Rebecca Research Paper
Nicholas Federici
Miss DeSantis
English III CP
17 April 2012
A Life Jumping Through Hoops Throughout history, in many novels the main character can be portrayed in many ways. In the novel Rebecca, by Daphne duMaurier, the unnamed narrator has her life changed many times throughout the plot. In the story the narrator starts out being an assistant, soon after this she gets whipped off her feet by the notorious man Maxim de Winter. She goes from having nothing, to living an extravagant lifestyle in the well known Manderley. Though going through this transition, it comes at a great cost. In this novel the narrator’s life gets changed in many ways by Manderley and the people that inhabit it. In the beginning of the novel, the narrator has a flashback of how she was in Manderley. The narrator flashes back to memories of Manderley because her life was changed drastically in many ways there. The narrator opens the story by saying, “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” (duMaurier 1) The unnamed narrator had dreamt how she was at Manderley once again. She remembered the peaceful lifestyle there but, she also remembered the difficulties that she went through. This flashback is important to the whole novel because it shows how important Manderley was because it changed the narrator’s whole life. As the plot moves on the story begins in Monte Carlo. The narrator lives the life of an assistant to the nasty Mrs. Van Hoper. Mrs. Van Hoper has her companion jumping through hoops to help her find out the latest gossip. The narrator says, “Like a juggler’s assistant I produced the props, then silent and attentive I waited on my cue.” (duMaurier 13) The narrator despised working for the domineering Mrs. Van Hoper but, she had no choice. After all hope was lost, she had got closer acquainted to the Mr. de Winter. After a couple days in Monte Carlo Maxim asked for the narrators hand in marriage and took her away to Manderley. This is just the start of
Miss DeSantis
English III CP
17 April 2012
A Life Jumping Through Hoops Throughout history, in many novels the main character can be portrayed in many ways. In the novel Rebecca, by Daphne duMaurier, the unnamed narrator has her life changed many times throughout the plot. In the story the narrator starts out being an assistant, soon after this she gets whipped off her feet by the notorious man Maxim de Winter. She goes from having nothing, to living an extravagant lifestyle in the well known Manderley. Though going through this transition, it comes at a great cost. In this novel the narrator’s life gets changed in many ways by Manderley and the people that inhabit it. In the beginning of the novel, the narrator has a flashback of how she was in Manderley. The narrator flashes back to memories of Manderley because her life was changed drastically in many ways there. The narrator opens the story by saying, “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” (duMaurier 1) The unnamed narrator had dreamt how she was at Manderley once again. She remembered the peaceful lifestyle there but, she also remembered the difficulties that she went through. This flashback is important to the whole novel because it shows how important Manderley was because it changed the narrator’s whole life. As the plot moves on the story begins in Monte Carlo. The narrator lives the life of an assistant to the nasty Mrs. Van Hoper. Mrs. Van Hoper has her companion jumping through hoops to help her find out the latest gossip. The narrator says, “Like a juggler’s assistant I produced the props, then silent and attentive I waited on my cue.” (duMaurier 13) The narrator despised working for the domineering Mrs. Van Hoper but, she had no choice. After all hope was lost, she had got closer acquainted to the Mr. de Winter. After a couple days in Monte Carlo Maxim asked for the narrators hand in marriage and took her away to Manderley. This is just the start of
Cited: duMaurier, Daphne. Rebecca. New York: Doubleday & Comapany, 1938. Print. Moss, Joyce and George Wilson, eds. “Rebecca”. Literature and Its Times. volume 3. Detroit: Gale, 1997. Print “Rebecca.” Masterplots. 4thed. Salem Press. November 2010. Web. 30 March 2012.