Rebecca Study Guide

characters and worksheets

the narrator

never given a name

she self consious from a lower-middle class backround

was a pain lady’s companion to van hopper

married Maxim de winter

Maxim de winter

older man

owner of Manderly

widower (rebecca)

killed rebecca by shooting her, putting her in the boat, and drowning her himself

rebecca

beautiful, loved wife

present tourtures narrator

mrs. danvers

housekeeper of manderly

burned manderly

devoted to rebecca

despises narrator for taking rebecca’s place

Jack Favell

rebeccas cousin

rebeccas lover (he thinks she was gunna marry him)

not very smart

alcoholic

Frank Crawley

Maxim’s overseer at manderly

beatrice

maxim’s sister

passion for horses

talkative

Ben

harmless interllectually disabled man

spends time on the beach near manderly

colonel Julyan

magistrate for kerrith

clarice

narrator’s new maid after alice

shy

ch 1

starts with a dream how narrator went back to manderly

uses plants as symbolism

• nettles: irritation

• ivy: marriage

• copper beech: secrecy

• lilac: innocence, obsession, purity

• rhodedendrons: power, energy, beauty

ch 2: comparing her old life to the present

ch begins in the present

now: much more simple life

before: lavish, complicated

ch 2: significance of “trailing in the wake of mrs. van hopper like a shy, uneasy colt

she feels like she was naive and unprepared for the future

ch 2: how did narrator feel about montecarlo and how does it affect how she view’s maxim

she feels pressured, unimportant, and naive

monte carlo’s beauty makes maxim be much better than he is (rose colored glasses)

ch 3: how does her role as a lady’s companion shape how she vuiews herself

she feels not enough and doesnt know where she needs to be

she feels unimportant

ch 4 summary and ch 5 summary

narrator and maxim take a drive to the summit and reflect on the past

this is the summit where he used to come to escape rebecca and her manipulation

narrator mentions rebecca to maxim and he gets irritated but they eventually make up

traits highlighted about maxim in ch 4 and 5

closed off, sweet, charismatic, adventurous, private

ch 5: rebeccas handwriing

she is resourceful, durastic, strong, and fun

ch 5: significance of the narrator remaining unnamed, maxim’s name, and rebeccas’s name

1. bc the narrator doesn like the old version of herself

2. bc he is cold-hearted

3. if you meet her she will name an everlasting impression on you

how author makes suspense

the first and last lines

ch 5-7 summary

the narrator's stay in Monte Carlo continues, and her relationship with Maxim deepens as they spend more time together, though she feels insecure about the difference in their ages and status.

When Mrs. Van Hopper suddenly announces they're leaving for New York to visit her daughter, Maxim unexpectedly proposes marriage, shocking the narrator.

She accepts, and they secretly get engaged, though she worries about fitting into Maxim's world and living up to Rebecca's memory.

Important points from Chapters 5–7:

• The narrator's growing feelings of inferiority and self-doubt are clear.

• Maxim shows signs of moodiness and mystery, especially when the past is hinted at.

• Mrs. Van Hopper plays a key role by pushing the narrator toward a dull future, making Maxim's proposal more dramatic.

• The proposal is rushed and awkward—Maxim is not romantic and almost makes it feel like a practical solution.

• The narrator immediately starts worrying about Rebecca, even before she gets to Manderley.

ch 8-11 summary and important points

The narrator arrives at Manderley and is immediately overwhelmed by its beauty and size, but she feels out of place and nervous about her new role.

She starts to notice how much Rebecca still dominates the house through the routines, staff (especially Mrs. Danvers), and Maxim's moodiness.

As she struggles to adjust, her insecurities grow, and the shadow of Rebecca becomes more intense and suffocating.

Important points from Chapters 8–11:

• The narrator sees Manderley for the first time, and it’s grand but intimidating.

• She is self-conscious and feels she can’t live up to what people expect from the new Mrs. de Winter.

• Mrs. Danvers is immediately cold and subtly hostile, clearly still loyal to Rebecca.

• The house is still run exactly the way Rebecca had it—her presence is felt everywhere.

• Maxim becomes more distant and guarded once they settle into Manderley.

• Early signs of the narrator feeling trapped, compared to Rebecca, and invisible are shown.

• Themes of memory, identity, and unseen rivalry begin to grow stronger.

ch 8-11 rhodedentrons improatn

the wall of rhodedendrons red that are a the gate of manderly act as a warning sign to the narrator

ch 12-15 how she views mrs danvers, rebecca, herself, and favell

danvers: she is god almighty (knew that narrator broke cina doll)

• initially: intimidated, scared, uptight

• now: empathy, symphathy bc she knows danvers loved rebecca

rebecca: envious of her, idolizing her

favell: somethign abt him is uneasy

herself: scrubby, unknowing, immature, childish

ch 16-17 summary

The narrator prepares for the costume ball and, following Mrs. Danvers' suggestion, unknowingly chooses the same costume Rebecca once wore, which horrifies Maxim. After the disastrous reveal, the narrator feels humiliated, realizing Mrs. Danvers set her up to fail.

ch 16-17 maxim wants her to be alice in wonderland, frank wants her to be joan of ark

takeaways: max views the narrator as an innocent child

• frank views her as a strong confident woman

ch 16-17 danvers and the white dress

why suggest the white dress?

to embarrass narrator in front of max

she is thrilled with the reaction as she smiles after the reveal

ch 18-19