Response Essay Sample

A response essay sample is an example of the essay that includes a writer’s opinion on a work of art or a piece of literature, such as a book, an article, a movie, a picture, etc. A response essay sample usually starts with a sentence that contains information about the discussed work: its name, author, year of publication or release. Such an essay has to be written from the first person point of view. Thus, the goal of a response essay is to express writer’s impression and thoughts that the work provokes, along with the level of agreement with the author, and prove the knowledge of the plot or idea of the work. Gone with the Wind is a novel written by Margaret Mitchell and published in 1936. Today, it is one of the most popular books worldwide and a favorite one of many people. The novel describes the life of Scarlett O’Hara, an American woman living in the second half of the 19th century, which covers a significant period in American history. Throughout the story, the reader has the opportunity not only to learn the realities of such an important time for both the United States and the humanity as a whole but also realize how diverse life events change Scarlett’s character and how confidently she faces them. While the book has more than a thousand pages, it is so captivating and educational in different ways that, I believe, it is certainly a must-read for everyone. To start with, I can definitely say that the main character is fascinating. The more I was reading, the more surprised I was becoming, in both positive and negative ways, though. Undoubtedly, it is amusing to recognize the courage of a woman that protests to not a person or two but an entire nation and its traditions. Despite the fact that Scarlett’s motivation was quite banal, namely, love, her deeds for the sake of hope for being together with her beloved man are inspiring. What is more, although I sometimes struggled to agree with the woman’s decisions, her actions throughout the book prove that any obstacles, either minor ones or such drastic circumstances as a war or famine, can be overcome when having a goal to move towards and actually putting all the efforts into achieving it. Therefore, I feel that this book is definitely a great reminder for every reader never to give up and always work hard in order to get the desired results. Furthermore, I can confidently state that Gone with the Wind is a step forward to reducing the power of stereotypes regarding gender and, hence, the gender gap that exist today. The reason is that the novel shows that a woman can be brave and mentally strong as much as men tend to be depicted. Indeed, the story about Scarlett introduces a woman as a fighter against so many troubles at once, including a broken heart and vandalized home, that not every male would handle, which is quite encouraging. With this being said, I think that Gone with the Wind, written by Margaret Mitchell, is one of the best books that I have ever read. I find that the plot is full of drastically different events that, in turn, allowed me to share Scarlett’s experience of unusual living conditions, such as poverty and wealth, illness and health, life to its fullest and deaths. Most importantly, the story is educational on past events in the history as well as motivational for me personally. Therefore, I am confident that each reader can find something meaningful to him- or herself in this story.