Rhett Butler

fictional character

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Article History

Rhett Butler, fictional character, the rakish third husband of Scarlett O’Hara in Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone with the Wind (1936). Though born a Southern gentleman, Butler is alienated from his family and consorts with Northerners during the American Civil War. He has a realistic view of the South’s chances in the war, but, just before the South capitulates, he joins its hopeless cause. He is also in love with Scarlett O’Hara, the quintessential Southern belle. The character is most often identified with actor Clark Gable, who portrayed Rhett Butler in the motion picture version (1939).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.