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.
It's an interesting idea that the main character was not given a name to illustrate her insignificance in comparison to Rebecca, but I think the absence of a name mainly reflects the main character's own personality. Since the beginning of the novel, the main character has been consistently timid and unsure of herself. As a result, she often fails to speak her mind or act on her own accord. For example, she acts “like a juggler’s assistant,” to Mrs. Van Hopper, only “[producing] the props, then silent and attentive [waiting] on [her] cue” (du Maurier 13). Therefore, the absence of a name for the main character depicts her lack of personality or inability to make her own decisions.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that the possible reason the main character is nameless is because it's symbolizing her insignificance to Maxims' late wife, Rebecca. It foreshadows that the main character will be fighting opposing forces that compare her to Rebecca, such as Max's friends. Since her lingering presence clearly upsets the main character, Rebecca must have been quite an exquisite and sophisticated woman that Maxim loved dearly. The main character and Maxim only knew each other for a few short weeks and got married, and I feel that he and Rebecca had a much different relationship and the main character and Maxims’ relationship can never live up to it. The namelessness only adds on to the inevitable future the main character will face- constantly trying to live up to Rebecca in order to fill the hole in Maxims heart.
ReplyDelete23/25
ReplyDeleteMost of your statements weren't backed up with facts, but you did add insightful ideas and well done analysis.