Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier Essay Example
28 March 2012
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca is a story about a mysterious first wife named Rebecca, told from the perspective of an unnamed second wife. While this tale could also be considered a love story, it’s more of a mystery since it slowly reveals a history that a reader won’t expect just from reading the first few chapters. It slowly enlightens everyone about the major characters, from hidden traits and characteristics, to untold stories, which were literally left to settle at the bottom of the sea. What adds to the appeal and mystery of the story is the protagonist -- the unnamed narrator and heroine. By not revealing her name, readers turn their attention towards the titular character Rebecca, and how the whole story revolved around her life and eventual death.
Rebecca – the recurring name While the protagonist’s name remained unknown, the first wife’s name on the other hand, seemed to appear in every page of the story. This is the author’s way of directly comparing and contrasting the main character with the titular character. In a way, it shows that even when Rebecca’s been long dead and gone her presence and her appeal is much stronger than that of the second wife. Rebecca left a long-lasting impact on the characters surrounding her, from the caretaker of the house, to every acquaintance of the husband. The only one who seemed to notice or bother about the new wife was the husband, Maxim de Winter. Rebecca is also the apple of the eye of Mrs. Danvers, the caretaker of the de Winter household. She respects the first wife highly, to the point where she loathes the unnamed wife simply because she can’t compare to Rebecca. She doesn’t give the respect that the new Mrs. De Winter deserves, and her imposing character eventually overshadows the new wife. From Mrs. Danvers’ character, we can see that Rebecca really left a lasting impression on people. Even with her inferior position on the household, Mrs. Danvers seemed more
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca is a story about a mysterious first wife named Rebecca, told from the perspective of an unnamed second wife. While this tale could also be considered a love story, it’s more of a mystery since it slowly reveals a history that a reader won’t expect just from reading the first few chapters. It slowly enlightens everyone about the major characters, from hidden traits and characteristics, to untold stories, which were literally left to settle at the bottom of the sea. What adds to the appeal and mystery of the story is the protagonist -- the unnamed narrator and heroine. By not revealing her name, readers turn their attention towards the titular character Rebecca, and how the whole story revolved around her life and eventual death.
Rebecca – the recurring name While the protagonist’s name remained unknown, the first wife’s name on the other hand, seemed to appear in every page of the story. This is the author’s way of directly comparing and contrasting the main character with the titular character. In a way, it shows that even when Rebecca’s been long dead and gone her presence and her appeal is much stronger than that of the second wife. Rebecca left a long-lasting impact on the characters surrounding her, from the caretaker of the house, to every acquaintance of the husband. The only one who seemed to notice or bother about the new wife was the husband, Maxim de Winter. Rebecca is also the apple of the eye of Mrs. Danvers, the caretaker of the de Winter household. She respects the first wife highly, to the point where she loathes the unnamed wife simply because she can’t compare to Rebecca. She doesn’t give the respect that the new Mrs. De Winter deserves, and her imposing character eventually overshadows the new wife. From Mrs. Danvers’ character, we can see that Rebecca really left a lasting impression on people. Even with her inferior position on the household, Mrs. Danvers seemed more