du Maurier, Daphne. Rebecca. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc, 1938. Print.
1938, modern era, gothic literature. Although it is unclear when this story was set exactly it does give out clues that it takes place in the late thirties from the fashion and method of transportation at the time. This novel also reveals aspects of genre experimentation with gothic romance as an attempt to break away from traditional writing which was a characteristic of 20th century work.
The main conflict in this story is man vs. self. Maxim struggles against admitting to his past mistakes and facing the troubles that come along with it. He attempts to cover up the murder of his first wife, Rebecca, instead of just owning up to his criminal act.
The protagonist in this story is Mrs. de White. She is the narrator of the story. At first, she is seen as self-conscious and timid as she is compared to the beautiful and talented Rebecca de White but as soon as her husband reveals that he had a secret hatred for his first wife, that gives her a confident boost as well as reassurance that Maxim truly loves only her. She is delighted to hear that Maxim killed Rebecca which brings out the unpredictable darkness in her.
The antagonists …show more content…
de Winter, an insecure bride, must overcome her jealousy of her husband’s seemingly perfect dead first wife. Her desperate love for Maxim becomes one of the main problems, as the ghost of Rebecca haunts them both. Another complication is the fact that Maxim was being haunted by the past. Angered by the unfaithfulness of his first wife, he decides to kill her. This decision ultimately leads to his suffering as memories of Rebecca flow through his mind. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t pretend like nothing ever happened. The consequences of the bad decision will affect him negatively later. Another complication is Mrs. Danvers disapproval of Mrs. de White. According to the text, “she is so different from
1938, modern era, gothic literature. Although it is unclear when this story was set exactly it does give out clues that it takes place in the late thirties from the fashion and method of transportation at the time. This novel also reveals aspects of genre experimentation with gothic romance as an attempt to break away from traditional writing which was a characteristic of 20th century work.
The main conflict in this story is man vs. self. Maxim struggles against admitting to his past mistakes and facing the troubles that come along with it. He attempts to cover up the murder of his first wife, Rebecca, instead of just owning up to his criminal act.
The protagonist in this story is Mrs. de White. She is the narrator of the story. At first, she is seen as self-conscious and timid as she is compared to the beautiful and talented Rebecca de White but as soon as her husband reveals that he had a secret hatred for his first wife, that gives her a confident boost as well as reassurance that Maxim truly loves only her. She is delighted to hear that Maxim killed Rebecca which brings out the unpredictable darkness in her.
The antagonists …show more content…
de Winter, an insecure bride, must overcome her jealousy of her husband’s seemingly perfect dead first wife. Her desperate love for Maxim becomes one of the main problems, as the ghost of Rebecca haunts them both. Another complication is the fact that Maxim was being haunted by the past. Angered by the unfaithfulness of his first wife, he decides to kill her. This decision ultimately leads to his suffering as memories of Rebecca flow through his mind. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t pretend like nothing ever happened. The consequences of the bad decision will affect him negatively later. Another complication is Mrs. Danvers disapproval of Mrs. de White. According to the text, “she is so different from