#Classic: Rebecca

• Author: D. du Maurier
• Title: Rebecca
• Published: 1938
• List of Challenges
• Monthly plan
• Classic Club Master list

 

Quickscan:

1. Lovers:  Young girl met in Monte Carlo…(name?) and Max
2. Family issue: reputation – Manderley must not fall into the hands of illegitimate heir
3. Hook: Ch 1: mysterious, lyrical introduction about the estate of Manderley.
4. Genre:  Gothic romance…later a thriller
   
5. Focus: heroine, her fears of physical danger real? or just paranoia?
6. Pivotal plot twist: Max’ confession
   
7. Villain: Mrs. Danvers manipulative, cold, ruthless (arsonist!)
   
8. Heroine Mrs. de Winter:  girl –>woman,  child bride –> mature wife
   
9. Minor character who plays major role: Col. Julyan
10. Symbol: sea (Rebecca) deceptive beauty and destructive force
11. Symbol: rhododendrons (Rebecca)
12. “..stood 50 feet high twisted and entwined with bracken…” (pg 1)
13. …”a lilac mated with a copper beech…”(heroine and Max) (pg 1)
    
14. …so different one is a shrub…the other a tree.
15. Motif: Feeling of a ghost in the house.
16. Du Maurier’s statement: ” Last night I dreamt  I went to Manderley again.” (iconic)
    
17. Writing: very little information about heroine (no name!)
18. Writing: frame story. begins at the end, moves into flashbacks
19. Irony: We root for the criminal to escape punishment.
20. Setting:  Manderley, Cornish Coast
21. Major themes:  memory,  reputation, appearance vs reality
    
22. Max still in love with Rebecca?...reality: he hates her.
23. Mrs. Danvers loyal servant?…reality:  she terrorizes her mistress.
24. Minor themes:  isolation, entrapment (second wife)
25. Body count: 1
    

 

Why is Rebecca similar to Othello?

Chapter 23:

1. ” All married men with lovely wives are jealous, aren’t they?
2. And some of ’em just can’t help playing Othello.”

 

Heroine and Desdemona:

1. Innocence can be dangerous, even fatal.
2. The young wife considers suicide.
3. Desdemona is killed by Othello because
4. ….she is innocent
5. thinking she can be friendly with other men and still
6. remain loyal and honorable in her marriage.

 

Heroine and Desdemona:

1. Desdemona and Mrs. de Winter
2. …were both young wives married to
3. …men 20+ years older.
4. Both women think
5. …love is equivocal to submission.

 

Othello and Max:

1. Othello and Max de Winter go to
2. extremes to preserve their reputation
3. …they both kill!
4. Othello —> Desdamona  is alleged of having an affair
5. Max —> Rebecca tauted husband…expecting a child
6. …pass it off as Max’ heir! (Manderley)

 

Othello and Max:

1. Both men reject reason and clarity and rational thinking.
2. They focus heavily on emotion and extreme passion.
3. “Le crime passionnel”

 

Title: 

1. Book is titled Othello...but it is all about Iago!
2. Book is titled Rebecca…but it is all about second wife, Mrs. de Winter!

 

Last thoughts:

1. I had to ‘sleep on it’ to decide what I really thought of this book.
2. I’m NOT following the herd on this one.
3. The book was readable…in parts lyrical (ch 1)
4. …but Du Maurier is not consistent.
5. After two-thirds of the book
6. …I finally got interested (Max’ confession).
7. It is an average book that has
8. …a cult following which keeps it on our radar.
9. It started out so well.
10. ..then it dropped below my endurance level.
11. Dialogue was first person simple…
12. and Mrs. Danvers was predictable spooky.
13. This easy classic read will
14. …always find its audience….just not me!
15. I dare to be disliked while saying:
16. the first bite was delicious….but
17. it satisfies no craving.