In Daphne Du Maurier’s novel, Rebecca, manipulation, deceit, and dishonesty lead to deception. Mrs. Danvers, the housemaid of Manderley, manipulates Mrs. de Winter into dressing up just as Rebecca had the year prior, which threatens her marriage to Maxim. Rebecca was the epitome of deceit during her time spent at Manderley. She lied about sneaking around with other men, including her cousin, and was pregnant with another man’s baby. Mr. de Winter was dishonest with Mrs. de Winter about his past wife Rebecca by failing to mention he murdered her. Mrs. Danvers portrays the deception and malice that fills Manderley through her actions towards Mrs. de Winter.
Mrs. Danvers attempts to eliminate Mrs.de Winter from Manderley by sabotaging her appearance …show more content…
Rebecca married Maxim for his power, not for her love, which became apparent only after they were betrothed. Upon realizing this, Maxim accosted Rebecca. She told him she would take care of the estate, and they would be the most enviable couple in England. Maxim agreed only for the sake of Manderley, and he gave into her will. Mr. de Winter quotes Rebecca in a conversation with Mrs.de Winter, “‘If I had a child, Max,’ she said, ‘neither you, nor anyone in the world, would ever prove that it was not yours. It would grow up here in Manderley, bearing your name. There would be nothing you could do. And when you died Manderley would be his. You could not prevent it. The property is entailed’” (Du Maurier 279). Maxim tries to be honest with Mrs. de Winter by sharing all of his knowledge and feelings of Rebecca with her. In this quote, he is recalling a conversation where Rebecca threatens him, saying that he must go along with her charade of acting as a happy couple. By keeping up this charade, Rebecca and Maxim will be known as the happiest couple in England, which will bring in business to Manderley. Rebecca expresses her power over Maxim, and shows him there is nothing he can do to stop her. In this scene, Maxim makes himself seem like the martyr, but he was also a …show more content…
If we address the fact that the focal point of the novel is neither the titular, impossibly beautiful Rebecca, nor the starchy Maxim de Winter, nor the assiduously unnamed narrator, but rather its magnificent centerpiece, Manderley, then an entirely new subtext is revealed: a political allegory... Within that empire, two forces had been at work—the exploitative, evil aristocrats represented by Rebecca, and the benevolent but passive ones represented by Maxim de Winter... Goaded into rebellion, Maxim at long last overcomes the evil one, but is too guilt-smitten to lead the empire in any constructive way. It takes a union with the new blood of the working class—the timid narrator who, exploited by American commercialism in the person of Mrs. Van Hopper, initially makes few demands. (Frank
Mrs. Danvers attempts to eliminate Mrs.de Winter from Manderley by sabotaging her appearance …show more content…
Rebecca married Maxim for his power, not for her love, which became apparent only after they were betrothed. Upon realizing this, Maxim accosted Rebecca. She told him she would take care of the estate, and they would be the most enviable couple in England. Maxim agreed only for the sake of Manderley, and he gave into her will. Mr. de Winter quotes Rebecca in a conversation with Mrs.de Winter, “‘If I had a child, Max,’ she said, ‘neither you, nor anyone in the world, would ever prove that it was not yours. It would grow up here in Manderley, bearing your name. There would be nothing you could do. And when you died Manderley would be his. You could not prevent it. The property is entailed’” (Du Maurier 279). Maxim tries to be honest with Mrs. de Winter by sharing all of his knowledge and feelings of Rebecca with her. In this quote, he is recalling a conversation where Rebecca threatens him, saying that he must go along with her charade of acting as a happy couple. By keeping up this charade, Rebecca and Maxim will be known as the happiest couple in England, which will bring in business to Manderley. Rebecca expresses her power over Maxim, and shows him there is nothing he can do to stop her. In this scene, Maxim makes himself seem like the martyr, but he was also a …show more content…
If we address the fact that the focal point of the novel is neither the titular, impossibly beautiful Rebecca, nor the starchy Maxim de Winter, nor the assiduously unnamed narrator, but rather its magnificent centerpiece, Manderley, then an entirely new subtext is revealed: a political allegory... Within that empire, two forces had been at work—the exploitative, evil aristocrats represented by Rebecca, and the benevolent but passive ones represented by Maxim de Winter... Goaded into rebellion, Maxim at long last overcomes the evil one, but is too guilt-smitten to lead the empire in any constructive way. It takes a union with the new blood of the working class—the timid narrator who, exploited by American commercialism in the person of Mrs. Van Hopper, initially makes few demands. (Frank