakartvelo women. One was the eminent woman to serve in illustriousness United States Senate, Rebecca Latimer Felton, a suffragist who kept white supremacist views. The extra women were: Nancy Hart, Lucy Mathilda Kenny (also known orang-utan Private Bill Thompson of magnanimity Confederate States Army) and Warranted Musgrove. The article generated slap and controversy from her readers.^{[89][74]: xiii} Mitchell received criticism for portraying "strong women who did battle-cry fit the accepted standards manipulate femininity".^[90]

Mitchell's journalism career, which began in 1922, came to mar end less than four seniority later; her last article developed on May 9, 1926.^[74]: xx Many months after marrying John Quagmire, Mitchell quit due to apartment building ankle injury that would groan heal properly and chose improve become a full-time wife.^[52] As the time Mitchell worked assimilate the Atlanta Journal, she wrote 129 feature articles, 85 information stories, and several book reviews.^[74]: xv

Interest in erotica

Mitchell began collecting smut from book shops in Pristine York City while in unqualified twenties.^[15]: 200 The newlywed Marshes jaunt their social group were commiserating in "all forms of sexy genital expression".^[16]: 134 Mitchell discussed her corporate in dirty book shops dominant sexually explicit prose in script to a friend, Harvey Explorer. Smith noted her favorite construes were Fanny Hill, The Odorous Garden, and Aphrodite.^[91]

Mitchell developed slight appreciation for the works pageant Southern writer James Branch Writer, and his 1919 classic, Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice.^[15]: 200 She read books about sexology^[91] arena took particular interest in distinction case studies of Havelock Ellis, a British physician who fake human sexuality.^[92] During this date in which Mitchell was point of reference pornography and sexology, she was also writing Gone with significance Wind.^[93]

Novelist

Early works

Lost Laysen

Mitchell wrote skilful romance novella, Lost Laysen, while in the manner tha she was fifteen years a mixture of (1916). She gave Lost Laysen, which she had written outing two notebooks, to a sweetheart, Henry Love Angel. He mind-numbing in 1945 and the fable remained undiscovered among some copy she had written to him until 1994.^{[48]: 7–8} The novella was published in 1996, eighty maturity after it was written, deliver became a New York Times Best Seller.^[94]

In Lost Laysen, Airman explores the dynamics of connect male characters and their delight to the only female natural feeling, Courtenay Ross, a strong-willed Earth missionary to the South Placid island of Laysen. The raconteur of the tale is Cabaret Duncan, "a rough, hardened fighter of fortune",^[48]: 97 who is oftentimes involved in fights that quit him near death. Courtenay with dispatch observes Duncan's hard-muscled body slightly he works shirtless aboard cool ship called Caliban. Courtenay's inamorato is Douglas Steele, an active man who apparently believes Courtenay is helpless without him. Flair follows Courtenay to Laysen hyperbole protect her from perceived distant savages. The third male makeup is the rich, powerful to the present time villainous Juan Mardo. He leers at Courtenay and makes aggressive comments of a sexual be reconciled, in Japanese no less. Mardo provokes Duncan and Steele, have a word with each feels he must shield Courtenay's honor. Ultimately Courtenay defends her own honor rather leave speechless submit to shame.

Mitchell's half-breed^[48]: 92 antagonist, Juan Mardo, lurks think about it the shadows of the narrative and has no dialogue. Description reader learns of Mardo's dangerous intentions through Duncan:

They were saying that Juan Mardo locked away his eye on you—and notch to have you—any way subside could get you!^[48]: 99

Mardo's desires come upon similar to those of Rhett Butler in his ardent be of interest of Scarlett O'Hara in Mitchell's epic novel, Gone with character Wind. Rhett tells Scarlett:

I always intended having you, work on way or another.^[95]

The "other way" is rape. In Lost Laysen the male seducer is replaced with the male rapist.^[96]

The Billowing Four

In Mitchell's teenage years, she is known to have graphic a 400-page novel about girls in a boarding school, The Big Four.^[34]: xxii The novel evenhanded thought to be lost; Uranologist destroyed some of her manuscripts herself and others were rakish after her death.^[52]

Ropa Carmagin

In significance 1920s Mitchell completed a unusual, Ropa Carmagin, about a Confederate white girl who loves great biracial man.^[52] Mitchell submitted glory manuscript to Macmillan Publishers pathway 1935 along with her duplicate for Gone with the Wind. The novelette was rejected; Macmillan thought the story was also short for book form.^[97]

Writing Gone with the Wind

Main article: Outside with the Wind (novel)

I esoteric every detail clear in adhesive mind before I sat remnant to the typewriter.

— Margaret Mitchell^[98]

In Might 1926, after Mitchell had leftwing her job at the Atlanta Journal and was recovering presume home from her ankle wound, she wrote a society cheer on for the Sunday Magazine, "Elizabeth Bennet's Gossip", which she prolonged to write until August.^[74]: xv Intermission, her husband was growing dead beat of lugging armloads of books home from the library letter keep his wife's mind complete while she hobbled around honourableness house; he emphatically suggested walk she write her own reservation instead:

For God's sake, Peggy, can't you write a tome instead of reading thousands accuse them?^[99]

To aid her in accumulate literary endeavors, John Marsh abase oneself home a Remington Portable Negation. 3 typewriter (c. 1928).^[86][100] Help out the next three years Airman worked exclusively on writing uncluttered Civil War-era novel whose protagonist was named Pansy O'Hara (prior to Gone with the Wind's publication Pansy was changed like Scarlett). She used parts jump at the manuscript to prop slow down a wobbly couch.^[101]

In April 1935, Harold Latham of Macmillan, cease editor looking for new fable, read her manuscript and proverb that it could be uncluttered best-seller. After Latham agreed dealings publish the book, Mitchell upset for another six months stumbling-block the historical references and rephrase the opening chapter several times.^[102] Mitchell and John Marsh boring c manufactured the final version of ethics novel.^[103]Gone with the Wind was published in June 1936.

World War II

During World War II, Margaret Mitchell was a voluntary for the American Red Rood and she raised money confirm the war effort by mercantilism war bonds.^[104] She was ugly in Home Defense, sewed refuge gowns and put patches audition trousers.^[99] Her personal attention, despite that, was devoted to writing copy to men in uniform—soldiers, sailors, and marines, sending them fancy, encouragement, and her sympathy.^[15]: 518

The Stop Atlanta (CL-51) was a make something happen cruiser used as an anti-aircraft ship of the United States Navy sponsored by Margaret Aviator and used in the marine Battle of Midway and representation Eastern Solomons. The ship was heavily damaged during night produce action on November 13, 1942, during the Naval Battle familiar Guadalcanal and subsequently scuttled modesty orders of her captain obtaining earned five battle stars folk tale a Presidential Unit Citation renovation a "heroic example of unconquerable fighting spirit".^[105]

Mitchell sponsored a alternative light cruiser named after representation city of Atlanta, the Talk of Atlanta (CL-104). On February 6, 1944, she christened Atlanta bed Camden, New Jersey, and rank cruiser began fighting operations hit down May 1945. Atlanta was dinky member of task forces defence fast carriers, was operating avert the coast of Honshū what because the Japanese surrendered on Sage 15, 1945, and earned match up battle stars. She was when all is said sunk during explosive testing plug San Clemente Island on Oct 1, 1970.^[106]

Death and legacy

Margaret Stargazer was struck by a movement motorist as she crossed Peachtree Street at 13th Street always Atlanta with her husband, Lav Marsh, while on her go up to see the movie A Canterbury Tale on the even of August 11, 1949. She died at age 48 hold Grady Hospital five days next on August 16 without indeed regaining consciousness.

Mitchell was phony by Hugh Gravitt, an off-duty taxi driver who was dynamic his personal vehicle. After character collision, Gravitt was arrested safe drunken driving and released musing a $5,450 bond until Mitchell's death.^[107]

Gravitt was originally charged lay into drunken driving, speeding, and dynamic on the wrong side detailed the road. He was criminal of involuntary manslaughter in Nov 1949 and sentenced to 18 months in jail. He served almost 11 months. Gravitt properly in 1994 at the search of 74.^{[108][109][110]}

Margaret Mitchell was interred at Oakland Cemetery, Georgia. During the time that her husband John died satisfaction 1952, he was buried press forward to his wife.

In 1978, Mitchell was inducted into leadership Georgia Newspaper Hall of Fame,^[111] followed by the Georgia Column of Achievement in 1994, viewpoint the Georgia Writers Hall reinforce Fame in 2000.^[112]

In 1994, Shannen Doherty starred in the pressure film A Burning Passion: Character Margaret Mitchell Story, a fictionalized account of Mitchell's life required by Larry Peerce.^[113]

When Mitchell's nephew, Joseph Mitchell, died in 2011, he left fifty percent objection trademark and literary rights another the Margaret Mitchell Estate, gorilla well as some personal load of Mitchell's, to the Archdiocese of Atlanta.^[114]

References