Diary entry: Scarlett O'Hara

Dear Diary,

      My life since the Civil War has completely changed and I know that it would never be the same, because so many things have happened during the time after. I have been married three times with men, who I didn't love, because I've always loved and wanted Ashley. But if I haven't marry to those man, I wouldn't be here at the moment and everything would be different. Even though I have good and sweet memories about good old days in Tara, I have to let them be in the past, because if I won't, I'd be like Ashley.

      Melanie died and I promised her that I'll take care of Ashley, but I regret that a bit, but I guess I'll have to keep my promise. Melanie cared about me and I realized after her death, that I cared too. Because she always protected me and didn't believe all those negative rumours about me. I've been a lot through recently. I lost my baby who I was carrying and my four-year old daughter. The both accidents were hard to manage and not only for me, for Rhett too. I don't blame him, but both of them were his fault too. And besides that I finally realized thanks to Melanie, that I don't love Ashley, I love... Rhett. Oh,  I've been mean to him, especially in the past. He has always loved and helped me, but I haven't understood it. Of course I told this to him, but he said that he is leaving and it's loo late. But I won't give up hope on him. I've always get what I have wanted, and so it will be this time! But at first I need to go Tara and rest all of this, because it isn't over and I have to wait for Rhett. I wish so much the old days, when me and my sisters lived with our parents in Tara and we had a good life. I fooled boys and it was all just a game for me, but now I'm a grown woman and I have children to take care of, and Pa and mother is gone and Tara doesn't look the same. But the most important is this that I still have Tara. I did so many sacrifices for this place, but I don't regret them. This was worth it. I have to emit that I married with Charles and Frank because of money. And with Rhett too, but...I just hope he comes back soon.

      I'm sure everything goes well, it just has to. I've came this far and there's nothing could stop me now.

Love,

Scarlett

"Gone with the Wind" . Margaret Mitchell

      The fifth book that I read was "Gone with the Wind" and it was part two. The author is Margaret Mitchell. It's published by Addison Wesley Longman Limited and Penguin Books Ltd. The reading level is 4 (intermediate). This book has 56 pages and 1700 words.
      It's the second book of "Gone with the Wind". The American Civil War is now over and nothing is the same for the Southerners. The laws have changed and also the people. But Scarlett hasn't changed- she'll still do everything to get what she wants. I must say that it was even more interesting than the first book, because the first one was more about war, but the second one about human relationships and Scarlett surprised me again. It was also quite dramatic book, because there were many unexpected deaths. It also changed my opinions about some characters, for example about Rhett Butler. I understood that he acted quite as a pig sometimes, but he did it, because he loved Scarlett. And what surprised me about Scarlett, was that she desired something she didn't got, but when she had it, she didn't want it anymore. The same went with Ashley. When his wife died, she realized that she didn't love him and that she loved Rhett, who didn't want her anymore. This book was interesting to read from the beginning to the end. I would definitely recommend it to my classmates. It's one of the best and most interesting books that I've read so far.
      This book was again at a good level to read for me. But I still found some new words, like: sawmill- saeveski; Ku-Klux-Klan- valgete salajane grupp, mis karistas (peamiselt mustanahalisi) selle eest, mis on nende arust kuritegu isegi, kuigi seadus nii ei arvanud; delay- viivitama; smooth- siluma; a bad head- peavalu.

Strengths and Weaknesses

      We all have our strengths and weaknesses and there's nothing bad in it. It's part of a person. Some of them might be negative, but some are also a positive ones. In this book were quite many different people with their own strengths and weaknesses.
      I least identify with Scarlett in this book. There are many reasons for that. First one is that she's very brave in many different ways. For example she dared to tell Ashley about her feelings even though Ashley didn't reply to them. I wouldn't have dared to do that, because Ashley never really told her that. The second thing that Scarlett did, and I wouldn't have done, is marrying with Charles Hamilton. That was a brave act because she didn't love him, she did it only because Ashley was marrying with another woman. She had a baby with Charles and became o widow, because Charles died during the American Civil War. So she had to manage herself. Besides that, she also promised Ashley to take care of his wife, because he was also in the war. I wouldn't have enough courage to deal with this request and accept it. She was also forced to help Melanie with a labor if Ashley's baby, because there was no help available. And because the war had arrived to Atlanta, she decided to go home, even it was very dangerous. I believe that I wouldn't have done those things. There is also a one thing that I simply just couldn't never do- it's killing someone. But Scarlett killed one Yankee soldier. That proves that she was a stubborn and a very brave woman. Her strength was courage and stubbornness, but she also had some weaknesses. She was too importunate. She had to get what she wanted and she was made some sacrifices to achieve them. I think that's rather a weakness because she couldn't control herself sometimes and said and did too much. One of her weaknesses were also men, because she enjoyed men's attention and flirted with them. Even though she was a brave and strong woman, she also had her ups and downs and she cried sometimes. But the biggest weakness of her was Ashley. She loved him so much and did crazy things for him, sometimes even incomprehensible things.
      But not only the characters in the books have their strengths and weaknesses, I have them too. I think that one of my strengths is perseverance. If I put a goal for myself, I won't give up on that and I'll to my best to achieve  it. And if I really want something, I'll work for it. Another one is that I can pull myself together if it's necessary and I commit myself to it. But more than strengths, I think I have weaknesses. Sometimes I'm too warm-hearted and take everything more seriously than I should. I also can't say no to people who I love and care about and I always worry about them. I also don't handle criticism very well and sometimes I'm taking it too seriously. And another weakness of mine is all kind of sweet things, like chocolate, ice cream and so on. I just love them! :P But I think it's OK to have weaknesses too. If we wouldn't have them, we'd be too perfect. :)

"Gone with the Wind" . Margaret Mitchell

      The fourth book that I read is called "Gone with the Wind". This books has 2 parts and I read the first one. Author is Margaret Mitchell and publisher is Addison Wesley Longman Limited and Penguin Books. It's reading level is 4 (intermediate). This book has 56 pages and 1700 words.
      This book talks about love and war. Young girl named Scarlett O'Hara are in love with handsome young man Ashley Wilkes. But when she tells him about her feelings, but Ashley don't reply to them. Then comes a war and Ashley has to go to the army and in anger, Scarlett marries to Charles Hamilton. But then she becomes a widow and another man comes in her life and there's also a war going on... I like this book very much, because it has a romantic, sad and exciting story in it. I read it through almost with a day, because I couldn't put it away. Every chapter left some mystery in the air and I wanted to know, what happens next. It also made me realise what were people going through during the war. I'd certainly recommend this book to my classmates, because it's a very enrapturing book. I'd rate this book good.
      The reading level was at a good for me. I also found some new words, like: typhoid- tüüfus; shells falling- suurtükimürskude langemine; Confederacy- Lõuna-Ameerika osariigid; wagon path- vaguni/vanrki tee; blacken- laimama; lay (adj)- võhiklik; heart grow hard- süda lõi tugevasti; faint-minestus.

Lessons for living

      In this book, "The Picture of Dorian Gray", were many lessons. Although story in this book can't happen in real life, it still has a piece of truth in it. The most surprising lesson from this book was about beauty and youthfulness.
      Dorian, who was a very handsome young man, was a muse to Basil Hallward. Basil was on artist who was very inspired of Dorian's beauty. On one day he draw a picture of Dorian, which was the best picture, that he had ever painted. Dorian also got fond of it and made a silly wish, that instead of himself, the picture of him, would get old and he would stay young and beautiful forever. Unfortunately that wish came true.
      Dorian met a young girl called Sibyl Vane. They fell in love and wanted to get married. But on one night, when Dorian was watching Sibyl acting with his friends, everything changed. Sibyl acted horribly at that night and  his heart broke. He told the girl, that he doesn't want to marry with her. After that Sibyl killed herself. Dorian didn't knew that and felt guilty about what he did, so he decided to write a letter to Sibyl. But then Lord Henry Wotton told to him the horrible news. Dorian was shoked.. Then Dorian noticed some changes on the picture. He had a cruel mouth. Since that Dorian changed.
      Many years went past but Dorian was the same as before. He was still looking very good, but the picture didn't. There was the real Dorian, who was totally changed. He wasn't anymore that innocent young boy. Instead of it was a cruel man. After Sibyl's death were many rumours about Dorian. On one evening a man who painted that portrait of him, came to visit him. He asked about those evil rumours. Dorian revealed finally his secret to him. He showed this horrible picture to Basil, who was shoked of that how much picture had changed. There were terrible signs of age and corruption. Dorian said that this picture is a face of his soul. When he was young he made that wish because Basil and Lord Henry showed him how wonderful is to be young. Dorian wanted to stay young because of that. Now Basil also felt himself guilty, because he had worshiped Dorian too much. But now was too late. Dorian felt anger, he took a knife and killed Basil. The picture of him went more and more uglier. He asked one man to help him get rid of Basil's dead body. The man helped him, because he didn't have any other choice.
      That man later killed himself and Dorian wanted to become better again. He also hoped that now the picture is prettier too. But it was even worse. So he took a knife and pushed it into the picture. But then Dorian died. When his servants found him, they were shocked, because instead of a handsome good-looking man was old and ugly man and on the picture was young and handsome Dorian.
     That was the most surprising lesson for me. I didn't knew that worshipping somebody too much can cause something horrible. I have always thought, that it would be nice to stay young and beautiful forever, but it's not true, because your soul and you yourself will change so much. And I think that how old you look depends on that, what have you been through. For example, when you have crinkles you should be proud of them, because they can tell something about you and your life. It connects to my life that way, that I have too always thought that it's better to be forever young, but I don't think so now. At least not that much. Because every age has is own pluses and minuses.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" . Oscar Wilde

      The third book I read was "The Picture of Dorian Gray". It is written by Oscar Wilde in 1892. It's published by Addison Wesley Longman Limited and Penguin Books Ltd. This book's reading level is 4. There are 65 pages and 1700 words.
      The book was really good and interesting to read. It talked about an artist who painted a picture of one handsome man called Dorian Gray. He adored him and Dorian wanted to stay young and beautiful forever and he wished that only the portrait goes old instead of him. He's wish came true, but in a horrible way.

A letter from one character of the book to another character

Dear Peter,

     How are you? I know that we talk quite a lot here, but I still decided to write you a letter.
     At first I have to tell you something. The first time I saw you, I thought that you are weird. I'm so ashamed about it, because now that I've get to know you better, I've realized that you are a very interesting and kind person. I don't know what I would to here or who I'd talk to if you weren't here. Our life here in the Annexe is difficult. I'm sure you agree with me. So it's nice to have a person to talk with, especially with someone, who is about at your age. I like that we can talk about everything! I'm happy and grateful for your friendship. I hope you feel the same way too. I hope, and we all hope, that the war will end soon and we can return back to our normal lives. I would like so much to walk outside and be with my friends, but many of them are gone now and I'm afraid that the world would never be the same again. Specially for us...We are listening to the radio every day and are hoping that there will come some good news, but there hasn't come those yet. I'm also writting a diary here and when the war is over, I'd like to publish it, because then people will know what we went through during the war. Here, in Annexe, we have also a food problems as you know. What you, Peter, think about it? I'm sure that you are bored of it as well.
     Who do you want to become, Peter? Well, after the war, I'd like to become a journalist. I like to write. And that's also one of the reasons, why I'm keeping a diary and writing this letter to you. I hate that we have to hide us and be quiet. You too right? But I'm not giving up. I will handle this situation, even though it has lasted for two years now. But they just can't find us, because if the do, we'll have to go the concentration camp. That would be awful. But we will manage, right?
     There is actually a many things more that I'd like tell you, but I can write another letter to you. I hope that you answer to my letter too. I'm so happy that you are here with me.

Love,
Anne