Margaret Mitchell only authored one novel, ‘Gone with the Wind,’ yet it captured the attention of people all around the world and earned her a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. With her prolific labor, which took over a decade to complete, she acquired a worldwide name, affecting a wide range of booklovers. This novel, which is considered one of the rarest treasures of American literary history, continues to be admired long after her death. Her passion for literature evolved from a lifelong love of reading, which she developed as a child. She drew inspiration for her work from her own life experiences, which added to the intrigue for readers. Even though she is most known for her role in ‘Gone with the Wind,’ she began writing as a teenager. Aside from her best-known work, ‘Gone with the Wind,’ she also penned other books, including ‘Lost Laysen,’ which was released after her death.
Childhood and Adolescence
Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell was born in Atlanta, Georgia on November 8, 1900 to Mary Isabel and Eugene Muse Mitchell. Her family was not just well-off, but also politically active. She had two brothers, one of them died while she was a child. She was affectionately known as ‘Jimmy,’ and she acted like a boy until she was fourteen years old.
Mitchell was an avid reader from an early age, reading a lot of ‘boys’ books. ‘The Phoenix and the Carpet’ and ‘Five Children and It’ were two of her favorite books as a kid. She began writing stories in her notebook after being inspired by the books she read, and she even unofficially decided on the name ‘Urchin Publishing Co.’ for her publishing company. She published her debut story, ‘The Knight and the Lady,’ in 1909, and four years later, ‘The Arrow Brave and the Deer Maiden.’
She was up surrounded by traditional Southern culture and witnessed a number of events, including as the famed ‘riot’ at Jackson Hill, that either terrified her or inspired her to write later in life. In 1912, the family was forced to relocate due to the disturbance. In her pre-teen years, she wrote ‘The Greaser’ the following year. At the age of 15, she penned ‘Lost Laysen,’ which she dedicated to her sweetheart, who eventually died. Her novel was not published until after she died. She was a member of the drama club at Washington Seminary where she studied. ‘Little Sister’ and ‘Sergeant Terry’ were two of her pieces that were featured in her school’s almanac. In 1918, she received her diploma from the institute. In 1918, she enrolled at Smith College, where she was an average student and earned the moniker ‘Peggy.’
Career of Margaret
She began writing feature stories for ‘The Atlanta Journal’ after she married. ‘Atlanta Girl Sees Italian Revolution,’ her first story, was published in 1922. ‘Valentino Declares He Isn’t a Sheik,’ she wrote the next year. She wrote 129 article articles, 85 news items, and numerous book reviews between 1923 and 1926. She then resigned the job and decided that she wanted to be a full-time housewife. In 1926, after suffering a fractured ankle, she began work on a novel that would later be named ‘Gone with the Wind’ in order to escape the monotony of her life. She used a typewriter to finish a substantial portion of the book over the next three years.
After almost a decade, the story was finished, and Harold Latham, a publishing supervisor for Macmillan, insisted on examining her manuscripts. The publishing house immediately gave her a $500 advance and 10% of the fees after he read her work. ‘Gone with the Wind,’ a 1,037-page novel, was finally published in 1936 after she rewrote and completed it. The book was a big success with readers, and she became famous almost instantly. She worked tirelessly for the American Red Cross at the onset of World War II, even preparing a hospital ship. During this time, she also established student ships for African-American medical students. Her narrative was one of rags-to-riches in an instant, despite the fact that she never produced another novel. Her career was cut short, however, when she died in a vehicle accident in 1949, putting an end to all of her creative ambitions.
Major Work’s Gone with the Wind’, released in 1936, was written for over ten years before it was published. With the novel, she gained an immediate star, and the book was even adapted into a film in 1939. The book, which was her only published novel during her lifetime, was printed in over 40 countries and was the best-selling novel in American literary history at the time of its release. The book sold more copies than any other book by an American author when it was released. Following her death, the book continues to be a huge success.
Achievements & Awards
In 1936, Margaret Mitchell received a National Book Award for ‘Most Distinguished Novel.’
In 1937, she was awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel “Gone with the Wind.”
Personal History and Legacy
Clifford West Henry, a young army lieutenant who was her partner for four years, was her love during her adolescent years. During the conflict, however, he was injured and died from his injuries a few days later. Mitchell was devastated by this because he was thought to be her ‘great love.’ She had an appendectomy in 1919, and as a result, she gave up her dreams of becoming a journalist. She danced with an Apache dancer and kissed him while performing at a charity ball, shocking the elite Atlantic society. She was notorious for her flirty behavior, and she was once engaged to five different men.
On September 2, 1922, she married Berrien ‘Red’ Upshaw, against her family’s disapproval. Her second husband would be the best man at their wedding. Her first spouse was accused of physically and mentally abusing her, leaving her scarred. In 1924, they divorced. She married John Marsh on July 4, 1925, and they enjoyed a relatively happy marriage. She was struck down by a speeding off-duty cab as she and her husband were crossing the street on their way to see a movie. She died in the hospital five days later, on August 16, 1949, from her injuries. Her legacy was carried on after her death by her novel ‘Gone with the Wind,’ which is today regarded as one of the greatest modern classics. After her death, a lot of her other works that she wrote during her lifetime were published.
Estimated Net Worth
Margaret is one of the wealthiest politicians and one of the most popular. Margaret Mitchell’s net worth is estimated to be $9 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
While writing ‘Gone with the Wind,’ this famous American journalist and author had a strong interest in erotica novels and pornography, expressing her interest in’sexually graphic’ bookstores.