Discussion #4

1. When Maxim leaves for London, the main character feels lighthearted and childish. She earlier mentioned she doesn't feel this way when Maxim is around. Why?

• Maxim is subconsciously holding her back from being herself in the way he treats her. When he's gone, the main character has freedom to be herself.
• Maxim can be overbearing. He expects the main character to be up to his standards, so she doesn't have that freedom.
• Maxim has routines at Manderly, and he expects the main character to be able to handle herself and act how Rebecca did.

2. After stealing from Rebecca's boathouse, Ben fears being sent to the asylum from a traumatic encounter with Rebecca. What do you think happened?

• Maybe Rebecca saw the boathouse as her sanctuary. If she found someone stealing from it, she easily could have become very angry.
• Rebecca seems to be somewhat of a control freak and very straightforward. She may have threatened Ben because it was the quickest, most straightforward solution to preventing Ben from stealing.
• Rebecca also seems to have had a routine, so she may have gotten mad when Ben threw that routine off.

3. Why does Maxim hate Jack Favell?

• Because Jack was her cousin, he could bring Maxim  memories of Rebecca.
• There could have been a past family feud of argument between the two.
• Maxim does not like to bring up memories of Rebecca, and Jack could be a big, direct reminder of Rebecca.

4. When Beatrice and the main character visit the grandmother, what happens? Why do you think this happens?

• Grandma forgets that Rebecca died because of her old age.
• The main character must be extremely hurt. She's been struggling to separate herself from Rebecca, and the grandma has actually outwardly expected Maxim's new wife to be Rebecca.
• Must have been crushing. The main character has been struggling with it for the entire book, and this was the worst reminder.

5. Why is the main character's dress for the party so wrong and scandalous?

• She unknowingly dresses like Rebecca used to. Maxim thinks she did it to mock him.
• Mrs. Danvers was very harsh, although her embarrassment was enough of a punishment.

6. Where do you think Maxim went after the party?

• Maxim was very upset and never came back home to bed. He may have gone to sleep in the boathouse.
• He may have gone out for a drive, as he seemed to zone out and clear his mind when he went for drives earlier in the story.

notes for discussion 3

1. Why do you think Mrs. Danvers has a strange adoration towards Rebecca?

• She was the first one, so there is maybe deep connection between them.
• She was great and special to everyone
• Danvers liked Rebecca taking charge
• She was popular amongst Manderley.

2.) Who do you think the man was that Mrs. Danvers had over? 

• Her cousin
• He called Mrs. Danvers "Danny", like how Rebecca did. 

3.) Do you think the main character's insecurity has improved at all? 

• No, but instead it got worse. 
• She freaks out about the smallest things, like the cupid.
• She makes progress and then falls back, like when she feels that she needs to be superior to feel in place
• She is rude to Frank to try to be superior

4.) Have people been judging her as harshly as she thinks? Or is it all in her head? 

• No, it's mostly in her head. 
• People are obviously judging her, but not as harshly as she thinks. 

5.) What is the significance of Rebeccas old boathouse?  

• It's closed off and dusty, so maybe it's Maxims way of trapping in the past and let them settle and go away. 
• It's weird that she went boating at night
• something may have happened to Maxim and Rebecca that made her stay out there alone. 

6.) Why does Ben stay in Rebeccas old boathouse? What is his significant? 

• He's not biased, so he could tell the main character more about the past than Maxim will because Maxim doesn't want to tell her. 
• He stays because he steals resources from there.
• He knows something they don't, and maybe the people of Manderley treated him badly. 
• He doesn't want to go back to the asylum, so the boathouse is a safe spot for him because he's homeless. 

notes for discussion #2

Group notes for the in-class discussion

1. So you think Mrs. Danvers truly despises the main character?
~ No she feels the the main character is replacing Rebecca
~ No, Mrs. Danvers does hate the main custard character. The main character is just so insecure of herself, that she makes herself believe that Mrs.Danvers hats her
2. Will the main character ever get used to her exquisite new life?
~ yes, but it will be a long transition because she never had this type of life
3. Do you think maxim lives the main character, or do you think he is using her to get his way?
~ he's in his own world a lot
~ treats main character like a child or dog
~ he does care about her but in a selfish way (scene when they first go into they new room)
~ uses her in a way that is convenient for him " friends with benefits"
4. Even though maxim didn't follow happier the the shore were the boat house was, why do you think it haunted him so much?
~ it reminds him of Rebecca, who died in a boating accident
~ The bay could have also triggered memories about Rebecca that might be essential to the plot later on in the novel
5. in the novel, maxim doesn't find the broken window a big deal, while the main character breaks down and cries about it. If the main character seems do miserable, why do you think she didn't choose to leave?
~ The main character is so paranoid about making a mistake thus caught up in her need to please maxim
~ she feels unhappy with herself, not with maxim and life at Manderly, the main character is at a consent battle with herself
~ The main character would lose everything if she were to leave, she had no money, housing, or job

Shadows

Shadows

Blog Post #2

Topic I

April 24, 2015

By Joanna Badillo

            In the novel Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier, Maxim and the Main Character share many similarities to my own life. The similarity that I share with the main character is the feeling of having to live up to someone else who seems to be better than me. As a twin and a middle child, I face a lot of competition to keep up with my brothers. One of the common feelings the main character has is that Rebecca is perfectly easy-going, and intelligent, this causes her to feel that everyone is judging her and saying, “How different she is from Rebecca” (131). I understand her feelings of this because I am an introvert, compared to my twin brother, who is very extroverted and really good at making friends, while I‘m not really talkative and it’s really hard for me to make friends. M older brother, as always prevailed besides all odds against him academically, so I also have to compete with him in school as well. Also, by being in honor classes, I have to compete with my classmates who are quicker to understand information, and in higher classes then I. The main character feels the same way and even starts comparing herself to Rebecca, despite the wide amount of contrast between them. She admits this to Mr. Crawley, when she says she’s “at a disadvantage” and calls herself “morbid, and curious, in a rather beastly way” after she interrogates Mr. Crawley (130-131). Though we are not the same the main character and I same the similarity of living in the shadow of other people. 

Maxim's Everyday Rituals

Blog Post 2
Topic A
April 24, 2015
By Kaeleigh Foecking

     As the novel progresses, Maxim de Winter's mysterious personality begins to develop. In Chapter 10, Maxim and the main character go on a walk and end up getting into a small disagreement that escalates into a full-out argument; Maxim seems to become especially unsettled because the main character brings up memories of his past wife. On their return to the house, "the ritual of [their] tea begins", and afterwards, "the colour [comes] back into [Maxim's] face, [and] the tired, lost look [is] gone." Despite Maxim's unsettled and disturbed mood only five minutes prior, going through the motions of everyday rituals brings him comfort and relaxes him. This develops Maxim's character, revealing his craving for mindless ritual to distract him from the pain of the past. This may explain his previous actions in the novel. Maxim often becomes distant, with a similar expression and behavior to the way he acts after his argument with Mrs. de Winter. In the same way he does after the post-argument tea ritual, Maxim relaxes and again shuts his emotions out in favor of a mindless everyday ritual to keep his mind occupied and unfocused on hurtful memories. This characteristic may be helpful for later situations in the novel in interpreting and analyzing Maxim's behavior.

Simply Not Rebecca

     
Topic C

        The main character is now at Manderley, and she is fighting with herself to accept that she is now Mrs. de Winter, and that Rebecca is gone. She has trouble with the staff, especially with Mrs. Danvers, the house coordinator. The west wing of Manderley, where Rebecca’s exquisite bedroom was, is closed off, symbolizing her lingering presence. When the main character goes after breakfast, uncomfortable and ashamed of being at the table for so long, she goes into the morning-room to do the usual business Rebecca did. When the telephone rings, the main character responds to Mrs. Danvers asking “Mrs. de Winter?” by saying “I am afraid you have made a mistake, Mrs. de Winter has been dead for over a year” because she is failing to accept her new position (du Maurier 86). It is clear the main character is still very insecure and unsure of herself.

       There is a glimmer of hope when Beatrice, Maxim’s sister, comes to visit. After the both talk for awhile, it is shown that Beatrice likes the main character, and she tells the main character that she is “so very different from Rebecca”, which could possibly mean that Beatrice did not like Rebecca (du Maurier 107). Since the main character is innocent, shy, and respectful, it is possible Rebecca was a rude and cold woman, resulting in Beatrice and her husband rarely visiting Manderley. The main characters attempts to be like Rebecca are ultimately failing simply because she is not Rebecca. Her attempts in anything are failing because she is not acting like an adult, like when she hides the broken glass, and later breaks down because she cannot handle running Manderley and being Maxim’s wife since she feels so out of place.

Rebecca's Room

Stephanie Storczer
Blog Post #2
Topic A
April 23, 2015

During the first few hours of arrival at Manderely with Max, the main character is shown her room by Mrs Danvers. The main character's room resides in the east wing of the house, right above the rose gardens. She notices, however, that when Mrs Danvers refers to the opposite wing of the house, the west wing, she places "...an emphasis on the words 'this wing', as if suggesting the suite where we stood now held some inferiority" (79). This gives the main character feelings of uncomfort and confusion. She wonders if there is a difference between her bedroom and the rooms in the west wing which are locked and close to the outside.

Later in the conversation, Mrs Danvers once again implies that the room is inferior, a "second-rate room for a second- rate person"(82). It is soon discovered that the west wing was Mrs de Winter's, or Rebecca's, bedroom. Compared to the west wing room, Rebecca's room, the east wing only holds the main character, making it inferior in the eyes of Mrs Danvers. The west wing has been closed off in order to close in Rebecca, in order to close in what's left of the past. Mrs Danvers doesn't feel that the main character is important enough, special enough to get the room of the beloved Rebecca. Mrs Danvers' feelings only add to the feeling of inferiority that Rebecca holds over the main character. Something about the rooms in the west wing hold a bigger importance, simply because Rebecca owned it.

Performative Literacy

            While reading the Performative Literacy article, I find that I can relate to all traits in a different way, especially in willing to change my mind and appreciating others’ views. Although I am a little afraid to take risks at times because I fear that what I say is too different from what others say and my ideas will get put down, I typically speak out to get different interpretations. I do believe that I have the capacity for sustained focused attention, which I understand can be difficult. I also believe I am a flexible reader, as in accepting if what I thought was true about a text was not. For every book I read, I always go back and re-read a difficult part in the text because I accept that I did not fully understand what I read, which qualifies me as a good reader because I am willing to accept that I either lost focus momentarily or got distracted. I believe that Finding different interpretations and concepts in between the lines of a book, rather than accepting what is there for what it is is something I do frequently while I read. I thoroughly enjoy finding different meanings behind texts. These strategies give me a more in-depth view of what I can do to push myself more while I read. For example, gaining more confidence in taking risks  and accepting a contradicting text is something I must work on. Depending on the text, I read differently because I typically look for deeper meanings in journal entries or blogs or nonfiction novels, versus not really looking for deeper meanings in nonfiction books.

            In class this year, I did annotate novels as I read, but not as much as I should have. In middle school, I was introduced to the concept of annotating but my teachers did not pay much attention to it. I struggled in thorough annotations because I did not want to slow down while reading, but I still liked annotating because it made me think more. This experience will affect my future reading strategies because it gives me more insight on how to properly annotate.

Student Led Discussion Notes

Stephanie Storczer
Mrs Molyneaux
English H Per D
2015/4/20

Student Led Discussion Notes

Ch 1 - 6 Rebecca Discussion (Questions by Joanna Badillo)

1. Do you think Maxim really loves the main character? 

- he doesn't want a big wedding , says he already had one before

- married within 2 weeks

- married out of loneliness, never directly says he loves MC (main character)

- Maxim wants him to call her Maxim instead of 'Max', which was what Rebecca called

2. Why was the main character nameless?

- Who the main character is doesn't actually matter, it's the role she plays. 

- MC doesn't have any of her own opinions / personality.

3. What happens at the cliff?

- MC feels Max has some secrets

- cliff could symbolize coming to an end of something (ie marriage with Rebecca)

- mentions visiting cliff with Rebecca

- maybe symbolizes coming closer to past or coming to terms with past

4. Predict what Mrs Vanhopper meant at the end of Ch 6?

- perhaps she was jealous because MC was leaving her in favor of Max

- over exaggerating?

- may be an element of truth, may know more than what she's leading on to saying. 

5. Why did Maxim give MC the book of poems?

- book symbolizes Max and Rebecca

- book is hanging over MC

- burning of book pages can symbolize the end of Rebecca

Conclusion:

MC has insecurities from Rebecca, feeling need to compete with her, feelings of inferiority, living in her shadow, jealous that MC is not as close to Max as she'd like to be , burning paper was like 'removing Rebecca'. 

Mrs. de Winter’s Internal Struggle: Youth and Confidence

Blog Post #1

Topic D

April 17, 2015

In the novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier motifs developing early in the story include self-confidence and youthful inexperience. The main character, unnamed, faces an internal struggle involving these motifs from the very beginning. Due to Mrs. Van Hopper’s less than encouraging attitude and hurtful comments as well as regular judgmental, age-based platitudes from strangers, the main character has convinced herself that she is “a youthful thing and unimportant,” not worth including in conversation (du Maurier 14). In other words, her youth is a limit obstructing her from the self-confidence required to be social or of worth.

Despite the series of nervous, self-conscious interactions early in the novel, the main character’s attitude changes dramatically when she begins talking to Maxim de Winter. Instead of treating her like a child, as people often had previously, Mr. de Winter not only accepts the main character’s youthful traits but appreciates them. As the main character’s youthfulness is refreshing to Mr. de Winter, de Winter’s honest treatment of the main character allows her to release her insecurities and speak freely. The motifs of confidence and age are central to the main character’s development, as it becomes a major goal of hers. Even though her interactions with Mr. de Winter show progress in the main character’s confidence, there is still room for improvement; despite young and “worthless” at this early point in the novel, but she dreams of aging into a woman of confidence and sociability.

Not the First Mrs. de Winter

Not the First Mrs. de Winter

Blog Post #1

Topic C

April 17, 2015

By: Isabella Hajnos

         In the novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, the main character and Maxim de Winter's relationship grows rather quickly and is significant in foreshadowing the rest of the novel because of how she is treated by everyone else since she is seen as not important by most. They first meet in the hotel they are all staying at. She is downgraded by Mrs. Van Hopper, her employer, and expects to also be looked down upon by Maxim; however, the unexpected happens- he apologizes for the rude attitude he had when they talked. He invites her to lunch with him, and she takes it as only an act of charity, showing her reluctance to relationships because she is so young and immature, as well as inexperienced. As they get to know each other a little more, and they take drives around Monte Carlo every day, she still finds it as only an act of kindness and pity. Still, Maxim continues to be blunt and even says to her that he wants her company, and “if [she doesn’t] believe [him] [she] can leave the car now and find [her] own way home” because she does not understand that what he does is not out of pity (du Maurier 40).

         After they go for a drive and Maxim clearly sees that the main character is upset, he indirectly tells her that he loves her by telling her to “never wear black satin”, as this was something the main character wants to do in her adulthood because to her, that’s how adults are- mature and sophisticated (du Maurier 42). It seems so far that Maxim does not want another Rebecca, who is his late wife. Later, when the main character tells Maxim that she and Mrs. Van Hopper are going to New York City, he proposes. They do not fully know each other yet, and when Maxim tells the main character to call him Maxim while Rebecca called him Max, this upsets her and she later burns Rebecca’s signed page in Maxim’s poetry book. She does not want to live up to Rebecca; she wants a new beginning for herself and Maxim. This foreshadows the rest of the novel because the main character spends most of her time trying to live up to Rebecca and constantly being compared to her. The second Mrs. Maxim de Winter is only trying to build a new life for herself and her new husband, but the constant lingering of the late Rebecca haunts her in her attempts. 

The Nameless Character

The Nameless Character

-Blog Post #1-

Topic D

April 16, 2015

By: Joanna Badillo

One of the most interesting and subtle things about Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is that the main character is nameless. The main character is mostly named as mademoiselle, or talking to directly in the form of you, or in commands like when Maxim asked the main character to sit at his table, or when Mrs. Van Hopper asks the main character to find the letter for her nephew in chapter three. Though the main character was nameless, and it unknown why it is, I assume that her name might be a crucial part of the plot later on. Another hypothesis on the missing name is that perhaps, the author attended to make her nameless, in order to show how insignificant she is compared to, say, Rebecca, Maxim’s first wife. Mrs. Van Hopper points this out at the end of chapter six when she says “the fact is that empty house got on his nerves to such an extent… he just can’t go on living there alone” (60). This might also relate to why the first wife died in the first place. Another hypothesis is that the author simply could not come up with a name that she felt, would be able to suit the main character. 

Reading Strategy Reflection: Performative Literacy

Reading Article Reflection

by Kaeleigh Foecking

When I read, I have many traits of a good reader described in the Performative Literacy article. I can remain patient while reading, giving me the ability to sustain focus, to suspend closure, and to be tolerant of failure and uncertainty. These strategies allow me to pay closer attention to detail to help me handle more complex ideas. I also have an open mind while reading, which allows me to take risks and share my ideas as well as consider others’. Although I already practice the strategies, the documents gave me new ways to advance those skills in my own reading. For example, I will begin to write down questions I have and make more predictions.

I believe I have traits of a strong reader because I enjoy reading. I practice the strategies of performative literacy relatively easily because I like to consider the complex ideas and themes within a text. I can push myself to try different strategies because of this, which makes me a better reader. I read differently depending on the subject by applying different reading strategies. For example, I wouldn't look for deeper meaning in a nonfiction article in the same way I would a fictional novel. But I do maintain some strategies in everything I read, such as annotating.

This year in class, annotating wasn't an entirely new experience to me, as I practiced it for the first time last year. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with annotations because it slowed down the reading, but I enjoyed it because slowing down helped me catch more detail and understand my reading better. I think annotating will continue to help me organize my thoughts and better understand what I read in the future.

Performative Literacy Article Reflection

Per formative Literacy article Reflection

Reading article Reflection

April 15, 2015

Joanna Badillo

           When it comes to note taking and reading, I am more or less a reader with disciplined Literacy. Though I have most of the traits that is included in disciple literacy, I do not have all of the traits needed to be a very able reader. One trait that I do lack is the willingness to solve problems without avoiding them. I am very good at procrastinating which causes me to do many things at the last minute. I tend to read differently for different types of writing. I find myself to be mainly a good reader, because of my ability to adapt and to learn quickly. I am also able to stat my options freely and to have open discussion. Some reading strategies that I might find useful in the near future would be to start recording my reading and writing process. Another would be to learn how to annotate better seeing as I am not very good at annotating in general, and I would like to improve. Annotating has been something I have had to do for a long time, except, I don’t enjoy writing my thoughts or conclusions down, especially in a book. Annotating has improved my ability to make connections in text and it hopefully with helps me improve my writing in the long run. I feel that I am a disciplined reader despite the fact that I lack a few traits. I would like to work on my note taking skills in order to improve my writing. Overall I enjoy reading and I consider myself as a good reader. 

Rebecca Blog Post #1

What is Manderley?
Blog Post #1
Topic G
April 15, 2015
Stephanie Storczer

In the book Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, Main Character leads us through a time where she reflects on the home she shared with Maxim in Manderley. Before the marriage between her and Max, however, Manderley was a special home to Maxim and his past wife, Rebecca. Due to that, the house represents competitiveness between a deceased wife and feelings of inferiority. To Maxim, the house represents things he'd rather forget. He tells Main Character he moved to get away from the feelings, that he'd rather not dwell on the past. The house is memories, not just a house. In real life, however, the house in Manderley is a home, somewhere they've grown and learned and made memories, but now is a husk. The main character could "swear that the house was not an empty shell but lived and breathed as it had lived before" (6). To her, the house was full of life, but after she and Maxim escaped the house, it became a shell of what once was, something that was so dear. The empty shell of a house is "ours no longer... Manderley was no more" (7). It represents strong emotions and memories on the inside, but it has come to an old, husk.

While reading through the strategies and tactics used by literate people, I have made connections from them to myself. I have realized that I possess many of the strategies mentioned, such as: willing to take risks in what I read, learning from the text, monitoring my reading progress, and rereading confusing text. I find that these traits and habits fit my reading style. I often offer my own predictions and interpretations of texts, reread anything that gives me trouble and seek help from someone for clarification, and monitor and summarize in my head what I've read after each chapter. One strategy in particular,however, that I want to take away from the highly literate people is the ability to  sacrifice my reading comfort in order to really get a feel for the text. I don't like entertaining problems and being uncomfortable, so it makes it hard for me to do it.
I read differently depending on what's given to me. I read freely and casually when I read things that I have an interest in or have specifically chosen out. It keeps my interest. On the other hand, I find that I read things given to me for class with a more open mind and a more thoughtful stance in order to really interpret what I read. I have a hard time focusing sometimes though. I feel that this factors make me a good and weak reader.
Since 6th grade, I have annotated and taken notes on novels, so this year was nothing different. I did learn how to take Cornell notes this year, however, and I find them to be tedious and boring. I have struggled with taking notes in new styles, as it makes it more confusing to me than if it was my own. These experiences can help me to perfect my note taking and annotating skills so that I can form a better understanding of the texts. Reading through the literacy packet has helped me evaluate where I am in my reading abilities and helps me to figure out what to work on next.

Blog Prompts

Blog Post Topics (Respond to 1 of the prompts below each week):

A.            Select a significant quotation from your reading; explore the significance of that quotation to the development of characters, conflict, theme, etc.

B.            Explore a significant change in an important character.

C.           Explore a significant relationship’s conflicts or growth.

D.           Write about a motif you see developing--where have you noticed it? What does it seem to be revealing about characters or themes?

E.            Explore the significance of a particular setting (not of the whole novel--pick a specific scene).

F.            Explore the significance of a passage with a lot of imagery or description.

G.           Write about a symbol--how does it exist both literally and figuratively? What does it represent?

H.           Explore connections between your book and something you’ve read previously in English class.

I.              Explore connections between the text and your own life.

J.            What is the significance of the book’s title? What does it reveal about the main characters, conflicts, or themes?