Overview and Analysis of "Rebecca" the Novel
Overview and Analysis of "Rebecca" the Novel
Rebecca is a novel about a young girl who doesn’t know who she is. This novel follows the narrator on a psychological quest for selfhood, and her struggle against an invisible enemy. In the beginning of the story, she is a shy, insignificant little girl. She learns and grows to eventually become the confident Mistress of Manderly.
Before the narrator goes to Manderly, she is young and timid, “with straight bobbed hair and youthful unpowdered face… trailing in the wake of Mrs. Van Hopper like a shy, uneasy colt.” She is very awkward and still searching for her purpose and identity. Obsequious to Mrs. Van Hopper, the narrator is portrayed as the daughter of this maternal figure. She lacks a strong will or any sense of authority. She fades into the background of the busy social surroundings that Mrs. Van Hopper brings her into. Unable to take action, she is unsure of accepting Mr. De Winter’s proposal and even leaves it to up him to inform Mrs. Van Hopper of her leaving.
Once she reaches Manderly, it is apparent that her lack of confidence is a significant problem. She feels adrift in the vast halls of Manderly. She loses her way frequently, constantly asking servants for directions. She constantly feels nervous, worrying that the servants are laughing at her. When she breaks the ornament and is forced to apologize to Mrs. Danvers, she almost appears like a child that has been caught being naughty. She is not only failing to act the part of maxim’s wife, but also as an adult. The narrator’s inability to assert her authority shows her failure to accept who she has become. When Mrs. Danvers calls on the house telephone and asks for Mrs. De Winter, the heroin, without thinking, replies, “I am afraid you have made a mistake… Mrs. De winter has been dead for over a year.” In her mind, the narrator cannot accept that she, and not Rebecca, is the true Mistress of Manderly. The narrator allows herself to trust Mrs. Danvers and follows her suggestion for the dress she wears to the ball. She does this to try to be original, daring and surprising. She is trying to carve an identity out for herself. Ironically, instead of distancing herself...