Posted by Dave Kelly on November 14, 2000 at 12:30:00:
In Reply to: Re: Scarlett O'Hara posted by Jan den Breejen on November 14, 2000 at 07:21:24:
That's the way I see it, Jan. Right from the first appearance of Scarlett O'Hara, it has been common to hear psychiatrists type her as the hysterical/histrionic personality. John M. Oldham, himself, in The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons complete home guide to mental health, 1992, diagnoses her with Histrionic Personality Disorder. But Charles E. Wells, in Comprehensive Psychiatry, XVII (1976), 353-359, in my opoinion, convincingly refuted this idea. His conclusion was:
Scarlett O'Hara, as the prototype product of this environment [southern plantation society], has been studied to evaluate (1) to what extent she represents the hysterical personality as generally understood today and (2) to what extent she represents the typical feminine character resulting from the social forces of her age and culture. While by appearance and behavior Scarlett fulfills almost perfecly our reqiuirements for being labeled a hysterical personaltiy,she does not at all fit our understanding of the hystrterical personaltiy in terms of favored defense mechanisms, psychodynamic forces, and cognitive style. Scarlett's appearance and outward behavior (her hysterical carapace, that is ) are clearly presented as the product of social forces then extant. Social forces, however, failed to mold in her the other features typical of the hysterical personality.Indeed, they failed to mold in Scarlett even the expected features of femininity below those apparent on the surface. In fact, the study of Scarlett suggests, in answer to the third quetion posed at the outset, that while social forces may produce the appearance of feminine character or hysterical personality (which might be confused), appearance is the sole result, not the rigid underpinning, of character structure.
One of her biographers believes that Melanie Hamilton Wilkes and Scarlett O'Hara are characters drawn from two sides of Margaret Mitchell. But that she idealized both sides: Melanie has *all* the good (but weak) qualities and that Scarlett has *all* the bad (but strong) qualities. I would say that Scarlett is a "Two gone to Eight."
To me, Blanche DuBois is a hysterical personality and Scarlett O'Hara, like Margaret Mitchell, is a masochistic personality.
: : Scarlett O'Hara
: : In the novel, Rhett leaves a tearful Scarlett who wails, "If you go, where shall I go, what shall I do?" And Gable steals the scene with the immortal words: "My dear I don't give a damn.".
: +++ of course the other dominant style in Scarlet's character is the Self-Sacrificing Style; unconsciously something makes her drift into situations and persons that will be potentially painful for her and cause her suffering (guilt enticing).
: Jan