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Self-consciousness is part of the spiritual self on the self development, which is bound to show up, develop and be mature. It’s varying all the time, especially when one’s life encounters radical changes. American Civil War and post-war’s reconstruction, the big background of the novel, give the southern women a chance for the awakening of their self-consciousness. In my thesis, I focus on the process of the awakening and development of southern women’s self-consciousness when they try all means to survive in the new society largely made by the breakout of the war and post-war’s reconstruction. On the way fighting for survival, southern women get much more than they have imagined. In order to share the burden with men, southern women gradually form their thoughts and point of views. Besides, they get more freedom for arranging themselves, such as business. Represented by the heroine Scarlett who independently runs her business some women find the suitable work and have their own economic sources. What’s more, they begin to break conventions and pursue the real happiness. For example, Fanny Elsing married again after her husband died of the war, while in old times widows must keep alone to be loyal to their died husbands living like a dead person without any enjoyment. The experiences promote the awakening of their self-consciousness. Likewise, the awakening of their self-consciousness gives them chances to experience more.
The aim of this thesis is to present the process of the awakening and development of southern women’s self-consciousness when they try all means to survive in the new society largely made by the breakout of the war and post-war’s reconstruction; and show the significance of self-consciousness in people’s life. The proverb written in the Temple of Apollo Epicuriusat Bassae goes like that, ‘γνωθι σεαυτόν.’ In English, it means know yourself with which Socrates totally agrees. I will also pay attention to the other group of women like Melanie who are attached to the old times, tangle conventions and lost themselves in the male-dominated world forever.
My work is pided into three chapters. In Chapter 1, I depict the old south and the temporal situation of southern women before American Civil War. Chapter 2 present how southern women’s self-consciousness awakened and developed along with the breakout of the Civil War and post-war’s reconstruction exampled by Scarlett and some women. Also, it shows the importance of the self-consciousness. Chapter 3 use Melanie as example to illustrate the kind of people who lost themselves encountering the radical changes in their lives. They are doomed to go under. The final chapter is devoted to a summary of the established facts.