Rebecca's narrative takes the form of a flashback. The heroine who remains nameless, lives in Europe with her husband, Maxim de Winter traveling from hotel to hotel, harboring memories of a beautiful home called Manderley, which, we learn, has been destroyed by fire. The story begins with her memories of how she and Maxim first met, in Monte Carlo, years before.
In her flashback, the heroine is working as the young traveling companion to a wealthy American named Mrs. Van Hopper . In her flashback, Maxim is staying at the same hotel as the heroine and her employer, and after knowing the heroine for only a few weeks, he proposes marriage. She accepts, and he marries her and takes her back to his ancestral estate of Manderley. But a dark cloud hangs over their marriage: Maxim's first wife, Rebecca , drowned in a cove near Manderley the previous year, and her ghost haunts the newlyweds' home. Rebecca's devoted housekeeper, the sinister Mrs. Danvers, is still in charge of Manderley, and she frightens and intimidates her new mistress. Despite the encouragement of the house overseer, Frank Crawley, and Maxim's sister, Beatrice, the heroine struggles in her new life at Manderley. She feels that she can never compare favorably to Rebecca, who was beautiful, talented, and brilliant--or so everyone says--and soon she feels that Maxim is still in love with his dead wife.
Manderley traditionally hosts a costume ball each year, and it is soon time for the gala to take place. Swept up in the preparations, the heroine's spirits begin to revive. But the ball ends in disaster: on Mrs. Danvers's suggestion she wears a costume that, it turns out, is the same dress that Rebecca wore at the last ball. Upon seeing the heroine, Maxim is horrified, and the heroine becomes convinced that he will never love her, that he is still devoted to Rebecca. The following day, Mrs. Danvers almost convinces her to kill herself, and she only breaks away from the old woman's spell when rockets go off over the cove, signaling that a ship has run aground.
Rebecca is a bittersweet novel. ... First, Rebecca contains awesome characterization. ... Secondly, Rebecca has strong foreshadowing. ... She hints to Rebecca's dress at the fancy dress ball, when Mrs. de Winter is with the bishop's wife and she comments on how beautiful Rebecca was in her lovely white dress. ... In conclusion, Rebecca is a typical, romantic suspense novel. ...
Maxim gives her a book of poems that Rebecca had given to him. ... But she still cannot help but compare herself to Rebecca. ... Rebecca's body washed up two months later on a shore miles away. ... Danvers then shows her everything of Rebecca's. ... The next day she finds out the Jack Favell was Rebecca's cousin who came to Manderley a lot when Rebecca was alive. ...
"Rebecca" by Daphen Du Maurier This book takes place in the 19th century. There are a lot of different characters in this book. Some of them have very small parts, but they show you things about the major people in the book. Rebecca was a very admired person in her town. Everyone loved her a...
Title, Rebecca. ... Soon after, Alfred Hitchcock made a film version of Rebecca that soon became an even greater success than the novel itself. ... One of the reasons that I feel that the original novel Rebecca was more effective than the movie version was that I think the novel held suspense in a better way. ... One example of this is when Rebecca's boat was discovered. ... These were three of the reasons as to why I think that the novel Rebecca was much more effective than Alfred Hitchcock's movie version. ...
Du Maurier wrote Rebecca inspired off of events from her own life. ... Rebecca begins with a flashback of the narrator back in Manderley. ... The narrator soon finds out about Maxim's late wife, Rebecca. ... Rebecca was beautiful and in control of the entire manor. ... That information infuriated Maxim to the point that he shot and killed Rebecca and sailed out in Rebecca's boat with her body hidden ad slashed holes in the boat. ...
Book Report The book Rebecca, is written by Daphne DuMaurier. ... The other wife's name was Rebecca. The narrator and Rebecca have nothing in common. Rebecca was a very outgoing, beautiful, evil woman. ... Another good example is the relationship between Maxim and Rebecca. ...
English Essay on the Rebecca Novel What does the novel Rebecca have to say about the institution of marriage? ... Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca, written in the mid 1930's, discusses the institution of marriage. ... It contains many valuable items and furniture for example Rebecca's bedroom. ... The novel Rebecca portrays marriage as being based on society's expectations rather than love. ... Rebecca on the other hand described as being very outgoing and full of confidence. ...
Rebecca's parents' marriage didn't last long however. ... If Rebecca wasn't a movement child who was she? ... While living with her father in the Bronx in New York, Rebecca lives a double life. ... Once Rebecca is in the urban areas everything about her also changes. ... Rebecca just seems like a light skinned black girl or she even passes as a Chicana. ...
