Editing Gone with the Wind (novel) (section)

===Coming-of-age story===
Margaret Mitchell arranged ''Gone with the Wind'' chronologically, focusing on the life and experiences of the main character, Scarlett O'Hara, as she grew from adolescence into adulthood. During the novel's period, from 1861 to 1873, Scarlett's ages ranged from sixteen to twenty-eight. This is a type of ''[[Bildungsroman]]'',<ref name=autogenerated88>Kathryn Lee Seidel (1985), ''The Southern Belle in the American Novel'', University Presses of Florida, p. 53. {{ISBN|0-8130-0811-5}}</ref> a novel concerned with the moral and psychological growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood (coming-of-age story). Scarlett's development is affected by the events of her time.<ref name=autogenerated88 /> Mitchell used a smooth linear narrative structure. The novel is known for its exceptional "readability".<ref name=autogenerated90>[http://edpapenfuse.com/gwtw/ecp-10-223/pierpont.pdf "A Critic at Large: A Study in Scarlett"] Claudia Roth Pierpont, (August 31, 1992) ''The New Yorker'', p. 87. Retrieved May 15, 2011.</ref> The plot is rich with vivid characters.