Drama, Suspense, and Mystery: What Influenced Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca A good mystery novel is hard to write. One must have a lot of intelligence, and must know how to twist stories and sentences to make the reader unsure of what will happen next. One author had no trouble doing this writing any of her novels. With life stories and new experiences, Daphne du Maurier makes her stories one of a kind. Daphne du Maurier was a British author whose town of Cornwall, England, marriage to Frederick Brown, and interest of drama, suspense, and mystery became the influences for her wildly popular psychological thriller, Rebecca. The first influence, Cornwall, England, became a popular feature to many stories. While the town itself was not mentioned …show more content…
Du Maurier’s marriage in real life was similar to the marriage of Max de Winter and Rebecca. Her marriage was also similar to Mr. de Winter’s and the narrator’s. Daphne du Maurier was married to Frederick Brown. Their marriage was a friendly one, but not one of love (“Rebecca” 257). “No, I’m asking you to marry me, you little fool,” is not something you would say to someone when you are trying to propose to them (du Maurier 51). Max de Winter said this to the narrator, but never to his deceased wife, Rebecca. I imagine du Maurier’s husband saying something like this to her since their marriage had little to no love in it. Mr. de Winter also wonders if he made the wrong decision in marrying the narrator when saying, “I wonder if I did a very selfish thing in marrying you,” (du Maurier 145). If someone truly loves another person, they would never question if they were selfish in marrying them. This also shows the lack of love that Maxim has for the narrator. Max was not the only person who had certain feelings towards Rebecca, however. The de Winter’s grandmother loved Rebecca more than Max did. This is shown when Gran is talking to Max’s sister Beatrice, “Bee, who is this child? Why did not Maxim bring Rebecca? I’m so fond of Rebecca. Where is dear Rebecca?...I want Rebecca,” (du Maurier 185). This line from the text shows how significant Rebecca was to Gran, and that Gran does not want …show more content…
Drama, suspense, and mystery were part of her writing style. These three characteristics were portrayed in the novel. Daphne du Maurier was famous for her writings of psychological and gothic thrillers (Daphne du Maurier). This style of writing often included drama, suspense, and mystery intertwined throughout the novel (“Du Maurier, Daphne” 520). Suspense was shown when the narrator is given a letter and has no idea who it is from, “Someone knocked at the door, and the lift boy came in with a note in his hand...I opened it, and found a single sheet of notepaper with a few words written in an unfamiliar hand. “Forgive me. I was very rude this afternoon.” That was all. No signature, and no beginning. But my name was on the envelope, and spelt correctly, an unusual thing,” (book p. 19-20). While one can predict who wrote this letter to the narrator, it is not clearly defined, thus adding suspense early in the novel. Mystery was shown in the line, “The thought suddenly came to me that perhaps Mrs. Danvers was dishonest,” (du Maurier 162). This line from the novel shows some mystery because the narrator believes that Mrs. Danvers is up to something that she should not be. There are also some parts of the novel that added all three elements at one time. One specific situation comes to mind, “Rebecca never committed suicide. You’ve asked for my opinion and by God you shall
In Dahl’s short story and in Jacob’s short story, both depict suspense through tone and description. For example, in the “The Landlady”, the narrator stated, “I stuff all my little pets.” This example reveals suspense by providing the landlady killed and stuffed her pets. Furthermore,
Even though some suspense doesn’t let the audience know anything, real suspense involves the audience being aware of everything that occurs. In the essay, it states, “The fact that the audience watches actors go blithely through an atmosphere that is loaded with evil makes for real suspense.” (6) This shows that whenever the audience watches the characters don't know anything that’s going on
The book was very surreal in parts and also intriguing. Duror had been married to his wife for twenty-five years and for twenty-two of them she had been ill. Pressure all around him could have made him commit murder and suicide. Although, I am fairly certain that the author had hidden meanings within the story.
...g their own graves and being shot in them. He then talked about being surrounded by death with no escape. He was foreshadowing the Nazis coming to Sighet. The part about death being around you with no escape meant everyone will lose someone or be around a lot of death, there is no escaping it. He added this because he wanted to show throughout the book they had chances to of escaped. The next example of foreshadowing is when the Mother had a “premonition of evil” and saw two unfamiliar faces in the ghetto. This foreshadowed the evil to come from the Nazis. The two people were SS Officers and the Gestapo (Secret German Police). The final example is on the train to Auschwitz and Madame Schachter has visions of fire. She says she sees “great fire” in the distance. She is foretelling of the crematorium in Auschwitz where Jewish people are being burned.
Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca Rebecca has been described as the first major gothic romance of the 20th century; Mrs. Danvers’ character is one of the few Gothic interests within the novel. Her unnatural appearance and multi-faceted relationship with Rebecca provides scope for manifold interpretations and critical views. Furthermore, Mrs. Danvers connection with Rebecca and Manderlay is a sub-plot in itself, making Mrs. Danvers the most subtly exciting character in the novel.
When you think of crime fiction authors, whom do you think of? One would probably think of James Patterson or maybe Michael Connelly. What about the British woman who has written at least 70 best sellers at the age of 84? The woman whose books are translated into 21 different languages. The woman that when asked if she would ever stop writing said, “Writing makes me happy. I think I would [even] write on a desert island.” Ruth Barbara Rendell is the most famous crime writer in the world. She is known for writing thrillers and psychological murder mysteries. With nicknames such as “New First Lady of Mystery” and “Queen of Crime” how can any other crime writer compare?
Glaspell has created the character of Henry Peters, who is portrayed as a middle-aged local sheriff and husband of Mrs. Peters and who criticizes the women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, on their findings by mocking at them stating, “They wonder if she was going to quilt it or just knot it” (Glaspell 1116). With the given information of the character, the reader is unable to relate the character to the mystery since Mr. Peters himself has not had any direct relationships with the Wrights before the incident. Even though Mr. Peters’ role in the play is minute, this limitation helps move the attention towards the women. Any addition to Henry Peters’ character such as incorporating his past experiences as a police officer would distract the reader and lose the flow of the play.
Bakerman, Jane S. “Daphne du Maurier.” Novels for Students, Vol. 12. 2001. 12-29. Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 Feb. 2010.
Secrets are the integral driving force behind the plot of George Elliot’s Middlemarch. From the first paragraph when a young girl and her brother try to leave to save the world, to when Rosamond tries to sabotage Dorothea and Will, secrets abound. The time period Middlemarch was written about seems to be fraught with the keeping of secrets. The idea of wives keeping secrets from their husbands, husbands from their wives, parents from children, and vice versa is not a foreign thought, but the amount of surreptitiousness is astounding. Secrets drive every decision made in the town of Middlemarch. Dorothea keeps the truth from Casaubon about the reason she married him. Rosamond keeps the secret that she only married Lydgate to get away from Middlemarch, while Lydgate hides most of his past, as well as massive amounts of debt from all he knows.
Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier, is a Cinderella story gone awry. A young, inept, and naïve women meets, presumably, the man of her dreams and moves into a role of higher status at a palatial mansion. From the first, the relationship is troubled by insecurity, jealously, and the specter of a dead wife. The marriage founders under the weight of the issues that surround them. They are unable to truly bond as husband and wife, and their future is grim. While they are able to work through their issues, the loss of the house decimates their social standing. Rebecca is a story of intrigue; however, it is also a story that negates the fantasy of Cinderella to uncover the realities of trust and loyalty.
It is interesting to note that even in the story's opening, before Mrs. Mallard's response has run it's full course, her reaction to the news of the accident which is presumed to have killed her husband is already being contrasted to the one which society would deem appropriate. It is mentioned that "She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance"(pg 275, P3). Though upon discussion of the story I found that this sentence had placed a kernel of suspicion in the minds of some as to the authenticity of Mrs. Mallard's display of emotion, I had taken once, with sudden, wild abandonment"(pg 275, P3) endeared her to me all the more because I felt that it meant she was very much in touch with the workings of her heart andimmediately at their mercy, and this made her reacti...
Mallard supposed to be with her husband by his side and giving him advice she was not. This also lead to the news that they gave her husband had died and she was happy , she felt free. Her sister thought Mrs Mallard was crying in her room or very sad but she was not. “She said it over and over under her breath: Free, Free, Free!”(Kate Chopin 's View on Death And Freedom in the story Of An Hour,1).This was unexpected and weird in many ways . It was expected that Mrs Mallard was going to react differently as she really did. This means that maybe the years she was with her husband she was going to get attached to him but she was not . “Her sister Josephine,reminded us of her conventional thought that women should attach themselves to their husbands”(Kate Chopin 's View on Death and Freedom in the story Of An Hour,1). After that Mrs Mallard wanted her time alone in the room nobody actually knew how she felt in reality. She had a conflict in her life. Mrs. Mallard had her own experiences and thoughts. Love , freedom, and marriage were her things. Maybe she was suffering and she stuck in her mind those ideas and felty all the peace she wanted. She was not really conscious it was between her world and the actual real world she had to face. This leads to her feelings sometimes she wouldn 't love her husband , and sometimes she would and it was all mixed up into different feelings and emotions. When she saw her husband in the door she cried , but it was of happiness not sadness and it was a rare death. We as readers consider that seeing her husband shocked her and anguish when she sees her husband. The doctor eventually said a different thing that the joy killed Mrs. Mallard .” The conflict between Mrs. Mallard’s life and death becomes so irreconcilable that she finally dies of heart disease when she is told that she will see her husband come home alive instead of death in the railroad disaster.”(Kate
Agatha Christie is one of the most famous mystery novelists of all time. The reasons for her success directly relate to her life experiences, whether positive or negative. Without the hardships she faced and the adventures she experienced, her novels would not have the depth and diversity they do. With her success she set the standard for generations of mystery novelists to come.
...Blanche, Mrs. Hale felt the need to misinterpret things to the men, she didn’t tell the truth, hid the bird and stood by her beliefs what ought to be the truth which was Mrs. Wright should not be punished for killing her husband. He has caused her so much grief; it was only natural that the stillness caused her to kill her husband. With the above two characters- Nora and Eliza, they used illusion for more personal benefits but with the case of Mrs. Hale she used illusion to support and withholds information from the men to protect Mrs. Wright.
Agatha Christie, author of the murder mystery And Then There Were None, used foreshadowing and both external and internal conflict to portray the theme of her novel that justice can be served for the crimes that go unpunished. Christie used these elements because she enjoyed mystery and she liked to keep her readers engaged while reading. Agatha Christie is still considered one of the best, if not, the best murder mystery writer today because she wrote the first murder mystery novel and she wrote many more after that that was well loved by people.