Summary
Summary Rebecca - Fictional worlds (EN4007)
Book summery with key notes on characters, symbols, context and themes within the book.
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
Seller
Follow
Content preview
Rebecca-
"
Context Themes
Memory:from opening it's clear Rebecca is constructed as a memory.
Born in England in 1907, the daughter a of wealthy
&
The unnamed narrator members her time there The uneasy and eerier tone
n
is set by the clash between present I past. Manderley itself is the
man embodiment of Rebecca's past. Is there any way to escape memory without
surrendering one's identity altogether?
Had her first novel published when she was In her Feminism & gender roles: published the during 1st wave of
., 20's & married A soldier - nobleman, they lived
early
feminism ideas about women & how they should behave were strict. The
idea of a wealthy aristocrat divorcing his wife, would have been shocking.
Du maurier blurs many sexual details of her novel; its under wether the
in Cornwall. narrator sleeps in the some bed as her husband. We learn that Rebecca is
& In they lived a picturesque mansion called Menabilly -
a skilled manipulator and had affairs that she was "loose" in London.
Coming of age: Rebecca is also a coming-of-age story. When we meet
a . place that was the inspiration for Manderley in the narrator she's A child, a young innocent girl. By the end of the novel she's
a mature adult. Her i immaturity at the start is used as a kind of solipsism.
Rebecca. Through a psychoanalytic perspective, with the narrators discovery of the
truth about Rebecca as the final stage of resolving an "electora complex"
D In an era of modernist experimentation in literature, Place, imprisonment & the gothic: from a feminist view the
narrator is imprisioned her gender roles. The use of her being stuck in this
Du Maurier achieved fame as a being a traditional gothic mansion shows psychological & literal imprisionment. Manderely
represents imprisonment & liberation. The burning of the house at the end is a
historical romance & gothic thriller author .
20
typical gothic convension, showing the declining power of being trapped I the
declining power of English aristocracy.
Characters: Power, control & information: Rebecca studies how people
maintain power over others. The characters never resort to physical power
& when they do it's presented as a total failure. Powerful characters control
peers using intimidation, manipulation. The most important weapon in the novel
Rebecca: she never appeared in the book yet is information for example the narrator has been curious about manderely
since childhood this weakness allows maxim to "buy" her manage. Another
she holds a power over most characters. As a example is when Jack favell the to blackmail maxim. Control always comes
young women she marries Maxim by fooling him into "from a distance".
believing she’s a kind, virtuous women, however
she shows her true colours by mocking servants,
·
The white dress: at vote costume
and cheating. Even when she is diagnosed with party, the narrator wears a beautiful white
dress, suggested by Mrs. Danvers. It’s only
terminal cancer she. Tries o convince maxim she’s when maxim revels it matches the dress
pregnant with another mans child so he could kill Rebecca used to wear. On the surface it
represents mrs Danvers cruel intensions
her and go to prison. It could be argued by critics However it also could represent the importance of the
Rebecca’s Boat: in the second half
that she is viewed wrong due to the misogyny. social and gender roles in Rebecca. The narrator wants to
of the book it’s revealed that maxim’s
fit in to her new life so badly however she soon realises the
only way to fit in is to copy Rebecca. Wearing the white second wife was shot and then her body
The narrator: a young woman who dress is how she fits into her new life. was placed on a boat. It’s appropriate that
the narrator is reminded of Rebecca’s
marries Maxim & goes to live with him at the boat after seeing the buoy with the
estate. Her name is never mentioned message “Je reviens” which means “ill
return”, just as Rebecca predicted the
throughout the novel and is only referred to as boat comes back into his life with a
pet or lamb, & struggles to make a name for vengeance. This triggering the investigation
herself, showing her lack of self. Furthermore, of her death placing suspect on Maxim and
at the end of the novel she learns the notion of Symbols. the narrator. The boat is a potent symbol
of the power of memory and the past;
becoming Rebecca was flawed from the start. maxim can’t forget his turbulent marriage
↳
with Rebecca.
In the process of this she overcomes her
anxiety about her time at the estate. By telling Manderley: where the narrator later lives, ruled by the De Winter
the story of Rebecca she purges herself of Family for generations. At a basic level it’s an embodiment of the past:a
self doubt and completes her commuting of age. huge sprawling place where tradition and remembrance is important.
This is seen clearly through the character of Mrs. Danvers who
worships the estate, as well as preserving the memory of Rebecca.
However for other characters such as Maxim aren’t fond of the
manor and he’s unable to erase the memories there. At the end when
the manor is on fire it shows how all the characters are finally able you
move on
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller eviefaye1776. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £6.86. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
52928 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now