Essay On The Gothic Hero In Daphne Du Maurier's 'Rebecca'

479 Words2 Pages
Maxim De Winters the gothic hero. You would think he has it all but in reality he is far away from it. At the same time the narrator takes us through this different world that is through her eyes at Manderley. This Gothic hero has many mysterious and cynical characteristics but its a few that really define him. While the novel takes a sharp turn as we learn the darkness that surrounds Maxim at Manderley. Max has this deep and ever present anxiety of some key phrases throughout Daphne Du Maurier’s novel Rebecca. This constant state our gothic hero is in really takes on toll on not only him but, on the narrator and all of the people around him. Just as Max said “Damn your idea of my kindness and my charity. I ask you to come with me because i want you and your company, and if you don’t believe me you can leave the car now and find your own way home.”. This shows that Maxim can’t take the thought of people pitying him. He just wants to move on but, this curse seems to follow him even after he leaves Manderley. “What makes it so difficult was the fact of your husband identifying that first body, over a year ago”. This moment made Max very nervous and…show more content…
de Winter’s has this father-daughter type of relationship with the narrator. Maxim treats the narrator as if he were his daughter but at the same time he is married to her. “I suppose you are young enough to be my daughter, and i don’t know how to deal with you.”. He even sees her as this young girl but yet still continues to see her because she is the only stable thing in his life at that moment. He is comforted by the narrators company and his dark side doesn’t feel so lonely for a chance. “and stop biting your nails, they are ugly enough already.”. This line shows all the built up pain and anger in Maxim and he lashes out at the narrator in this sort of father-daughter demeanor. The heroine realizes that Maxim ma not care for her as much as she cares for him but, it’s all apart of Max’s withdrawn
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