In Daphne Du Maurier’s book, ‘Rebecca’, She uses contrasting features in her characters to emphasise their characteristics.An example of this is one of the main characters, Maxim de Winter. Maxim is portrayed as both attractive and forbidding, but also a mystery and an open book.In this essay I would like to explore how true this is throughout the chapters two to six, and come to a conclusion on if he is either attractive or forbidding, and wither he is a mystery or an open book.
Maxim is first introduced by Mrs. Von Hopper in chapter two, “It’s Max de Winter”, she said “the man who owns Manderley. You’ve heard of it, of course.He looks ill , doesn't he? They say he can't get over his wife’s death…”.This opening line about Maxim tells us two of the most important facts about him.The fact he owns Manderley and that his wife, Rebecca, died.These two facts dictate his life, as his home Manderley is his pride and joy and he dedicates most of his life to running
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and maintaining the household.The death of his wife also plays a big part in his life, as it seems that thoughts of his late wife haunt him in a way and stops him from moving on. Not much is said about his appearance when first introduced by Mrs. Von Hopper, except for the comment that he looks ill, which Mrs. Von Hopper pins as to being because of his wife’s death.This opening statement already gives us an idea of Maxim de Winter, as it makes him seem an open book.Two personal facts are known to Mrs. Von Hopper, although she doesn't personally know him, giving us the impression that his life is that of an open book. Not much about him at this point is a mystery. The next time he is introduced was by the narrator. As the story progresses, Daphne du Maurier begins to portray Maxim as an ‘open book’ and a ‘mystery’. An example of Maxim appearing as an open book was when the narrator stated “i can tell by the way he will look…”. This gives us the impression that his emotions can be read from his face, and that because of this no secret can be left untold. The narrator knows him so well that she can tell just by his facial expressions what he is thinking or feeling, showing that Maxim is an open book, as his face can be read just as well as a book could. This also means that perhaps even strangers who do not know him as well, can read his face for emotions. Another example of this is when the narrator said, “we have no secrets from one another”. This again gives us the impression that to the narrator knows everything that there is to know about Maxim, and that there is almost no stone left unturned in his life. This could also mean that he is very lenient with sharing his secrets, as at this point in the novel we do not know the relationship between the narrator and Maxim. This could indicate that he is an open book, as he will share his secrets with anyone who is willing to listen. After his formal introduction by Mrs. Von Hopper, the first time the narrator and him properly talk is the next day in the restaurant.This was after the narrator spilt water on her table cloth and he invited her to dine with him.After a while of her sharing her past with him, he opens up about some of his family.He said “oh. I've got a sister, though we don't see much of each other, and an ancient grandmother whom i pay duty visits to three times a year, but neither of them make for companionship”. Although he has only know the narrator for one day and this is the only time they have properly spoken, he believes to know her enough to sh are information about himself with her. This shows us that he shares information with people whom he doesn't know very well and that he is an open book of sorts. On the same day he takes her for a drive, where he opens up about himself again. ”suddenly he began to talk about Manderley”, the word “suddenly’ in this quotation gives us the impression that the narrator didn't have to prompt this information out of him,and he chose freely to tell her about where he lives.How he suddenly began telling her, again gives us the feeling that he is an open book, even to acquaintances of only a few days. Maxim opens up about manderley and his past again, not long after his first outburst about Manderley. After a while about just talking about his house, he begins to talk about specifics. “His sister, who was a hard, rather practical woman, used to complain there was too many scents at manderley, they made her drunk”, here he opens up about a memory he has of his sister.He goes on further to say “he did not care.It was the only form of intoxication that appealed to him”.This is a rather personal bit of information which he had just shared, although he doesn't know the narrator all that well. He talks to her about a form of intoxication he enjoys, which is something you wouldn't just talk about in conversation.This suggests to us that he is an open book to things, which are personal to others, but may be something he shares with everyone to him. However, Max is also shown to be a very mysterious character who keeps to himself.An example of this being when the narrator said, “…and in its place a mask will form”.
This hints to the fact that when he feels like he is remembering the past, he will form a mask for himself to hide behind. This mask is so nobody will know what he is feeling or that he or they touched upon a memory that struck a nerve for him.This is something he does later in the novel, to hide from others and the narrator that memories of Rebecca hurt him and is a key example of him being a mysterious character.
Another instance where Maxim de Winter was a ‘mystery’, was when conversing with Mrs. Von Hopper he mentioned that he “came away in rather a hurry”.This gives the impression he would rather not talk about the reason he came away, as it was something personal to him. This gives him an air of mystery, as it leaves Mrs. Von Hopper wondering, as she is a very nosy person by nature.It leaves open lots of possibilities to why he came
away. There is a feeling of mystery whenever his memories are mentioned, as Daphne Du Maurier gives the impression that something happened in his past that was traumatising to him.However, neither the narrator nor the readers know what happened yet, which leaves it a mystery.An occasion when his memories where mentioned was when the narrator said “his own words jolted a memory” and ‘i noticed a subtle change in his eyes, the indefinable something that lingered there, momentarily, and i felt i had looked upon something personal to himself with which i had no concern”. These are two instances where the narrator has noticed something was troubling him with his past, but she didn't know what it was and felt she had no concern knowing what it was, as it was personal. This all gives off a feeling of mystery surrounding Mr. de Winter. In conclusion, i believe that Maxim de winter is more of a mystery in this part of a novel,rather than an open book. I feel this because Daphne du Maurier stresses that there is something in his past that is troubling him a lot, but at this point we do not know and can only guess what is troubling him. This gives us an intense feeling of mystery, and we feel as though he is keeping a large part of his life secret from the narrator. Although he tells the narrator some things about his past, it is evident that he only tells her the good parts, so she will have a favourable outlook on him. In the novel Maxim is also presented as attractive to the read and the narrator. An example of this is when the narrator described him as “a sculptured thing, formal and cold, beautiful…”. This shows that the narrator finds Maxim de Winter as attractive physically. Another example of his physical attractiveness is when the narrator said “his face was arresting, sensitive”.To have an arresting face meant to have a face which could hold someones attention, because of its attractiveness. The narrator also found Maxim to have an attractive personality,as when they first met Mrs. Von Hopper told Maxim that she was of little importance and that she didn't have to be included in conversation, yet he still actively tried to include her.This could show he is kind, even to those of a lower status than him. When the narrator stated “i think he realised my distress, for he leant forward in his chair and spoke to me, his voice gentle”, it showed that Maxim was being kind to her when he realised his distress. He also shows kindness to the narrator when he sent the note saying ‘forgive me. I was rude this afternoon”. This shows he realised he was rude and corrected himself by apologising, which shows his attractive personality. However, he was also portrayed as forbidding to the narrator too. A instance where Maxim de Winter was forbidding is when he was having dinner with the narrator and Mrs. Von Hopper. In response to something Mrs. Von Hopper said, he replied rudely “ He travels fastest who travels alone”. This was an insult to Mrs. Von Hopper and to the narrator, as she had offered the narrators help to him. He made it seem like the narrator helping him would slow him down and bluntly told them he would rather be alone. Another instance when Maxim was less than pleasant was during the drive with the narrator. The narrator said “ the friend had gone, with the kindliness and his east camaraderie, and the brother too, who had mocked me for nibbling my nails. This was a stranger. I wondered why i was sitting next to him”. This shows how he went from a very happy friend and almost brother figure, to a stranger before the narrators eyes. This shows a very different side to Maxim, where he was forbidding and unpleasant. In conclusion I believe that, although at times he can be forbidding, overall he is a very attractive person, physically and mentally. Although the viewpoint of him may be biased, as Maxim would be his wife one day, i believe that he has mostly an attractive personality.
In a culture where even white women were generally looked down upon within the male dominated society in which they lived, the unique story of one “mulatto” women’s journey through slavery and religious faith in America in the eighteenth century stands out, and provides a look into the origins of the black church itself. Rebecca’s Revival: Creating Black Christianity in the Atlantic World by Jon F. Sensbach aims to tell the story of Rebecca Protten, a freed slave turned evangelist, whom being neither illiterate nor invisible as many free slaves were thought to have been, traveled around sharing the love of Jesus and converting slaves from all over St. Thomas, ultimately assisting in the establishment of the
The way perspectives of composers and the cultural paradigms that they are influenced by are of a peculiar and often hidden nature. Through thorough textual analysis, the possibility of revealing these cultural values is enhanced, allowing the observation and appreciation of the how different ways of thinking have developed over time. Cultural values that deal with topics of gender inequalities, racial and social status prejudices and the result of societal dynamic are often hidden in texts from the Victorian Era, and this is absolutely true of Vanity Fair by William Thackeray as well as Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. The two texts hold many areas of diversification and commonality which provide a basis of characters and their ways of thinking, in turn exposing attitudes towards certain cultural values.
His outside actions of touching the wall and looking at all the names are causing him to react internally. He is remembering the past and is attempting to suppress the emotions that are rising within him. The first two lines of the poem set the mood of fear and gloom which is constant throughout the remainder of the poem. The word choice of "black" to describe the speaker's face can convey several messages (502). The most obvious meaning ... ...
Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca Rebecca has been described as the first major gothic romance of the 20th century; Mrs. Danvers’ character is one of the few Gothic interests within the novel. Her unnatural appearance and multi-faceted relationship with Rebecca provides scope for manifold interpretations and critical views. Furthermore, Mrs. Danvers connection with Rebecca and Manderlay is a sub-plot in itself, making Mrs. Danvers the most subtly exciting character in the novel.
4) Discuss the novel’s theme that outward appearances can be deceptive. What does the novel
Frederick Winterbourne, for example, comes to a realization of his internal struggle between conventionality and instinct not in and of himself, but because of Miss Daisy Miller. Winterbourne meets the young Miss Miller in Vevay, Switzerland, while v...
The kinds of "precepts" instilled by St. Aubert are those that enjoin such "virtues" as moderation, simplicity, circumspection, and respect (5). Throughout the above passage and in her initial chapter, Radcliffe is establishing several binaries through which the novel as a whole can be mapped, and retirement in the country versus involvement in "the world" (1, 4), economy versus dissipation (2), simplicity versus exaggeration, serenity with congeniality versus tumult with incongruity (4), happiness and misery (4-5), affection versus ambition (11), health versus disease (physical and emotional [8, 18]), and life versus death, are only a few ways in which to articulate them. However, in the end, one binary can serve to organize the many: symmetry versus deformity. And it is in apprehending the logic of h...
In a dream I fled from that haunted and accursed pile, and ran swiftly and silently in the moonlight. When I returned to the churchyard place of marble and went down the steps I found the stone trap- door immovable; but I was not sorry, for I had hated the antique castle and the trees. Now I ride with the mocking and friendly ghouls on the night- wind, and play by day amongst the catacombs of Nephren- Ka in the sealed and unknown valley of Hadoth by the Nile. I know not for me, save that of the moon over the rock tombs of Neb, nor any gaiety save the unnamed feasts of Nitokris beneath the Great Pyramid; yet in my new wilderness and freedom I almost welcome the bitterness of alienage.” This, to me, is the narrator remembering himself. Maybe he wasn’t tricking us, but based on the current information given, I definitely think that he has seen himself before, maybe he forgot because of his mental state, but because he can recall such vivid images of myself, even when he thought it wasn’t him, in fact, maybe it
Literatures had always been the reflections of the world’s issues. These literatures showed the problems within society in the period of time. In the book, “The Natural”, by Bernard Malamud had developed how women were seen as an object to men that they did not have the equal rights and social status as men. Also, women in the novel were classified as the trophies to men, whom they were either gold diggers digging for massive fortunes for the future, or accomplishments for men to chase after them. The author had established several female characters to optimize these issues. In the novel, Harriet Bird, Memo Paris, and Iris Lemon were representing different figures of female in that period of time. Both Harriet and Memo were being the negative effects to the main protagonist, Roy Hobbes, while Iris was the positive hope for Roy. The author chose to use these few characters to criticize the stereotypes of women in that period, and how they affected the others around them.
Another example of this is when the narrator said, “we have no secrets from one another”. This again gives us the impression that to the narrator knows everything that there is to know about Maxim, and that there is almost no stone left unturned in his life. This could also mean that he is very lenient with sharing his secrets, as at this point in the novel we do not know the relationship between the narrator and Maxim. This could indicate that he is an open book, as he will share his secrets with anyone who is willing to
In the mystery novel Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, the main character is the unnamed narrator. The main setting of the story is at the Manderley estate that the narrator’s husband, Maxim De Winter, owns. In the novel, the narrator, became Mrs. De Winter later in the story, marries Maxim De Winter after the death of his first wife, Rebecca. She then moves to Manderley, where she realizes that everyone there seems to still be deeply grieving over the death of Rebecca. The narrator shows many different characteristics. The narrator wants to please everyone, she lacks confidence, and she is curious.
Women in The Count of Monte Cristo possess unique personalities, but intensely similar restrictions. Currently, women in the United States, as well as other countries, are able to have jobs, travel, and participate in many other activities that the ladies Dumas portrays are not allowed to. Feminist analysis of this book reveals the ways of the time and the delicate balance of society’s typical structure. In The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas realistically conveys that when women violate their traditional roles, the balance of life is disrupted. This is evident through descriptions of instances in which females are in the home as well as when they are not.
“Rebecca” is a novel written by Daphne du Maurier in 1938 about a young, simple, beautiful woman who fell in love with a wealthy gentleman many years her senior. She was head over heels and thought all her dreams would come true, but undenounced to her, she was entering into a world where she would battle the memories of her husband’s late wife, not only in within him but in the staff of her husband’s house hold “Mandeley” Over the years many directors have tried to bring Maurier’s “Rebecca” from the written page to the big screen motion picture. Two such directors are Alfred Hitchcock, with his black and white version in 1940, and the Jim O’Brien’s colored version in 1997. Having read the same book, these directors came up with two
In the book, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, there exist a big emphasis on social class and position during the time of this story. When we are introduced to the main character of the story, the narrator, we are right away exposed to a society in which different privileges are bestowed upon various groups. Social place, along with the ever present factor of power and money are evident throughout the story to show how lower to middle class groups were treated and mislead by people on a higher level in society. When we are introduced to the narrator, we are told that she is traveling with an old American woman; vulgar, gossipy, and wealthy, Mrs. Van Hopper travels across Europe, but her travels are lonely and require an employee that gives her warm company. This simple companion (the narrator) is shy and self-conscious, and comes from a lower-middle class background which sets up perfect for a rich man to sweep her off her feet. The narrator faced difficulties adapting to first, the Monte Carlo aristocratic environment, and second, to her new found position as Mrs. De Winter, the new found mistress of Manderley.
The two are thrown together by the scholastic pursuit for information regarding the previously unknown love affair between two Victorian poets. There is no instant attraction between the two intellectuals. Instead, “[t]here was a frostiness between the two of them”(143). There is a clear distinction between Maud’s first interaction with Roland and Maud’s first encounter with Fergus. Maud is not captivated by Roland’s allure, instead they are each reluctant to be entirely open with the other, resulting in the apparent “frostiness.” It is not until Roland reveals his honest aspiration, that the intangible barrier between the two is dissolved. In his confession to Maud, Roland admits, “ what I really want is to--to have nothing. An empty clean bed. I have this image of a clean empty bed in a clean empty room, where nothing is asked or to be asked”(291). Maud not only comprehends what Roland is saying, but mirrors his statements, proclaiming,“‘I know what you mean. No, that’s a feeble thing to say. It’s a much more powerful coincidence than that. That’s what I think about, when I’m alone. How good it would be to have nothing. How good it would be to desire nothing. And the same image. An empty bed in an empty room. White’”(291). The two characters who were initially