Rhett Butler, as celebrated in Gone with the Wind and even immortalized in collectibles like the 2000 Hallmark Keepsake ornament (based on a famous scene where he greets Scarlett O’Hara in jail), is one of literature’s most compelling and complex anti-heroes: a darkly charming rogue who defies the rigid social conventions of the Old South while revealing uncomfortable truths about human nature and survival. Born into a genteel Charleston family but alienated for his disdain of tradition, he makes his fortune through gambling and wartime blockade running, earning both wealth and a reputation as a scandalous outsider. Rhett’s pragmatic view of life, sharp wit, and cynical realism contrast with Scarlett’s relentless drive and romantic illusions, yet it’s this very dynamism that draws them together and fuels their passionate but ultimately tragic relationship. Deep down he admires Scarlett’s tenacity and shares her resilience, but his inability to openly express love and vulnerability, combined with the strains of war and personal loss, drives a wedge between them, making him a symbol of both adaptability and emotional isolation in a changing world.
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