Reading & Writing Workshop: Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca
Memory, Identity, and the Shadow of the Past
Overview
Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca (1938) revives Gothic traditions through a modern lens. In this suspenseful first-person narrative, an unnamed heroine struggles against the haunting presence of her husband’s deceased first wife and the suffocating atmosphere of Manderley, a house alive with memory.
Students will examine how du Maurier blends psychological realism with Gothic mystery to explore identity, obsession, and social hierarchy.
Workshop Objectives
Students will:
Summarizer
Reviews key events and contextual details.
Tone Tracker
Analyzes diction and imagery contributing to suspense.
Evidence Finder
Locates quotations illustrating Gothic tension or character conflict.
Connector
Links the novel’s themes to Romantic and Gothic predecessors (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights).
Session 1: The Dream of Manderley — “The Past That Will Not Die”
Mini-Lecture Topics
Excerpt (Opening Paragraph)
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me. There was a strange hush in the air, a sense of expectation, as though the place itself watched and waited. Moonlight shone upon the grey stone of the house, and I could see the windows unshuttered, like eyes that once had guarded secrets.”
Group Discussion Tasks
In one paragraph, explain how du Maurier uses imagery of setting to evoke both nostalgia and dread. Use two textual phrases for support.
Session 2: Arrival and Inferiority — “The Second Mrs. de Winter”
Mini-Lecture Topics
Excerpt (Early Chapters, Arrival at Manderley)
“I knew I was not the kind of woman for Manderley. The hall seemed to rise up and mock me, whispering of Rebecca’s grace, Rebecca’s poise. Even the flowers in the vases looked arranged as she would have arranged them. I felt like a child playing at being grown-up.”
Group Discussion Tasks
Analyze how du Maurier presents social hierarchy as a source of psychological fear. Use one example of setting and one of dialogue.
Session 3: The Shadow of Rebecca — “A Presence in Absence”
Mini-Lecture Topics
Excerpt (Mid-Novel, Rebecca’s Influence)
“Her bedroom was perfumed still with her scent, heavy and sweet, clinging like a memory that would not fade. Her brushes lay upon the dressing-table, each hair gleaming in the light. I touched the back of a chair and drew away quickly—it was as though she might return and find me there.”
Group Discussion Tasks
In a paragraph, explain how du Maurier uses sensory description to blur boundaries between the living and the dead.
Session 4: The Costume Ball — “Becoming the Ghost”
Mini-Lecture Topics
Excerpt (The Ball Scene)
“He looked at me as though he had seen a ghost. The smile faded from his lips, and all the color drained from his face. ‘What the devil made you do that?’ he said. I did not answer; I knew now why they stared—Rebecca had worn the same gown.”
Group Discussion Tasks
Discuss how du Maurier uses irony and visual imagery to expose the narrator’s vulnerability. Include at least one quoted phrase.
Session 5: Confession and Fire — “Truth and Liberation”
Mini-Lecture Topics
Excerpt (Final Chapters)
“The wind came from the sea, wild and salt, driving before it a cloud of smoke that hung low across the sky. ‘Look,’ he said, pointing. I saw the glow on the horizon. Manderley was burning, the windows red like eyes. The house was dying, and with it the past that had ruled us both.’
Group Discussion Tasks
Write a paragraph explaining how du Maurier uses destruction to achieve both closure and ambiguity. Reference tone and imagery.
Session 6: Writing the Gothic Analysis Essay — “Memory, Power, and Perception”
Mini-Lesson
Each group responds to:
“How does du Maurier use Gothic conventions to examine the relationship between memory and identity in Rebecca?”
AP Literature Rubric Alignment:
In many Gothic novels, the setting reflects the psychological state of the narrator. In a well-written essay, analyze how du Maurier uses Manderley’s imagery to explore the narrator’s internal conflict and transformation.
Students complete a 40-minute essay, followed by peer evaluation and revision.
Assessment Options
Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca (1938). Text excerpts used under U.S. educational fair-use guidelines. Public reference edition available via the Internet Archive:
https://archive.org/details/rebecca_202112
Memory, Identity, and the Shadow of the Past
Overview
Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca (1938) revives Gothic traditions through a modern lens. In this suspenseful first-person narrative, an unnamed heroine struggles against the haunting presence of her husband’s deceased first wife and the suffocating atmosphere of Manderley, a house alive with memory.
Students will examine how du Maurier blends psychological realism with Gothic mystery to explore identity, obsession, and social hierarchy.
Workshop Objectives
Students will:
- Identify Gothic conventions in a modern psychological context.
- Analyze narrative voice, tone, and symbolism in the text.
- Evaluate how memory and jealousy shape perception.
- Write analytical essays demonstrating AP-level evidence and commentary.
Summarizer
Reviews key events and contextual details.
Tone Tracker
Analyzes diction and imagery contributing to suspense.
Evidence Finder
Locates quotations illustrating Gothic tension or character conflict.
Connector
Links the novel’s themes to Romantic and Gothic predecessors (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights).
Session 1: The Dream of Manderley — “The Past That Will Not Die”
Mini-Lecture Topics
- The legacy of the Gothic estate and its symbolism.
- Dreams and memory as framing devices.
- Tone, mood, and first-person narration.
Excerpt (Opening Paragraph)
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me. There was a strange hush in the air, a sense of expectation, as though the place itself watched and waited. Moonlight shone upon the grey stone of the house, and I could see the windows unshuttered, like eyes that once had guarded secrets.”
Group Discussion Tasks
- Group 1: How does du Maurier immediately establish mood?
- Group 2: Identify diction that blurs dream and reality.
- Group 3: What does the description of Manderley suggest about memory and loss?
- Group 4: Compare this opening to the frame narration of The Turn of the Screw.
In one paragraph, explain how du Maurier uses imagery of setting to evoke both nostalgia and dread. Use two textual phrases for support.
Session 2: Arrival and Inferiority — “The Second Mrs. de Winter”
Mini-Lecture Topics
- Gothic heroines and the theme of powerlessness.
- Social class and psychological intimidation.
- Characterization through interior monologue.
Excerpt (Early Chapters, Arrival at Manderley)
“I knew I was not the kind of woman for Manderley. The hall seemed to rise up and mock me, whispering of Rebecca’s grace, Rebecca’s poise. Even the flowers in the vases looked arranged as she would have arranged them. I felt like a child playing at being grown-up.”
Group Discussion Tasks
- Group 1: How does du Maurier use first-person narration to reveal insecurity?
- Group 2: Identify imagery linking Rebecca’s memory to the house.
- Group 3: How does class difference amplify Gothic unease?
- Group 4: Compare this scene’s tone to Catherine’s social conflict in Wuthering Heights.
Analyze how du Maurier presents social hierarchy as a source of psychological fear. Use one example of setting and one of dialogue.
Session 3: The Shadow of Rebecca — “A Presence in Absence”
Mini-Lecture Topics
- The unseen antagonist and the power of reputation.
- Symbolism of color, scent, and repetition.
- The dual self: imitation versus individuality.
Excerpt (Mid-Novel, Rebecca’s Influence)
“Her bedroom was perfumed still with her scent, heavy and sweet, clinging like a memory that would not fade. Her brushes lay upon the dressing-table, each hair gleaming in the light. I touched the back of a chair and drew away quickly—it was as though she might return and find me there.”
Group Discussion Tasks
- Group 1: What sensory details create Rebecca’s haunting presence?
- Group 2: How does du Maurier evoke envy and identity loss through imagery?
- Group 3: Compare this unseen antagonist to other Gothic forces (Catherine’s ghost, the Yellow Wallpaper).
- Group 4: Discuss the psychological significance of objects that “remember.”
In a paragraph, explain how du Maurier uses sensory description to blur boundaries between the living and the dead.
Session 4: The Costume Ball — “Becoming the Ghost”
Mini-Lecture Topics
- Performance, identity, and humiliation.
- The Gothic motif of repetition—the living echo of the dead.
- Symbolic irony and dramatic revelation.
Excerpt (The Ball Scene)
“He looked at me as though he had seen a ghost. The smile faded from his lips, and all the color drained from his face. ‘What the devil made you do that?’ he said. I did not answer; I knew now why they stared—Rebecca had worn the same gown.”
Group Discussion Tasks
- Group 1: How does du Maurier transform imitation into horror?
- Group 2: Identify diction and pacing that heighten tension.
- Group 3: What does this moment reveal about power in the marriage?
- Group 4: Compare this Gothic “doubling” to Jekyll and Hyde’s divided self.
Discuss how du Maurier uses irony and visual imagery to expose the narrator’s vulnerability. Include at least one quoted phrase.
Session 5: Confession and Fire — “Truth and Liberation”
Mini-Lecture Topics
- Revelation and reversal in Gothic plots.
- Moral ambiguity—innocence, guilt, and complicity.
- Fire and destruction as cleansing symbols.
Excerpt (Final Chapters)
“The wind came from the sea, wild and salt, driving before it a cloud of smoke that hung low across the sky. ‘Look,’ he said, pointing. I saw the glow on the horizon. Manderley was burning, the windows red like eyes. The house was dying, and with it the past that had ruled us both.’
Group Discussion Tasks
- Group 1: How does du Maurier use imagery of fire to symbolize transformation?
- Group 2: What emotions dominate the final description—loss, freedom, or guilt?
- Group 3: How does the destruction of Manderley resolve the novel’s central conflict?
- Group 4: Compare this ending’s tone to the quiet peace of Wuthering Heights.
Write a paragraph explaining how du Maurier uses destruction to achieve both closure and ambiguity. Reference tone and imagery.
Session 6: Writing the Gothic Analysis Essay — “Memory, Power, and Perception”
Mini-Lesson
- Review key Gothic motifs: the house as consciousness, female confinement, and the persistence of the past.
- Model AP-style thesis statements, e.g.:
- Practice integrating textual evidence and commentary.
Each group responds to:
“How does du Maurier use Gothic conventions to examine the relationship between memory and identity in Rebecca?”
AP Literature Rubric Alignment:
- Row A: Defensible, complex thesis.
- Row B: Evidence and commentary supporting interpretation.
- Row C: Sophistication through insight and control of language.
In many Gothic novels, the setting reflects the psychological state of the narrator. In a well-written essay, analyze how du Maurier uses Manderley’s imagery to explore the narrator’s internal conflict and transformation.
Students complete a 40-minute essay, followed by peer evaluation and revision.
Assessment Options
- Formative: Exit slips identifying moments of ambiguity or identity crisis.
- Summative: AP-style literary analysis essay or creative “new preface” from the narrator revisiting Manderley years later.
- Extension: Compare du Maurier’s Gothic techniques to Hitchcock’s 1940 film adaptation.
Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca (1938). Text excerpts used under U.S. educational fair-use guidelines. Public reference edition available via the Internet Archive:
https://archive.org/details/rebecca_202112