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Rebecca is a classic, suspenful , and romantic novel written by Daphne du
Maurier. It tells the tragic and emotional story of how the memory of a woman
named Rebecca haunted the lives of newleweds Maxim and Mrs. De Winter, and their
estate of Manderly. The story opens in Monte Carlo, France and later moves to a
small town outside of London. In a hotel in Monte Carlo, France, a young, simple
servant girl, who at first remains nameless is acquainted with Maxim de Winter,
a wealthy man who owns the estate of Manderly outside of London, England. She
falls deeply in love with him, and the two are wed abroad. Upon their return to
Manderly, the new Mrs. de Winter is instantly enchanted by the exterior beauty
of the estate, and can's hardly wait to be the Madam of the house. She is
introduced to the staff of the house, and her impression of them is very well,
except for Mrs. Danvers. Mrs. Danvers had been the personal maid of Maxim's
deceased wife, Rebecca, and she had been quite fond of her. Mrs. de Winter is
constantly being compared to the late Mrs. de Winter, and this makes the new
Mrs. de Winter quite uncomfortable, as Mrs. Danvers makes each day a challenge
to survive; as well as distancing her from her husband, who she believes is
still thinking of Rebecca, and still in love with her. One day, the mystery of
Rebecca's death is revealed by Maxim.
He tells his wife the truth: Rebecca
didn't drown to her death, Maxim murdered her. Instead of the angel she was percieved to be, she was rather a devil, who cheated on Maxim with her first
cousin, and never loved Maxim from the start. A body is soon found by the shores
of Manderly: Rebecca's body. There are suspicions that Maxim killed her, and an
inquest is carried out. He was almost caught, but Maxim's name is eventually
cleared. As he and Mrs. de Winter return from the inquest in London, they
watched Manderly burn to the ground. The first aspect of the novel that appealed
to me is the modest character Mrs. de Winter. Her manner is very humble and
reserved. She appears to be the un-authoratative type of person, as she doesn't
do what pleases her, only others: Oh, well . . . let me see, Mrs. Danvers, I
hardly know; I think we had better have what you usually have, whatever you
think Mrs. de Winter would have ordered.(pg. 92) She is also very young in the
story, young enough to be Maxim's daughter. This explains her shyness in
conversations with Maxim's relatives and many friends, as well as her feeling of
inferiority to people of better breeding than her. Mrs. de Winters is a
developing character in the story, and she is much altered when Maxim reveals
the truth of Rebecca's death. Her naive and young nature is gone as she is
entangled in the web of Rebecca's evil ways, and Maxim realizes that her
innocence is now gone: I can't forget what it has done to you . . . It's gone
for ever, that funny, young, lost look that I loved . . . I killed that too,
when I told you about Rebecca . . . you are so much older . . .( pg. 313) Mrs.
de Winter never lost her feelings of hope, and optemism through the novel. She
always found the 'bright side' of things and situations, especially regarding
her marriage with Maxim.
She had faith that in time, Maxim would love her as she
loved him, and of course he had all along. It had only been her feelings of
insecurity that inhhibited her from realizing this. She was always willing to
mend their marital problems: It's not too late . . . I love you more than
anything in the world...(pg. 280) It is interesting that Mrs. de Winter doesn't
have a first name, but her character is the most interesting. Setting was of
particular interest, because it enhanced the events which took place. The estate
of Manderly is by far the most appropriate place ever imaginable for Rebecca .
The detailed description painted the perfect picture of an elegant and romantic
mansion surrounded by mystery, adding a lot of interest. Manderly is a beautiful
house that is surrounded by a breath-taking garden and a scenic beach: A thing
of grace and beauty, exquisite and faultless, lovelier than I had ever dreamed .
. . mossy lawns, the terraces sloping to the gardens, and the gardens to the
sea. . .(pg. 91) The setting is key in the story, because of the way Rebecca
died. She was supposed to drown in the waters by Manderly, and without a beach
in the story, this wouldn't have been possible. The secrecy of Rebecca's life
was effective in this setting, because it showed how Maxim wanted to seperate
his past life with Rebecca from his new life with Mrs. de Winter. Maxim ordered
the rooms in the west wing of the hoouse to be locked up, because that is where
Rebecca stayed: They used to live in the west wing and use those rooms when Mrs.
de Winter was alive.(pg. 81) All parts of Manderly play an important role in the
story. For example the beautiful garden takes an active role when Mrs. de Winter
is taking Jasper, the dog for a walk; and when she and Maxim are enjoying their
tea outside. The setting of Manderly surely adds a lot of interest to the plot.
A final literary aspect that was enjoyable was the point of view. Mrs. de Winter
is the narrator in Rebecca, and this adds a special insight to the events which
took place, from her position as the new Mrs. de Winter. In reading the book, we
experience the events alongside her. In her first days at Manderly, it seems a
learning experience for readers as well as Mrs. de Winter
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