Maxim de Winter
A detailed character break-down of Maxim de Winter from 'Rebecca' by Dauphne du Maurier.
- Created by: ImmyD
- Created on: 13-01-17 12:35
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- Maxim de Winter
- Gothic villain
- married the Narrator for selfish reasons
- to 'blot out' the memory of Rebecca
- to fulfil the role of mistress of Manderly
- homophobic
- 'she was not even normal'
- a sense of being anti-Semitic
- Rebecca was possibly Jewish
- he doesn't love the Narrator
- he is misoginistic
- expects the Narrator to assume a specific role despite her inexperience
- he treats her like a child and belittles her intelligence
- patronising
- paternal figure
- uses women- the nameless corpse
- sexist vocatives such as darling and dear
- keeps the Narrator ignorant
- negative emphasis on female curiosity
- ultimately he is punished for this
- distant, sexless mariage
- loss of Manderley
- no need for an heir
- inability to escape the memory of his experiences
- Bluebeard figure
- he figuratively kills the Narrator
- oppression
- married the Narrator for selfish reasons
- Byronic Hero
- flawed with his controlling behaviour & obsession with Manderley
- need for positive social reputation
- dark secret
- brooding/ tortured
- searching for a companion
- abrupt/ changeful
- outbursts of anger
- manipulative
- sinful
- dominance
- reasonably isolated from society
- flawed with his controlling behaviour & obsession with Manderley
- Apperance
- medieval
- dark
- brooding
- belonging to a different era
- mysterious
- a potential for violence
- masculine
- mysterious
- charming
- intelligent
- powerful
- linked to masks & portraiture
- outer self vs. inner self
- attractive
- medieval
- Victim of the patriarchy
- has to prove his masculinity
- domineering
- exerts control over his wife
- otherwise there is the fear of appearing homosexual
- Manderley= a symbol of masculintiy
- however it has been effectively feminised by Rebecca
- his reputation is what leads him to kill Rebecca
- threatened by Rebecca's refusal to submit
- fear of himself and Manderley being feminised
- threat of lesbianism
- he is reduced to a child
- during the trial
- the thought of losing Manderley
- brief role reversal with the Narrator
- during the trial
- has to prove his masculinity
- Gothic villain
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