12-12-2007, 11:35 PM
Rebecca, it appears, had a long time to wait for Maxim's return. She had planned to meet with Jack and it's unclear what she would have told him and how her plans would have differed had he met with her. But in the interval, she must have been thinking hard. She might not have thought too far into the future, but if she knew she could goad Maxim into killing her, she would have been freed from a painful death. She must also have known that he would stand accused for murder. She would not have expected him to kill her and make it look like suicide. (I'm surprised she didn't commit suicide and make it look like murder.) She was very selfish and she tortured Maxim in little ways with her indecent behaviour.
Mrs. Danvers was extremely devoted to Rebecca and Jack and instead of seeing them as spoiled, selfish children who never really matured into responsible adults, she excused them for their high spirits. I, too, felt the narrator was such a weakling (and that irritated me). But I don't think she could have fired Mrs. Danvers because Maxim's guilt would not have allowed him to let her go.
But how did you feel about the fact that Maxim committed murder? Never mind that in the end, he did Rebecca a service. I have not run across another Gothic in which the "hero" (he may not have been heroic but he is the only hero of the story) is actually guilty of the crime of murder. The narrator shows her love by standing solidly beside him when she knew the truth. But what does that say about her character?
Mrs. Danvers was extremely devoted to Rebecca and Jack and instead of seeing them as spoiled, selfish children who never really matured into responsible adults, she excused them for their high spirits. I, too, felt the narrator was such a weakling (and that irritated me). But I don't think she could have fired Mrs. Danvers because Maxim's guilt would not have allowed him to let her go.
But how did you feel about the fact that Maxim committed murder? Never mind that in the end, he did Rebecca a service. I have not run across another Gothic in which the "hero" (he may not have been heroic but he is the only hero of the story) is actually guilty of the crime of murder. The narrator shows her love by standing solidly beside him when she knew the truth. But what does that say about her character?