Rebecca is a novel by Daphne du Maurier, first published in 1938. It tells the story of a young woman named Mrs. de Winter, who becomes the second wife of a wealthy and mysterious widower named Maxim de Winter. The novel is set in the early 20th century and is narrated by the new Mrs. de Winter, who is never given a name.
In chapter 1 of Rebecca, the narrator begins by describing her life before she met Maxim de Winter. She was a paid companion to a wealthy, elderly woman named Mrs. Van Hopper, who treated her poorly and was constantly critical of her. One day, while they were staying at a luxury hotel in Monte Carlo, the narrator met Maxim de Winter. He was a handsome, wealthy man who was staying at the same hotel with his sister, Beatrice.
Maxim and the narrator quickly became close, and he confided in her about his recent loss of his wife, Rebecca. Rebecca was beautiful, charismatic, and much loved by all who knew her. Despite her own reservations, the narrator agreed to marry Maxim and become the new mistress of Manderley, his grand estate in England.
As the narrator and Maxim begin their journey back to Manderley, the narrator reflects on her feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. She knows that she can never measure up to the memory of Rebecca, and she is worried about how she will be received by the staff and residents of Manderley. When they arrive, the narrator is immediately struck by the grandeur and beauty of the estate, as well as the cold reception she receives from the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers.
As the chapter ends, the narrator is left with a feeling of unease and uncertainty about her new role as the mistress of Manderley. She knows that she has a lot to learn, and she is not sure if she is up to the task.
Rebecca Chapter 21
. The Oedipus complex is a psychological theory that suggests that young men have a strong desire to kill their father and marry their mother, as the character Oedipus did, unknowingly, in Sophocles's classical Greek play. One day, the narrator comes across a beachside cottage that was used by Rebecca. As they crest the ridge near the mansion, they look down and find it in flames. Beatrice gives her sister-in-law art books for a wedding gift, knowing the girl is fond of painting. On the drive back home, the narrator and Maxim notice a red glow in the distance and arrive at Manderley to find it burning to the ground. Before, everything was completely manicured.
Rebecca Chapter 11 Summary & Analysis
After the girl puts the heavy volumes on the desk in the morning room, one of them topples over and upsets a small cupid figurine which had adorned the desk. Maxim seems to have decided that it is better to finish the matter off--for better or worse--than live in agony. From the Tudors to Tom Hardy's Tess, or from the Wars of the Roses to Wuthering Heights, feel free to browse through my musings to pick up extra ideas and points for discussion! In this scenario, the narrator holds more power than the manifestation of Manderley. She tells him that everyone in her new life compares her to Rebecca. He reveals that he never loved Rebecca, and their marriage was nothing more than a sham. The housekeeper is civil and respectful, but in her manner the heroine nervously senses an undercurrent of hostility and resentment, and she is relieved when Maxim comes upstairs to complete the tour with them. The narrator remembers the rest of her time in Monte Carlo with Mrs.
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Chapter 1 Summary
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. But while the heroine loves him, and he seems to loves her, there still persists a distance between them, a distance that becomes obvious during her first months as mistress of Manderley. Rebecca's defining characteristics are her buoyant and spirited nature. The housekeeper finally ceases her scolding, and de Winter tells his wife all is well, though he is still amazed at how fearful she is of Danvers. Van Hopper is cold, and says that the narrator is lucky that Van Hopper had influenza.
Rebecca Chapter Summaries
The second date is today's date — the date you are citing the material. The dream is about her old home, Manderley. Furious, he seized a gun and shot her, and then sailed out to the harbor in Rebecca's boat and sank it, with the body stowed safely inside. The narrator mentions the cottage that she entered. She also meets While Maxim is away from Manderley, the narrator returns home to find Mrs. The novel now shifts into a kind of detective thriller, with the interesting twist that the readers is rooting against the forces of law and order.
