Obsession And Insecurity In Rebecca

On the surface Rebecca appears to demonstrate the conventions of the romantic genre. The storyline includes a heroine, who is thinks herself to be very plain “with straight, bobbed hair and youthful, unpowdered face, dressed in an ill-fitting coat and skirt…”, as well as a hero, who the heroine believes is

Rebecca Nurse was one of the most respected people in town and known for being a good person. In the play, Rebecca shows good pride when she was accused of witchcraft. When Rebecca Nurse was accused of killing Putnam’s babies she said, “let us go to God for the cause of it. There is prodigious danger in the seeking of loose spirits. I fear it, I fear it. Let us rather blame ourselves and—” (Act I 26). Rebecca prided herself in believing that Goody Putnam’s accusations of her were false. Throughout the play the accusations of witchcraft became more and more serious once they started punishing people. Though if one confessed and turned in other people, they would be safe from hanging. Goody Nurse prided herself into not giving up people’s names and lying just to save herself, “why, it is a lie, it is a lie; how may I damn myself? I cannot, I cannot” (Act IV 129). Even though Rebecca Nurse was put to hang, she kept with her morals and did not give up other people’s names. She stuck with what she truly believed in even when her life was on the line. Miller showed good pride through the acts of Goody Nurse because she held pride in her beliefs and did not give up on them even when her life was at stake.

(Act IV, 537). Rebecca could have easily went on with her life if she would have lied. Instead, she decided to die with honor, knowing God would be the ultimate judge when the time came.

Mrs de Winter in Rebecca, is a young woman who openly admits to herself and her readers that she is "a martyr to [her] own inferiority complex";

Rebecca Nurse then proves herself an honest character that is well respected through the plot of the story. She is so well respected that even male figures throughout the play respect her advice. This is shown when Rebecca gives honest advice to John Proctor saying “No, you cannot break charity with your minister. You are another kind, John. Clasp his hand, make your peace” (Miller 181). This is important to Rebecca Nurse as a character because it entails an honest opinion that John should just make peace with Reverend Parris rather than fight fire with fire against him. In addition, when Goody Nurse is convicted of witchcraft, Reverend Hale knows that Rebecca is a very honest and trustworthy person and that in the end she would not be convicted in a trial of witchcraft. This evidence is essential when analyzing Rebecca considering the fact that she was able to Justify in the short time she was with Reverend Hale the honest and trustworthy women she is. All in all, Rebecca Nurse manifests herself as an individual who is can always give her honest opinion and is well respected.

     The background of the story gives us the idea of what Mrs. Mallard’s marriage meant to her. We see a picture of a young well-to-do wife who seems to be very pleased with her life. We also get the impression that she was deeply in love with her husband.

Up to this point, the reader might think the young wife was an innocent youth, singing and dancing her way through life, wearing white dresses and driving her older husband crazy. But there is a dark side to her personality too.

Mallard is unsatisfied with the limitations of her marriage, however, like Desiree, she is submissive and believes that the end of her duties as a wife will come at the death of her husband and her freedom will be given to her. Also, she experiences little or no feelings because of her marriage. This is shown when Mrs. Mallard, after hearing of her husband’s death, cries, but ironically she senses a moment of euphoric pleasure at the awaiting freedom in her remaining life. “She saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely.” Mrs. Millard is now aware of things that were not noticeable before such as: the beginning of spring, patches of blue sky through clouds, the twittering of sparrows and the smelling of the pending rain, which may signify the nature of her freedom. Mrs. Mallard would now be able to live her life outside the home and find her identity.

This play could actually have two themes. Living life to the fullest, and appreciate the small things in life. I believe the author wrote this play to show that no matter what the time is or where you live your going to have a routine and the cycle of life. The theme is really developed when Rebecca is at the grave yard and goes back for her day of life. She realizes that she never appreciated things that mattered. The value of this play today is great because it relates to us as it will continue to do so for some time.

Favell, Maxim, and the heroine accompany Julyan to London; the heroine is certain that Baker will reveal that Rebecca was pregnant, thus revealing Maxim's vengeful motive for murder. But instead, it turns out that Rebecca was dying of cancer, and that furthermore she was infertile; she had lied to Maxim about her pregnancy. Her terminal illness now supplies a motive for Rebecca's supposed suicide, and Maxim is saved. He and the heroine drive all night back to Manderley, stopping only once, when Maxim calls home and learns that Mrs. Danvers has disappeared. As they crest the ridge near the mansion, they look down and find it in flames.

As the reader goes on through the story we learn Rebecca was a truly dark woman. Just as Maxim had described. Allegedly, Rebecca had an affair with her cousin behind Maxims back. Rebecca may have been idealized by everyone that met her however she wasn’t what the narrator or anyone, had

Those in the upper class however did not have to work as hard as those in the lower class. All men, from all different classes of people, treated their women the same. Men did not like to give women the credit that they deserved. They also liked to be in charge of them twentyfour-seven. Maxim is no exception to any of these stereotypical norms of the time period. Maxim was born into money and never really had to do any hard work, most things he has were inherited and handed down to him from his parents. Maxim likes to be in control of his wife as well. His first wife Rebecca was out of control. Maxim got sick and tired of having to constantly tell her what to do that his solution was to murder her. When Maxim married the narrator she was still very young compared to him so she had quite a bit of growing up to do. In Maxim’s mind everything the narrator did was wrong to him and made him realize just how young she was. Because of this Maxim very rarely gave his wife the credit for anything she did because he believed her to be too young to do any

Marriage, the central part of the lives of the main characters, is viewed in opposing ways through their actions. Susan's, Edgar's wife, description of what Edgar's love did for her involves the contrasting natural elements of snow and heat, also the elements of

"Against you? Against him and all authority! Why, then I must find it and join it. He does not mean that. He confessed it now! I mean it solemnly, Rebecca; I like not the smell of this "authority. " No, you cannot break charity with your minister. You are another kind, John. Clasp his hand, make your peace." (27-28) She is an example of strength and resolve for those who choose not to confess, even though it means going to their death.

Furthermore, Rebecca reflects the conventions of the romantic genre by showing that the heroine?s first impressions of the hero were incorrect. She had first viewed him as ?hard? and ?sardonic? due to his remarks at Mrs Van Hopper, ?He got up at once, pushing back his chair. ?Don?t let me keep you,? he said. ?Fashions change so quickly nowadays they may even have altered by the time you get upstairs.?? However, following her first breakfast with Maxim, she realises that she was wrong and says, ?I had ill-judged him, he was neither hard nor sardonic, he was already my friend of many years.? The first impression of Maxim only lasts over one coffee with Mrs Van Hopper however is fixed soon after when he sends the heroine a note which reads, ?Forgive me. I was very rude this afternoon.? It is evident that as soon as she receives this note, her opinions of the hero change. She also elaborates on her feelings the next morning when Maxim invites her