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Themed book group discussion 1: Good vs. Evil
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MysteryMind Wrote:Moving on into the 20th century, as in the case of "Rebecca", the lines between good and evil become even more blurred. Whereas Rochester suffers his wife's existence, Maxim de Winter finally explodes and commits murder. What I find interesting is that in my opinion, good did not triumph in "Rebecca". As Maxim kept repeating in the story, "Rebecca has won". Rebecca may not have been evil in the sense that she committed horrific crimes, but she was evil in her manipulative, selfish, deceitful ways. What do others think? Did Rebecca win?

Interesting question. I wondered about it too. During the final drive home, the narrator has a dream in which Maxim is strangling himself with Rebecca's hair, implying that he is still in her power. And, of course, Mrs. Danvers (who else?) torches Manderley so he loses that too.

Rebecca certainly got what she wanted because Maxim killed her and saved her from a lingering death from cancer. But, in my opinion, Rebecca didn't win over Maxim himself in the end. She would have won if Maxim and the narrator had been separated. But we see in the beginning of the book and several other instances where they are in exile abroad. Although they have lost Manderley, they have each other and their love. Rebecca would have won if Maxim had lost the narrator and any chance of happiness.
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RE: Themed book group discussion 1: Good vs. Evil - by Desdemona - 12-09-2007, 02:09 AM

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