Part One:
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There is one distinguishable allusion found in Rebecca: “I was not there at all. I was following a phantom in my mind, whose shadowy form had taken shape at last. Her features were blurred, her colouring indistinct, the setting of her eyes and the texture of her were still uncertain, still to be revealed” (du Maurier 42-43). The quote depicts the protagonists jealousy and feeling of inferiority to Maxim’s previous wife. It alludes to Jane Eyre because it is very similar to the scene when Jane is comparing herself to what she thinks Miss Blanche Ingram looks like. Daphne du Maurier takes the scene from Jane Eyre and transforms it by making the ghost of Rebecca more vague without a vision of the exact image of her.
The author illuminates protagonist through the interactions she has with Mr. de Winter: “The smile was my reward. Like a pat on the head of Jasper. Good dog then, lie back down, don’t worry me any more. I was Jasper again” (du Maurier 118). The passage conveys the inferiority of the protagonist. Even though she is a person who lives in the house, she is living under everyone who is older and more educated.
One of the themes found in part one is the theme of marriage: “You know why he is marrying you, don’t you? You haven’t flattered yourself he’s in love with you? The fact is that empty house got on his nerves to such an extent he nearly went off his head. He admitted as much before you came into the room. He just can’t go on living there alone…” (du Maurier 60). Marriage is not used as a matrimony in this case as much as an agreement for political and social reasons. Maxim is not able to live in the house alone after Rebecca's death, so he brings the protagonist back with him not caring about if he actually loves her or not.
The author illuminates protagonist through the interactions she has with Mr. de Winter: “The smile was my reward. Like a pat on the head of Jasper. Good dog then, lie back down, don’t worry me any more. I was Jasper again” (du Maurier 118). The passage conveys the inferiority of the protagonist. Even though she is a person who lives in the house, she is living under everyone who is older and more educated.
One of the themes found in part one is the theme of marriage: “You know why he is marrying you, don’t you? You haven’t flattered yourself he’s in love with you? The fact is that empty house got on his nerves to such an extent he nearly went off his head. He admitted as much before you came into the room. He just can’t go on living there alone…” (du Maurier 60). Marriage is not used as a matrimony in this case as much as an agreement for political and social reasons. Maxim is not able to live in the house alone after Rebecca's death, so he brings the protagonist back with him not caring about if he actually loves her or not.
Part Two:
(Bird)
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In part two, when the protagonist and Maxim are in the garden with guests discussing the ball at the Manderley, Maurier includes a literary allusion. "'Put a ribbon round your hair and be Alice-in-Wonderland,' said Maxim lightly; 'you look like it now, with your finger in your mouth'" (Maurier 196). This is an allusion to the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. The meaning of this allusion is that she is being compared to Alice-in-Wonderland. This implies that the Manderley would be considered as Wonderland to her, which means she is unfamiliar but fascinated by the Manderley. The allusion could also be used to show how young and naïve the protagonist seems at the Manderley. The Allusion is used in the context of a conversation between characters, but was transformed so that the allusion referred to how the protagonist looked like Alice. Even though the allusion compared looks, we are still able to analyze it for the previous meanings listed.
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In the book the main character is continuously trying to present herself in a confident and independent way. However, the people around her seem to always make her feel insignificant because of their judgements. "I did not want to see her again. I did not want to see any of them again ... They came because they wanted to compare me to Rebecca" (Maurier 125). Due to the constant comparison and judgment, the main character develops a jealousy for the late Rebecca. According to most of the people the main character has met, Rebecca was an amazing woman who was in charge of the house. The main character envies Rebecca because of her reputation and because the main character fears she may never be as good as Rebecca. This develops the jealousy inside of the protagonist.
Throughout the book, the main character is viewed as young and immature. This is a common recurrence in many situations, such as the time the main character broke the China Cupid. "They all looked at me. It was like being a child again. I was still aware of my guilty flush. 'I'm so sorry,'" (Maurier 141). Whenever the main character makes a silly mistake she continues to feel immature and embarrassed in front of others. This continues to make the reader think that the main character is still young and immature which emphasizes the theme of immaturity.
Throughout the book, the main character is viewed as young and immature. This is a common recurrence in many situations, such as the time the main character broke the China Cupid. "They all looked at me. It was like being a child again. I was still aware of my guilty flush. 'I'm so sorry,'" (Maurier 141). Whenever the main character makes a silly mistake she continues to feel immature and embarrassed in front of others. This continues to make the reader think that the main character is still young and immature which emphasizes the theme of immaturity.
Part Three:
(Penguin Books Australia)
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One small allusion in the book is a reference to Dr. Faustus. The play Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe has the titular character sell his soul to the devil Lucifer in return for knowledge and Mephastophilis’ servitude. Throughout the novel, Mr. de Winter, the protagonist, and the faithful servant, Mrs. Danvers, repeatedly call Rebecca a devil, first referencing the play. In addition, Du Maurier’s novel has Mr. de Winter make a deal with Rebecca, the devil in this case, as well, further exemplifying the allusion to the play. The author transforms this source by having Rebecca bargain with Maxim to become a “loving” wife and allow Manderley to become the most beautiful place in the country. But, Maxim soon realized his mistakes and tells the protagonist, “‘It doesn’t make for sanity, does it, living with the devil?” (du Maurier 273). Maxim’s realization shows that Maxim was not happy being married to Rebecca and was trapped in his “hell”, a miserable marriage. This further demonstrates that Rebecca was an extremely sly, evil person. Maxim, like the foolish Dr. Faustus, made a regrettable deal with his own fiend.
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In the beginning and the middle of the novel, the reader observes that the protagonist is a shy, unconfident girl who is always afraid and worrying about other people’s opinions of her. However, after Maxim tells the protagonist that he never loved Rebecca and that he killed her on that fateful night, she immediately gains confidence. She tells herself repeatedly that Maxim “never loved [Rebecca], never, never” (du Maurier 273). She then resolves to make changes to Manderley and start giving orders and making decisions, instead of keeping the status quo. This change in lifestyle showcases the protagonist’s unknown and suppressed courage. These new characteristics make the protagonist a major dynamic character. In addition, the reader’s perspectives about the character are dramatically changed, and the audience is able to understand the character development.
One theme of the end of the novel is the theme of justice. After the reader discovers that Maxim murdered Rebecca, one of the biggest questions is “Will he go to jail or get hanged?” Rebecca’s cousin, Jack Favell, especially desires to witness Maxim receiving his punishment and “see justice is done to Rebecca” (du Maurier 323). Colonel Julyan, the magistrate, also joins in to help Mr. de Winter’s case. Similar to the reader, the characters are also held in suspense of what will happen to Maxim. In these tense scenes, many characters are interviewed and interrogated. These dramatic scenes and Maxim’s final sentence helps to emphasize the theme of justice and make this one of the biggest themes of the novel.
In the beginning and the middle of the novel, the reader observes that the protagonist is a shy, unconfident girl who is always afraid and worrying about other people’s opinions of her. However, after Maxim tells the protagonist that he never loved Rebecca and that he killed her on that fateful night, she immediately gains confidence. She tells herself repeatedly that Maxim “never loved [Rebecca], never, never” (du Maurier 273). She then resolves to make changes to Manderley and start giving orders and making decisions, instead of keeping the status quo. This change in lifestyle showcases the protagonist’s unknown and suppressed courage. These new characteristics make the protagonist a major dynamic character. In addition, the reader’s perspectives about the character are dramatically changed, and the audience is able to understand the character development.
One theme of the end of the novel is the theme of justice. After the reader discovers that Maxim murdered Rebecca, one of the biggest questions is “Will he go to jail or get hanged?” Rebecca’s cousin, Jack Favell, especially desires to witness Maxim receiving his punishment and “see justice is done to Rebecca” (du Maurier 323). Colonel Julyan, the magistrate, also joins in to help Mr. de Winter’s case. Similar to the reader, the characters are also held in suspense of what will happen to Maxim. In these tense scenes, many characters are interviewed and interrogated. These dramatic scenes and Maxim’s final sentence helps to emphasize the theme of justice and make this one of the biggest themes of the novel.