Gender Ideals Violation in Domestic and Economic Life as Found in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind

Gender equality has always been an interesting topic to discuss not only on the day to day basic, but also in the work of fiction. This study aims at describing the violation of gender ideals of the main female character in Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind in relation to domestic and economic life, and describing the possible reasons of why she violates them. The design used was content analysis in qualitative paradigm. Codifications and indicators were establised to help analyzing the data. The theories used to analyze the data were the expansionist theory in gender, the Freudian Psychological theory, and the self-actualization theory. The finding shows that Scarlett O'Hara had violated the domestic ideals as a belle, wife, mother, and widow. She also violated the Victorian rules dealing with women and economic life. Scarlett's violation of the rules in her society was caused by the internal factor and the external factor, the Civil War. It was the emergency, the occasion, and the condition at that time that made her violate them Her controversial acts in her society could be considered as a constructive change as it geared to women improvement and equality. The violation of gender ideals of her time does not always mean a negative deviation. It can also bring improvement for a better life