12-14-2007, 11:14 PM
MysteryMind Wrote:But how did you feel about the fact that Maxim committed murder?  Never mind that in the end, he did Rebecca a service.  I have not run across another Gothic in which the "hero" (he may not have been heroic but he is the only hero of the story) is actually guilty of the crime of murder.  The narrator shows her love by standing solidly beside him when she knew the truth.  But what does that say about her character?
I've read a couple other Du Maurier novels and her characterizations are quite consistent. I think in this instance, the narrator is depicted as very weak, immature, undeveloped socially. Her actions, thoughts and behavior all bear witness to this. I think she only developed a little because she found Maxim's weak spot. Before that, she was rather useless to him. In the end she was protective of him. (Remember how at the beginning, she remarked that if anything were to remind him of the times at Manderley, he would get into his dark mood and she would have to quickly divert his attention elsewhere.) She had nothing in her life, and it would have been uncharacteristic of her to have just dropped him, go her own way, rather than clinging to him with all her might. She wasn't strong enough for that. It's like the woman who says, "As long as you love me, I will protect you." I'm reminded of many women today who develop relationships with inmates and can't seem to let go.