The Brief Analysis of Suspense in Rebecca.docx

The Brief Analysis of Suspense in Rebecca.docx

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TheBriefAnalysisofSuspenseinRebecca

摘要

达夫妮·杜穆里埃（1907-1990）被视为英国文学史上最著名的小说家之一。

出版于1983的《蝴蝶梦》作为她最成功的作品，由于其神秘、悬疑、哥特式的故事情节很是受读者们喜爱，并因此确立了她作为一名真正的作家的地位。

《蝴蝶梦》不仅被改编成了多部电视剧与电影而且也吸引了许多国内与海外学者们的注意力。

目前为止，有不少从女性主义、哥特式，甚至是作者本身的生活为视角的研究。

然而，除了一些研究由阿尔弗雷德希区柯克执导改编成的电影版的《蝴蝶梦》中的悬疑场景的研究外，对于原版小说故事本身的悬疑场景的研究少之又少。

本文将基于小说《蝴蝶梦》从一些典型的场景与意象出发来简单的分析一下其中悬疑的妙用以及暗含的真相。

第一章将分析主要人物吕蓓卡的形象的悬疑。

从故事的一开始，吕蓓卡就是一位已经逝去的人物，因此吕蓓卡的形象也只能从他人的描述中成型，而吕蓓卡的真正形象也变得愈加模糊。

第二章将从男主人公迈克西姆对吕蓓卡的感情的悬疑，是爱，还是恨，进行分析。

第三章将进入小说故事的主线，也就是最具悬疑的事件------吕蓓卡之死。

除此之外，小说中也有一些暗藏于故事环境之中的具有悬疑的意象。

因此第四章进而分析这些典型的意象帮助我们进一步接近背后的真相。

关键词：

吕蓓卡，悬疑，真相，意象

Abstract

DaphneduMaurier（1907-1990）isregardedasoneofthemostfamousnovelistsinthehistoryofBritishliterature.Hermostsuccessfulwork,Rebecca,waspublishedin1938.Itisverypopularamongreadersduetoitsmysterious,suspenseful,Gothicstoryline,andthatestablishedherstatusasawriter.Rebeccanotonlyhasbeenadaptedintoseveralreversionsandfilmsbutalsohascaughtmanydomesticandoverseasscholars’attention.TherearemanystudiesaboutRebeccafromtheperspectivesoffeminism,Gothic,eventhewriter’slife.However,fewscholarshavestudiedthenovelfromtheangleofsuspense,exceptthefilmthatadaptedfromthenovelRebecca,whichwasdirectedbyAlfredHitchcock.

Thepaperisbasedonsometypicalscenariosandimagesofthenovel,Rebecca.Itanalyzesthecharmofsuspenseandtherealityitimplied.ThefirstchapteranalyzesthesuspensefulimageofthecharacterofRebecca.Rebeccawasadeadfromtheverybeginningofthestory,sotheimageofRebeccaonlycanbeshapedupfromothers’words,andthetruefeaturesofRebeccawerecoveredup.ThesecondchapterisbasedonthesuspenseofMaxims’lovetoRebecca，toprobeifitisloveorhate.Thethirdchapterisbasedonthemainline,whichisalsothemostimportantsuspenseofthestory,Rebecca’sdeath.Therearealsosomesuspensefulimagesimpliedintheenvironment.Thus,thefourthchapteranalyzesthesetypicalimagestohelpusgetclosetothetruth.

Keywords:

Rebecca,Suspense,Truth,Image.

Contents

Acknowledgements…………………………………………...…………….......i

AbstractinChinese……………………………………………...……………...i

AbstractinEnglish………………...……………………………………….....iii

Contents………………………………………………….……….…………....

Chapter

Introduction…………………..……………………………….........1

Chapter

LiteratureReview…………………………………..……………..4

Chapter

TheSuspenseofRebecca………………………………..………...6

3.1TheSuspenseofRebecca’sImage....…...………………….……..…………….…........6

3.1.1PublicviewsofRebecca....…...……………...……………..…….…........6

3.1.2ThetruefeatureofRebecca.………….……………………………..…......7

3.2TheSuspenseofMaxim’sLovetoRebecca..........…………………….….….…...9

3.2.1Maxim’sreactiontoRebecca.……………………..…………………....…..9

3.2.2Maxim’struefeelingtoRebecca……….…………………………………….......10

3.3TheSuspenseofRebecca’sDeath…………………………………………........11

3.3.1ThesuccessivedisclosedcausesofRebecca’sdeath………………………........12

3.3.2TheimpliedtruthofRebecca’sdeath………………………………………...13

3.4TheSuspenseoftheEnvironment………………………….………………....14

3.4.1Thefrequentappearanceof“R”……………………………………….…...15

3.4.2Rebecca’sbedroom………………………………………………….....….15

3.4.3ThelightofManderleyintheend…………………………………...……….16

ChapterConclusion

………………………………….…………………...19

Bibliography………………………………………………………..…………..20

Chapter

Introduction

DaphneduMaurierwasbornon13thMay1907,inLondon.Shewastheseconddaughterofherfamily.Asasuccessfulwriter,hersuccesscan’tbeapartfromherfamily.Shegrewupinarespectableartisticfamilyinwhichhadtwocelebratedmembers.Hergrandfather,GeorgeduMaurier,wasafamousillustratorandnovelistinBritain.Andherfather,GeraldduMaurierwasawell-knownactormanager.Thisgrowthenvironmentexertedanedifyinginfluenceonherlifeandliterarycreation.Shebeganherwritingatfifteenyearsold.In1925,shepublishedherfirstwork“TheAppleTree”.

In1931,shepublishedherfirstfull-lengthnovel,TheLovingSpirit,andthen,herwritingcareerdevelopedveryquicklyandwithhigh–quality.Duringherlifetime,sheeverwasamemberofRoyalLiteratureSociety.Shehadwrittenseventeenfull-lengthnovelsandseveraldozenliteratureworksonotherthemes.Daphnehatesthenoisycitylife,soshelong-termlivedintheCornwallwhichlaysintheAtlanticCoastofBritishsouthwest,andmanyherworkswerebasedonthebackgroundoflocalconditionandcustomofCornwall.Becauseofthis,therehadasaying“Cornwallnovel”.AlongwithDaphnewasdeeplyinfluencedbyGothicliteraturewhosemaincharacteristicsaremystery,terrorandsuspenseinthenineteenthcentury.Thusthemostplotsofthe“Cornwallnovel”aretwistsandturns,themaincharacterespeciallythefemalecharacterwasportrayedveryexquisite,andtheatmosphereisfullofsuspense.Hertwofull-lengthnovelsJamaicainnandRebeccabothwereadaptedandscreenedbyAlfredHitchcock,adirectorwhotakesaplaceinthefilmworldbyhisuniquesuspensefilmstyle.

Inordertomanifesttheatmosphereofthesuspenseinespeciallythenovel,Rebecca,AlfredHitchcockpersistedinusingtheblackandwhitetoshootthisfilm.Asexpected,thisfilmwontwoOscarawardsforBestPictureandBestCinematographyinthethirteenthOscar.ThefilmwhichwasadaptedfromRebeccamadeanindispensablecontributiontoAlfredHitchcock’sstatusintheAmericanfilmdomeventheworldfilmdom.Meanwhile,thenovelhasbeentranslatedintotwentieslanguages,andreprintedmorethanfourtimes.Thisisastrongevidenceofthegreatcharmofsuspenseofthenovel,Rebecca.

TheplotofRebeccaisfullofmysteryandsuspense;itcangraspreaders’attentionfromtheverybeginningofthisstory.Thestoryunfoldswiththeoutstandingopeningline“LastnightIdreamedIwenttoManderleyagain”.Inthefollowingchaptersthenarratordescribedthescenethatshesawinthedream,apadlockedandrustedirongate,theuninhabitedlodge,theweedsandbranchesrunriot,andthedrivethatbecoveredbyribbon.Allofthesedescriptionsshowedthescenesofdevastationmeetingtheeyeeverywhere.Then,thenarratorsays“TherewasManderley,ourManderley”.Itishardtostopreadingthestoryonceyou’vereadthemysteriousandsuspensefulbeginning.

Thenarratorisapoor,inferior,sensitiveorphanwhohadbeentravelingaboutthecontinentasacompaniontoapride,snobbish,Americansocial-climbingwoman,MrsVanHopper.LaterthenarratormeetsMaximdeWinter,theownerofoneofthefamousestatesinEngland,Manderley.Thenarratorisattractedbythecomposure,maturityanddignityofMr.MaximdeWinterandfallsinlovewithhimdeeply.Meanwhile,Maximalsofallsinlovewiththenarratorforherpurespiritinthatmaterialisticclasssociety.AfterthenarratoracceptstheproposalofMaxim,shegoesbacktoManderleyasthenewMrsMaximdeWinter.Theupperclasslifestylemakessheuneasyandthestrangeeyesightofstaffsremindhershouldnothasstayedhereforherfamilybackground.Shethinksthatstaffsalwaysmakefunofherforherclumsy.InthelifeofManderley,somenewsaboutRebeccacametoherearsoffandon.

RebeccaisthefirstMrsMaximdeWinterwhowassaidtohavebeendrownedaccidentallyinabaynearManderleyoneyearago.TheinformationfromtherelativesandfriendsofMaximconvinceherthatRebeccaisacharmingandbeautifulhostess.ThenarratorfeelherinferioritytoRebeccaforherlackinginthosequalitieswhichmakeRebeccasoattractivethatasifeveryonewhoknowRebeccaarefilledwithadmirationtoRebecca.AndtheunusualreactionofMaximwheninvolvedinanythingaboutRebeccamakethenarratorfeelsherhusbandstilllovesRebecca,eventhoughhehasmarriedher.ThethingsthatrelativetoRebeccafillManderleyeverywhereasifRebeccawasstilllivinginManderleyandwashauntingovereverywhereofManderley.Thenarratorcanoftenfeeltheresenteyesightinsomewherestaringatherasadagger.FromMrs.Danvers’seyesight,thehousekeeperwhodevotedsinistertoRebecca,isstillchargeofManderley.ThemysteryofRebeccaandMaxim’sfirstmarriagemakenarratortrybesttolearnaboutthetruthofRebeccaandMaxim’sfirstmarriageuntiltheaccidentaldiscoveryofRebecca’sboatandskeleton.MaximexposestothenarratorthatRebeccaisacontemptibleanddissolutewoman,andhedespisedherverymuchinsteadoflovingher.FacingtheinsatiablebehaviorofRebecca,hecouldnotbearforanytimeandkilledher.ThisstoryendswiththeManderleyinflames.Thissuspensefulendleavestheconjecturetoreaders.

Chapter

LiteratureReview

AfterRebeccawaspublishedin1938,ithasattractedmanyreadersandcriticsabroad.IntheChristianScienceMonitorof14thSeptember1938,theBritishwriterandcritic,V.S.Pritchettpredictedthenovel“wouldbeheretoday,gonetomorrow”.SuspicionwithinDaphneduMaurier’sownmarriagefueledthetense,macabreplotofRebecca,saysMatthewDennison.AsBeresford,J.D.oncesaid,“Rebeccaisabooktemptinglyeasytocriticizeortopraise”.Therealsohavecriticspointingoutthatthecontentaboutthatsocialenvironmentisnotcomprehensiveenoughinthisnovel,itismainlyjustaroundthecircleofManderly.ThegenresofRebeccacontainGothic,feminism,romanceandsuspense.So,thescholarsmainlystudyDaphneduMaurier’swritingstyleandherlife,theGothicandfeminism.However,mostofthescholarsstudythenovelfromtheperspectiveofGothicelement.“ThefirstmajorGothicromanceinthe20thcenturyandperhapsthefinestwrittentothisday”.（DaphneduMaurier,54）RichardKellysaid.Whatlaterisstudiedmostistheelementoffeminism.Theythin