The chapter begins with a car pulling into the driveway while Mrs. de Winter is exploring the morning room. She knows that Beatrice and her husband have arrived; however, she was not prepared mentally or physically to meet them. Thus, she devises a plan of escape. She ends up at a stone tunnel, which leads her to the West Wing of the Mandereley estate. She investigates a room whose furniture is covered in a protective covers, and whose drapes are shut tight. As she pokes around the room, she opens the curtains and realizes that she can hear and see the ocean from her position in the mansion.
This room must be the old bedroom room of Mr. de Winter and Rebecca. It seems as though the the room was covered and sealed shut to preserve what it once was. It seems as though the feelings Maxim had for Rebecca lived in this room, and by bringing the new Mrs. de Winter in, the memories would haunt him. Mrs. Danvers catches Mrs. de Winter in the room and asks her if she would like her to prepare the west wing for her to tour. Mrs. de Winter hesitates to give her a definitive answer and says that she will let her know. Mrs. Danvers informs her that she should go and meet with Beatrice and her husband.
Mrs. de Winter meets three people: Beatrice, Crawley, and Giles. Beatrice and Giles are married; Beatrice is Mr. de Winter's sister who once lived at Manderley. Frank Crawley is Maxim's agent. Beatrice examines Mrs. de Winter and says, "'Quite different from what I had expected. Doesn't fit your description at all' " (94). Mrs. de Winter doesn't catch a break. Every time she turns around, someone is judging or ridiculing her. Beatrice and Maxim don't get along well, to say the least. Beatrice critiques everything she possibly can, including the fitness level of Maxim's dogs. Did the money and power of the Manderely estate affect Beatrice's overall demeanor? Beatrice turns out to be the good guy in the situation. She hated Rebecca and acted like a sister-figure to Mrs. de Winter.
The group decides that they need to go to the kitchen and find lunch. On their walk to the kitchen, Beatrice and Mrs. de Winter talk. Beatrice pops the question, " 'Tell me, are you very much in love with?'" (97). Mrs. de Winter doesn't know how to react, and remains silent. Beatrice quickly realizes that she has made her uncomfortable and tells her not to answer (not that she actually cares!). Lunch goes a lot better than their initial conversation in the morning room. Stories are told, and all is well until Maxim gives Mrs. de Winter a motion to meet him in the hall. As she stands up, she knocks over Gile's glass and creates a mess. Maxim tells Beatrice to take Mrs. de Winter out to the rose garden since, "'she's scarcely seen the place yet'"(99).
Out in the garden, Beatrice explains how Maxim was righting to her all while dating Mrs. de Winter and saying how great she was. Beatrice says that she didn't expect what she saw when she met Mrs. de Winter in the morning, and that she could have been "knocked over by a feather" (100). Then, Beatrice tells Mrs. de Winter that, "'...you ought to do something to your hair.' 'It's so very lanky...' 'Must look awful under a hat'"(101). HOW INSULTING! Poor Mrs. de Winter! After the insulting of her hair, Mrs. de Winter and Beatrice talk about life at Manderley. Beatrice reveals that Mrs. Danvers, "...simply adored Rebecca" (102). She rationalized her ignorance toward Mrs. de Winters in this way.
The men came out to the rose garden, and Mrs. de Winter remained quite. She absorbed her surroundings and wished she could just stay there forever, avoiding interaction with the others. Crawley leaves, and shortly after Beatrice and Giles say that they must go, as well. Mrs. de Winter invites them up to the new east wing to see the reconstruction. Beatrice absorbs everything in the room. She uses her brushes, powders her nose, etc. By the end of the chapter, it seems as though Beatrice likes Mrs. de Winter. She says once more, however, that she is different, "you are so different from Rebecca" (107).
I'm waiting for a description of Rebecca! I want to compare the differences between the descriptions of Rebecca and Mrs. de Winter. It seems as though there was a huge difference between the two, however, as of yet we do not know in what ways they differ; whether it be beauty, intellect, etc.
Vocabulary:
enquiringly (90)- in an inquiring manor
Literary Devices & Important Quotations
Characterization
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
"My faux-pas was so palpably obvious..."
Mrs. de Winter feels out of place! She awakes and joins Maxim in the kitchen for breakfast. She finds a wide array of foods spread out for them to eat. She realizes that she was sitting there for far too long, as the clock struck ten. She apologies to one of the butlers for sitting there for such a long time, and excused herself from the table.
During breakfast, Maxim told her that he has a very busy day arranged for him and she must amuse herself. He also says that Beatrice, a curt, to the point women, has invited herself to lunch with Mrs. de Winter. Mrs. de Winter goes to the library after she leaves the kitchen only to find that it is intolerably cold. When she goes to light a fire, Frith informs her that the old Mrs. de Winter never lit a fire in the library until the afternoon, and she should find the morning room as a more suitable place to relax.
The new Mrs. de Winter cannot find the morning room on her own, and is too embarrassed to ask her way. Frith ultimately ends up telling her the way, but it seems as though Mrs. de Winter feels exceptionally out of place. In the morning room she says that the dog, "...sniffed the air for a moment, and found I was not the one she sought, she turned her head away with a grunt..."(84). Poor Mrs. de Winters is so neglected! Even the blind dog doesn't want any part of her. Will this neglect and cold-feelings toward the new Mrs. de Winter change her attitude and/or her relationship with Maxim? Not really. It affects her psychologically but not to the point where it affects her relationship directly. It causes her to be self-conscious, but Maxim always reassures her whenever she asks him something about her.
She takes notice to the extreme details of the room. She assumes that a women must have designed it because of it's sheer perfection, in her eyes. She notices a desk that letters were to be written at. She starts going through it's content and sees how incredibly organized it was, which all relates back to the first line of this chapter, "I had never realized, of course, that life at Manderely would be so orderly and planned" (80). There were certain pigeon holes docketed unanswered letters, letters to keep, household, estate, menus, and miscellaneous.
Mrs. de Winter is startled when the phone rings and Mrs. Danvers asks her what she would like for dinner that night. She tells Mrs. Danvers whatever she chose would be find; however, Mrs. Danvers detests. Finally, after agreeing on a meal, Mrs. de Winter has to choose a sauce, in which she tells Mrs. Danvers to prepare her whatever Rebecca would have chosen.
It seems as though Mrs. de Winters feels like an outcast in the Manderely estate; the new girl in school. She's trying exceptionally hard to fit in and find her place, but she keeps failing. Although she is the second most important person on the estate, Maxim being the first, those who keep the house in running order seem to abhor the idea that she is there, replacing someone who they obviously admired greatly, Rebecca. I'm exceptionally curious to see the outcome of this rapport between the servants and the new Mrs. de Winter, and to see if they plot against her in anyway.
Vocabulary:
nib (89)- the pointed end of a pen
During breakfast, Maxim told her that he has a very busy day arranged for him and she must amuse herself. He also says that Beatrice, a curt, to the point women, has invited herself to lunch with Mrs. de Winter. Mrs. de Winter goes to the library after she leaves the kitchen only to find that it is intolerably cold. When she goes to light a fire, Frith informs her that the old Mrs. de Winter never lit a fire in the library until the afternoon, and she should find the morning room as a more suitable place to relax.
The new Mrs. de Winter cannot find the morning room on her own, and is too embarrassed to ask her way. Frith ultimately ends up telling her the way, but it seems as though Mrs. de Winter feels exceptionally out of place. In the morning room she says that the dog, "...sniffed the air for a moment, and found I was not the one she sought, she turned her head away with a grunt..."(84). Poor Mrs. de Winters is so neglected! Even the blind dog doesn't want any part of her. Will this neglect and cold-feelings toward the new Mrs. de Winter change her attitude and/or her relationship with Maxim? Not really. It affects her psychologically but not to the point where it affects her relationship directly. It causes her to be self-conscious, but Maxim always reassures her whenever she asks him something about her.
She takes notice to the extreme details of the room. She assumes that a women must have designed it because of it's sheer perfection, in her eyes. She notices a desk that letters were to be written at. She starts going through it's content and sees how incredibly organized it was, which all relates back to the first line of this chapter, "I had never realized, of course, that life at Manderely would be so orderly and planned" (80). There were certain pigeon holes docketed unanswered letters, letters to keep, household, estate, menus, and miscellaneous.
Mrs. de Winter is startled when the phone rings and Mrs. Danvers asks her what she would like for dinner that night. She tells Mrs. Danvers whatever she chose would be find; however, Mrs. Danvers detests. Finally, after agreeing on a meal, Mrs. de Winter has to choose a sauce, in which she tells Mrs. Danvers to prepare her whatever Rebecca would have chosen.
It seems as though Mrs. de Winters feels like an outcast in the Manderely estate; the new girl in school. She's trying exceptionally hard to fit in and find her place, but she keeps failing. Although she is the second most important person on the estate, Maxim being the first, those who keep the house in running order seem to abhor the idea that she is there, replacing someone who they obviously admired greatly, Rebecca. I'm exceptionally curious to see the outcome of this rapport between the servants and the new Mrs. de Winter, and to see if they plot against her in anyway.
Vocabulary:
nib (89)- the pointed end of a pen
Sunday, May 11, 2014
"...I looked upon rain as an omen of ill-will..." (63).
Chapter seven is the transition from Mrs. de Winter's old life into her new one at the Manderely estate. The beginning of the chapter is the drive to Manderely; the transition from the rainy, ugly-weathered London, to the sun stricken, beautiful Manderley. The car ride to Manderely is a stomach jerking, nervous filled ride for Mrs. de Winter. She's afraid of the unknown, and scared of what is to come. She worries that Manderely won't be like the picture-perfect postcard that she had once seen. Foreshadowing, for sure!
They arrive at the gates of Manderely and drive the long curvy, gravel road to the Manderely estate. Once arrived, the couple is greeted by a group of people who want to meet the new Mrs. de Winter. Mrs. Danvers is to blame for the gathering, and from the description Mrs. de Winter gives of her, she seems as though she is going to cause many problems throughout: "prominent cheek bones, hollow eyes gave her a skull's face, parchment-white, set on a skeleton's frame" (67). Could this deathly description of Mrs. Danvers signify a deathly out come in terms of their new relationship? Well, perhaps, it could signify the death of the Manderley estate that Mrs. Danvers caused.
The newly weds go to the library to enjoy some tea, while Mr. de Winter catches up with the mail that he had missed while he was away. Frith enters and tells Mr. de Winter than Mrs. Danvers would like for Mrs. de Winter to view her new room, which has just recently been reconstructed in the east wing of the Manderley estate. Mr. de Winter sends her along.
She meets Mrs. Danvers, who shows her new room. From this room, you cannot hear nor see the ocean, which Mrs. de Winter does not like. Mrs. Danvers expresses anger through her dialogue, emphasizing that you cannot hear or see the ocean. She also reveals that the rooms on the side of the wing that Mrs. de Winter will be staying have never been used for rooms before until just recently when Mr. de Winter wrote home for them to be remodeled.
They arrive at the gates of Manderely and drive the long curvy, gravel road to the Manderely estate. Once arrived, the couple is greeted by a group of people who want to meet the new Mrs. de Winter. Mrs. Danvers is to blame for the gathering, and from the description Mrs. de Winter gives of her, she seems as though she is going to cause many problems throughout: "prominent cheek bones, hollow eyes gave her a skull's face, parchment-white, set on a skeleton's frame" (67). Could this deathly description of Mrs. Danvers signify a deathly out come in terms of their new relationship? Well, perhaps, it could signify the death of the Manderley estate that Mrs. Danvers caused.
The newly weds go to the library to enjoy some tea, while Mr. de Winter catches up with the mail that he had missed while he was away. Frith enters and tells Mr. de Winter than Mrs. Danvers would like for Mrs. de Winter to view her new room, which has just recently been reconstructed in the east wing of the Manderley estate. Mr. de Winter sends her along.
She meets Mrs. Danvers, who shows her new room. From this room, you cannot hear nor see the ocean, which Mrs. de Winter does not like. Mrs. Danvers expresses anger through her dialogue, emphasizing that you cannot hear or see the ocean. She also reveals that the rooms on the side of the wing that Mrs. de Winter will be staying have never been used for rooms before until just recently when Mr. de Winter wrote home for them to be remodeled.
Rebecca can feel the cold hearted emotions that Mrs. Danvers is conveying to her and she tries to make amends with her. She says to her that she will not stand in the way of the way that she ran the Manderley estate in the past, as she is just there to make Mr. de Winter happy. She then reveals any interesting point about the west wing, as a dig toward the new Mrs. de Winter. She says the room in which Mr. de Winter had stayed in on the west side of the estate was much older, however, twice the size, one could hear and see the ocean, and was filled with old, beautiful furniture. Mrs. de Winter tries to rationalize it by saying he probably wanted to preserve it for the public, but Mrs. Danvers rebuts by saying the public never sees the bedrooms. I wonder why he had his bedroom quarters changed? Would the memories of the time he spent with Rebecca haunt him? Not that I've ever killed someone before, but assuming that I did, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to sleep in the same bed that the person who I killed used to sleep in. Just saying!
Mr. de Winter and his wife chat later on about Mrs. Danvers, in which Mr. de Winter says that she should just ignore her, as he doesn't like her that much anyway. The chapter ends with the two have a divine dinner and relaxing in the library. The new Mrs. de Winter realizes that she's sitting in the chair that Rebecca once sat in, which erily haunts her.
It seems as though Mrs. Danvers had a very strong relationship with Rebecca and is completely closed minded to anyone wishing to take her place. Mrs. Danvers makes the new Mrs. de Winter feel incredible out of place. The sound of her foot steps echoing makes her uncomfortable and provokes the feeling of being out of place. I think that Mrs. Danvers will play a crucial role in the rest of the novel, and even in Maxim's relationship with his new wife. Yes, she does. Just the descriptions of Mrs. Danvers is enough to instill fear in anyone, "A black figure stood waiting for me at the head of the stairs, the hollow eyes watching me intently from the white skull's face" (71).
Vocabulary:
Friday, May 9, 2014
"You can't afford to dream this morning."
Mrs. Van Hopper has decided that her and the narrator must move from Monte Carlo to New York because, "Little Nancy has a threatened appendix and they've cabled her to go home" (46). Mrs. Van Hopper tells the narrator about them moving, only to receive a not so happy response from the narrator. Upon getting orders to go down to the clerk, the narrator decides that the moment is too much for her to handle and she locks herself in the bathroom.
Once in the bathroom, she is mentally going through what's going to happen with her relationship with Mr. de Winter. She plays through their last in person communication and envisions them exchanging addresses to write to one another. While she's sitting on the floor, Mrs. Van Hopper comes a knocking and tells her that there is absolutely no time to waste, she must get moving!
The two women went to the restaurant for lunch, where the narrator was absolutely horrified that their waiter was going to mention something about Mr. de Winter. After lunch, the packing continued. The narrator continually kept going down to the lobby to check if Mr. de Winter had returned from Cannes, only to be disappointed when the clerk told her that he shall not return until past midnight. Oh no, will she not get to say goodbye? Plenty of time to say goodbye - She marries him!
The next day, upon departing, the narrator decides that she can't bare the pain of leaving without saying goodbye. She runs up to room 148, Mr. de Winters and has a conversation with him. She tells him that she is leaving and he doesn't react well. He's upset that she didn't tell him sooner. Foreshadowing: "...and I don't want to go. I shall hate it; I shall be miserable" (51). "Why in heaven's name go with her then?" (51). She responds by saying that she can't afford to live on her own with out Mrs. Vane Hopper. Mr. de Winter asks her to live with him, and asks if, "Do you mean you want a secretary or something?" (52). THEN, "No, I'm asking you to marry me you little fool!" (52). ...I totally saw this coming! What happens next (other than moving into Manderely together, I'm not sure! I'm still on the whole she's-going-to-kill-him train of thought.
"I was to be Mrs. de Winter" (57).
The narrator, Mrs. de Winter, sends Mr. de Winter to go talk to Mrs. Van Hopper about their relationship. Mrs. Van Hopper doesn't take it well and is in shock when Mrs. de Winter goes to talk to her. She's very arrogant, and snobbish, bringing up the point that she lied and said she was playing tennis when Mrs. Van Hopper had the influenza. While Mrs. Van Hopper was getting briefed on their relationship, Mrs. de Winter was burning the dedication page in the book of poems that said it was from Rebecca to Max. "The flame had a lovely light, straining the paper, curling the edges, making the slanting writing impossible to distinguish" (58). Mrs. de Winter seems to fear Rebecca, or at least the memory of Rebecca. Will this affect their relationship in the long term? Will Rebecca, although deceased, create strong tension between the two at some point?
At the conclusion of this chapter, Mrs. Van Hopper says, "You know why he is marrying you, don't you? You haven't flattered yourself he's in love with you? The fact is that the empty house got on his nerves to such an extent that he nearly went off his head. He admitted as much before you came into the room. he just can't go on living there alone..." (61). Reiterating my previous questions, I wonder if Rebecca is going to stand in the way of their relationship? I wonder if after the new Mrs. de Winter gets moved in and settled Mr. de Winter realizes that she isn't Rebecca. ...and in turn she kills him when she tries to divorce her...Okay, maybe not, but I think something significant is going to happen after the new Mrs. de Winter's arrival in Manderely.
Vocabulary:
infinitesimal: extremely small
Literary Devices & Important Quotations
Characterization
Once in the bathroom, she is mentally going through what's going to happen with her relationship with Mr. de Winter. She plays through their last in person communication and envisions them exchanging addresses to write to one another. While she's sitting on the floor, Mrs. Van Hopper comes a knocking and tells her that there is absolutely no time to waste, she must get moving!
The two women went to the restaurant for lunch, where the narrator was absolutely horrified that their waiter was going to mention something about Mr. de Winter. After lunch, the packing continued. The narrator continually kept going down to the lobby to check if Mr. de Winter had returned from Cannes, only to be disappointed when the clerk told her that he shall not return until past midnight. Oh no, will she not get to say goodbye? Plenty of time to say goodbye - She marries him!
The next day, upon departing, the narrator decides that she can't bare the pain of leaving without saying goodbye. She runs up to room 148, Mr. de Winters and has a conversation with him. She tells him that she is leaving and he doesn't react well. He's upset that she didn't tell him sooner. Foreshadowing: "...and I don't want to go. I shall hate it; I shall be miserable" (51). "Why in heaven's name go with her then?" (51). She responds by saying that she can't afford to live on her own with out Mrs. Vane Hopper. Mr. de Winter asks her to live with him, and asks if, "Do you mean you want a secretary or something?" (52). THEN, "No, I'm asking you to marry me you little fool!" (52). ...I totally saw this coming! What happens next (other than moving into Manderely together, I'm not sure! I'm still on the whole she's-going-to-kill-him train of thought.
"I was to be Mrs. de Winter" (57).
The narrator, Mrs. de Winter, sends Mr. de Winter to go talk to Mrs. Van Hopper about their relationship. Mrs. Van Hopper doesn't take it well and is in shock when Mrs. de Winter goes to talk to her. She's very arrogant, and snobbish, bringing up the point that she lied and said she was playing tennis when Mrs. Van Hopper had the influenza. While Mrs. Van Hopper was getting briefed on their relationship, Mrs. de Winter was burning the dedication page in the book of poems that said it was from Rebecca to Max. "The flame had a lovely light, straining the paper, curling the edges, making the slanting writing impossible to distinguish" (58). Mrs. de Winter seems to fear Rebecca, or at least the memory of Rebecca. Will this affect their relationship in the long term? Will Rebecca, although deceased, create strong tension between the two at some point?
At the conclusion of this chapter, Mrs. Van Hopper says, "You know why he is marrying you, don't you? You haven't flattered yourself he's in love with you? The fact is that the empty house got on his nerves to such an extent that he nearly went off his head. He admitted as much before you came into the room. he just can't go on living there alone..." (61). Reiterating my previous questions, I wonder if Rebecca is going to stand in the way of their relationship? I wonder if after the new Mrs. de Winter gets moved in and settled Mr. de Winter realizes that she isn't Rebecca. ...and in turn she kills him when she tries to divorce her...Okay, maybe not, but I think something significant is going to happen after the new Mrs. de Winter's arrival in Manderely.
Vocabulary:
infinitesimal: extremely small
Literary Devices & Important Quotations
Characterization
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
"I'm glad it cannot happen twice, the fever of first love."
Chapter five begins with the narrator talking about her feelings of love. She then goes to check in on the ill Mrs. Van Hopper, who questions her about her whereabouts that morning. The narrator lies and says that she has been practicing her tennis with the professional, as Mrs. Van Hopper wishes she does. Mrs. Van Hopper says that due to her illness, the narrator isn't keeping busy, and complains that when Mrs. Van Hopper asks her to get her something at the market, or complete a similar task, it takes her an ungodly amount of time or she just doesn't do it.
After their meeting ends, Mr. de Winter is waiting for her outside the hotel. The narrator captures the moment and wishes that it could last forever. In fact, she says to Mr. de Winter that she wishes that there was an invention, "that bottled up a memory, like a scent" (37). Mr. de Winter asks her what memory she would capture, in which she replies that it would be the moment they were sharing then and there. [Aw, true love!]
The narrator finally proposes the question as to why Mr. de Winter has interest in her, asking why he has chosen her as a charity case. Mr. de Winter replies simply that it is because she was not dressed in black satin, she doesn't wear pearls, and she isn't thiry-six. This part to me is confusing to me. Is Mr. de Winter just throwing out these traits because he is looking for a more simplistic wife; one who is not in the same sociological class as he, like the narrator? Or, are these traits describing his ex-wife? The narrator also probes more into the life of Mr. de Winter, saying that she has opened herself up to him, but she he isn't doing the same for her. Mr. de Winter asks her what she knows about him, and the most pressing thing she says is, "Why, that you lived at Manderley and - and that you had lost your wife" (39).
There is a good amount of silence, until Mr. de Winter starts to speak to the narrator again. During this time, the narrator feels exceptionally guilty for bringing up his wife and feels like she just ended their entire relationship. Mr. de Winter clears up a few points in a huge speech he gives to the narrator. A huge foreshadowing moment, "Something happened a year ago that altered my whole life, and I want to forget them" (40). What possibly could have happened? It HAS to do with Mrs. de Winter! ..right? Yes, Rebecca de Winter went out to sea on a night that the waves were too rough and her boat capsized. She drowned swimming to shore. Her body was found months later. No, actually, he killed her. He then says that he was indeed at the cliff once before, with his wife. He's exceptionally offended that the narrator just thinks that he is interested in her as a charity case, and gives her the choice to believe what he's telling her, or get out of the car!
The ride back to the hotel is long and awkward, as the tension is so high it can be felt. However, like a typical man, he gets over the fight and pulls her back to his side. He even goes as far as telling her that she can call him Maxim now, as that's what his family calls him. Once she arrives back at the hotel, she goes to visit Mrs. Van Hopper who questions if Max de Winter is still in the building, which makes the narrator believe that she knows about their relationship.
>>We're definitely making significant progress in terms of the relationship between Maxim and the narrator (who really needs a name!). The connections between the characters are being made; however, I question Mrs. Van Hoppers role in the whole ordeal. I wonder if she will soon be out of the picture? She moves to New York to be with family in need. The narrator marries Maxim de Winter and moves to Manderely with him. Perhaps the narrator goes to live in Manderely and the connection between Mrs. Van Hopper is lost there! Nailed it! I hope that it's lost soon - the narrator deserves a reprieve from the enslavement of such a witch!
After their meeting ends, Mr. de Winter is waiting for her outside the hotel. The narrator captures the moment and wishes that it could last forever. In fact, she says to Mr. de Winter that she wishes that there was an invention, "that bottled up a memory, like a scent" (37). Mr. de Winter asks her what memory she would capture, in which she replies that it would be the moment they were sharing then and there. [Aw, true love!]
The narrator finally proposes the question as to why Mr. de Winter has interest in her, asking why he has chosen her as a charity case. Mr. de Winter replies simply that it is because she was not dressed in black satin, she doesn't wear pearls, and she isn't thiry-six. This part to me is confusing to me. Is Mr. de Winter just throwing out these traits because he is looking for a more simplistic wife; one who is not in the same sociological class as he, like the narrator? Or, are these traits describing his ex-wife? The narrator also probes more into the life of Mr. de Winter, saying that she has opened herself up to him, but she he isn't doing the same for her. Mr. de Winter asks her what she knows about him, and the most pressing thing she says is, "Why, that you lived at Manderley and - and that you had lost your wife" (39).
There is a good amount of silence, until Mr. de Winter starts to speak to the narrator again. During this time, the narrator feels exceptionally guilty for bringing up his wife and feels like she just ended their entire relationship. Mr. de Winter clears up a few points in a huge speech he gives to the narrator. A huge foreshadowing moment, "Something happened a year ago that altered my whole life, and I want to forget them" (40). What possibly could have happened? It HAS to do with Mrs. de Winter! ..right? Yes, Rebecca de Winter went out to sea on a night that the waves were too rough and her boat capsized. She drowned swimming to shore. Her body was found months later. No, actually, he killed her. He then says that he was indeed at the cliff once before, with his wife. He's exceptionally offended that the narrator just thinks that he is interested in her as a charity case, and gives her the choice to believe what he's telling her, or get out of the car!
The ride back to the hotel is long and awkward, as the tension is so high it can be felt. However, like a typical man, he gets over the fight and pulls her back to his side. He even goes as far as telling her that she can call him Maxim now, as that's what his family calls him. Once she arrives back at the hotel, she goes to visit Mrs. Van Hopper who questions if Max de Winter is still in the building, which makes the narrator believe that she knows about their relationship.
>>We're definitely making significant progress in terms of the relationship between Maxim and the narrator (who really needs a name!). The connections between the characters are being made; however, I question Mrs. Van Hoppers role in the whole ordeal. I wonder if she will soon be out of the picture? She moves to New York to be with family in need. The narrator marries Maxim de Winter and moves to Manderely with him. Perhaps the narrator goes to live in Manderely and the connection between Mrs. Van Hopper is lost there! Nailed it! I hope that it's lost soon - the narrator deserves a reprieve from the enslavement of such a witch!
Vocabulary:
infinitesimal- extremely small
Literary Devices & Important Quotations
Characterization
Friday, May 2, 2014
"An empty house can be as lonely as a full hotel."
The chapter starts off with Mrs. Van Hopper getting ill, making it impossible for her to leave her room. This opens the opportunity for the narrator to leave and have some freedom that she is so seldom accustom to experiencing. The narrator goes to the restaurant in the hotel where she sits alone to have her meal. She nocks over the vase of flowers on the table and makes a mess in front of the man sitting at the table next to her, Mr. de Winter. He insistently invites her to sit with him, where they awkwardly work their way into a conversation. Foreshadowing!
She tells him all about her life, from her childhood to her current employment. Both of her parents had passed on, her father from a bad case of pneumonia. When asked, she reveals that she is not a friend of Mrs. Van Hopper, rather an employee. Mrs. Van Hopper pays her a yearly salary of ninety pounds to be her companion. Mr. de Winter then takes her on a wild night out. They travel the mountains to a cliff that oversees the ocean. When they arrive, Mr. de Winter goes into a dream like state, where the narrator says that he's unresponsive. I wonder if something significant happened here before? Did someone die there, or was there a happy occasion that occurred there (wedding, etc)? "I was there some years ago, with my wife" (40).
After leaving the cliff, Mr. de Winter talks to her about their day together and thanks her for such a great time. He talks little about Manderley, in fact, the only thing we find out is about the flowers around the premises. Why is it so secretive? It seems as though Manderley is such a sensitive topic to him. Through the narrator's observation, the point is brought up that we don't know why he's left for the time being. Did Mr. de Winter kill someone at Manderley and is escaping the crime scene? When the narrator returns to the hotel, she reads through the book of poems he let her borrow. She also discovers that someone drown in a bay by Manderley: Rebecca. Did Mr. de Winter kill Rebecca?! Nailed it!
Finally, the quotation, "An empty house can be as lonely as a full hotel" (25) is such a symbolic item in this chapter. From this quotation, it seems as though Mr. de Winter is exceptionally lonely and his famous home is only beautiful to the naked eye. It also may be the first clue that the narrator may be moving in and to fill the emptiness at the Manderely estate.
Vocabulary-
despondency (24)- low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage
Literary Devices & Important Quotations
Characterization
She tells him all about her life, from her childhood to her current employment. Both of her parents had passed on, her father from a bad case of pneumonia. When asked, she reveals that she is not a friend of Mrs. Van Hopper, rather an employee. Mrs. Van Hopper pays her a yearly salary of ninety pounds to be her companion. Mr. de Winter then takes her on a wild night out. They travel the mountains to a cliff that oversees the ocean. When they arrive, Mr. de Winter goes into a dream like state, where the narrator says that he's unresponsive. I wonder if something significant happened here before? Did someone die there, or was there a happy occasion that occurred there (wedding, etc)? "I was there some years ago, with my wife" (40).
After leaving the cliff, Mr. de Winter talks to her about their day together and thanks her for such a great time. He talks little about Manderley, in fact, the only thing we find out is about the flowers around the premises. Why is it so secretive? It seems as though Manderley is such a sensitive topic to him. Through the narrator's observation, the point is brought up that we don't know why he's left for the time being. Did Mr. de Winter kill someone at Manderley and is escaping the crime scene? When the narrator returns to the hotel, she reads through the book of poems he let her borrow. She also discovers that someone drown in a bay by Manderley: Rebecca. Did Mr. de Winter kill Rebecca?! Nailed it!
Finally, the quotation, "An empty house can be as lonely as a full hotel" (25) is such a symbolic item in this chapter. From this quotation, it seems as though Mr. de Winter is exceptionally lonely and his famous home is only beautiful to the naked eye. It also may be the first clue that the narrator may be moving in and to fill the emptiness at the Manderely estate.
Vocabulary-
despondency (24)- low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage
Literary Devices & Important Quotations
Characterization
Thursday, May 1, 2014
"Her curiosity was a disease, almost a mania."
The relationship between the narrator and Mrs. Vane Hopper is further revealed in this chapter. It seems as though the narrator isn't given a choice as to whether or not she can deal with her. It seems as though the narrator works for Mrs. Vane Hopper in some way. Yes, she worked as her 'slave' until she married Mr. de Winter.
Chapter three also gives insight into the beginning of the rest of the book. The narrator just meets Mr. de Winter in a tea time snack session with the arrogant Mrs. Vane Hopper. Mrs. Vane Hopper continually talks over the narrator whenever she tries to make a point, as if she is impressing Mr. de Winter. In reality, it seems as though Mrs. Vane Hopper has a huge crush on Mr. de Winter, and or his Manderley home. She seems like the type to use someone for their money or possessions.
By the end of the chapter, after the conversation is ended and Mrs. Vane Hopper is rejected by Mr. de Winter (such a liberating part!), the narrator receives an unmarked note from some mysterious person: "'Forgive me. I was very rude this afternoon'" (20). Obviously this note is from Mr. de Winter. Thus, I can only conclude that he felt the spark that the narrator was trying to encourage. She expressed her worriment about their age difference, I wonder if this will come into play at all in the rest of the story? In addition, I am curious to see if Mrs. Vane Hopper has anything to do with the reason as to why the narrator and I am assuming Mr. de Winter (?) had to leave Manderely to never return again? He was there in search of an escape from the Manderely estate, as well as looking for a new wife. What makes Mrs. Vane Hopper so exceptional (in her mind)? She was the boss of Mrs. de Winter. As a powerful women, who had a great deal of money, she assumed the power in her mind. And, assuming from her flirtation remarks with Mr. de Winter, she's not married? No.
On a personal note, I feel that, "...her unbelievable behaving making a bond between us..."(16) is such a powerful quote in this chapter. Personally, I know how true this statement is. In fact, some of my strongest friendships have spurred from a common rage of a particular individual. I feel as though my generation in particular build friendships and relationships off of the common liking or hating of other certain individuals or 'cliques'.
Vocabulary:
hitherto (16)- until now, or up until this point.
Literary Devices & Important Quotations
Characterization
Chapter three also gives insight into the beginning of the rest of the book. The narrator just meets Mr. de Winter in a tea time snack session with the arrogant Mrs. Vane Hopper. Mrs. Vane Hopper continually talks over the narrator whenever she tries to make a point, as if she is impressing Mr. de Winter. In reality, it seems as though Mrs. Vane Hopper has a huge crush on Mr. de Winter, and or his Manderley home. She seems like the type to use someone for their money or possessions.
By the end of the chapter, after the conversation is ended and Mrs. Vane Hopper is rejected by Mr. de Winter (such a liberating part!), the narrator receives an unmarked note from some mysterious person: "'Forgive me. I was very rude this afternoon'" (20). Obviously this note is from Mr. de Winter. Thus, I can only conclude that he felt the spark that the narrator was trying to encourage. She expressed her worriment about their age difference, I wonder if this will come into play at all in the rest of the story? In addition, I am curious to see if Mrs. Vane Hopper has anything to do with the reason as to why the narrator and I am assuming Mr. de Winter (?) had to leave Manderely to never return again? He was there in search of an escape from the Manderely estate, as well as looking for a new wife. What makes Mrs. Vane Hopper so exceptional (in her mind)? She was the boss of Mrs. de Winter. As a powerful women, who had a great deal of money, she assumed the power in her mind. And, assuming from her flirtation remarks with Mr. de Winter, she's not married? No.
On a personal note, I feel that, "...her unbelievable behaving making a bond between us..."(16) is such a powerful quote in this chapter. Personally, I know how true this statement is. In fact, some of my strongest friendships have spurred from a common rage of a particular individual. I feel as though my generation in particular build friendships and relationships off of the common liking or hating of other certain individuals or 'cliques'.
Vocabulary:
hitherto (16)- until now, or up until this point.
Literary Devices & Important Quotations
Characterization
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