Rebecca is a novel by prolific British author Daphne du Maurier, published in 1938 and considered to be one of the author's best-known works.
It has become a modern classic of English literature, although it clearly was inspired by the Victorian tradition, and particularly by Jane Eyre. Rebecca may also have been influenced by Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey.
[edit]
Plot
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" is the book's opening line, and from here its narrator — who is never named, except as "Mrs. de Winter" after her marriage — recalls her past, recounting the tale of an innocent orphaned young woman who, while working as the companion to a society grande dame vacationing on the French Riviera, is swept off her feet by a wealthy Englishman, Maximilian de Winter, marries him, and becomes mistress of his house, the splendid Cornish estate Manderley.
Only after their return to Cornwall does the newlywed realize how difficult it will be to lay to rest the memory of her husband's first wife, Rebecca, who drowned just off the coast but whose spirit seems to pervade the estate and all its inhabitants, especially its domineering housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, one of the best-known female villains in literature.
Mrs. Danvers, who was profoundly devoted to Rebecca, does her best to undermine the second Mrs. de Winter, suggesting to her that she will never attain the grace and elegance and charm that Rebecca possessed. Lacking self-confidence and overwhelmed by her new life, the protagonist commits one faux pas after another, until she is convinced that Max regrets his impetuous decision to marry her and is still deeply in love with the seemingly perfect Rebecca. The climax comes when, at Manderley's annual fancy dress ball, Mrs. Danvers tricks the protagonist into wearing the same costume worn by Rebecca the year before she died.
Later that night, a storm leads to the remains of Rebecca's boat being discovered. This unexpected event leads Max to confess the truth about how the wilful and adulterous Rebecca taunted him with a series of love affairs. She claimed to be pregnant by another man and threatened to burden Max with the responsibility of raising it. Max, truly hating her, shot her and disposed of her body on her boat, which he sank at sea. The narrator, rather than being frightened by the revelation that her husband is capable of murder, is instead relieved to hear that Max did not love Rebecca.
The investigation into Rebecca's death reveals that she had been suffering from a terminal illness just prior to her death. The implication is that, knowing she was destined to die, Rebecca lied to Max that she had been impregnated by another man, a secret paramour, because she wanted Max to kill her.
During the inquest, the narrator faints at a moment when incriminating evidence against Max is being revealed. People at the inquest blame the heat and poor ventilation in the room, but this faint may have been a deliberate attempt to create a diversion, à la Lady Macbeth.
Upon returning to Manderley after the verdict of suicide is read, Maxim and his bride discover the house in flames, probably set on fire by the deranged Mrs. Danvers and her accomplice, one of Rebecca's former lovers.
What is the name of the heroine of the book Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier ?
According to this Wikipedia entry, the narrator is "never named, except as 'Mrs. de Winter' after her marriage".
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment