REBECCA - Daphne du Maurier

After the death of his beautiful wife, Rebecca,

the aristocrat Maxim de Winter goes to Monte
Carlo to recover. There he meets a quiet ordinary
looking young woman who is very different from his
first wife and he marries her. Maxim takes her
back to England - to Manderley his beautiful
country house.

Back in Manderley , the new Mrs de Winter finds

that Rebecca is still in everyone's thoughts-
including Maxim's - and she begins to feel she will
never be equal to Rebecca as a wife or mistress of
Manderley.

Then one day a discovery is made - and the young

Mrs de Winter begins to understand why Rebecca
is still so important to all those at Manderley.

Read the blurb on the book jacket and answer the questions below.

1. Why do you think Maxim de Winter married so soon after his wife death?
2. In what ways do you imagine that the second wife is different from Rebecca?
3. Can you imagine what is it that the new Mrs de Winter discovers?

Chapter 1 : MAXIM DE WINTER

1- Write as much as possible about these people

Mrs Van Hopper

Maxim de Winter

The Narrator

2- Put the following events in order

 She fell in love with Maxim.

 He offered to take her for a ride in his car.
 The following day Mrs Van Hopper was sick and had to stay in bed.
 He told her about his family.
 The narrator went to the restaurant by herself.
 She knocked over the flowers on the table.
  She told him she was Mrs Van Hopper’s companion.
 He invited her to have lunch with him.
Chapter 2: MANDERLEY
Choose the best option

1- The went to Manderley

a- In the summer
b- In the spring
2- They went to Maderley
a- As soon as they got married
b- Seven weeks after they got married
3- Maxim told her that
a- She didn’t have to worry because Mrs Danvers was in charge of the house
b- She had to tell Mrs Danver how she wanted to run the house
4- Mrs Danvers was
a- friendly and welcoming
b- cold and scornful
5- Maxim had decided they were going to use
a- the west wing of the house
b- the east wing of the house
6- From the east wing
a- you can see the flower garden
b- you can see the sea
7- Mrs Danvers had been at Manderley
a- since Maxim was a boy
b- since Maxim got married
8- The bedroom Maxi used to have in the west wing was
a- bigger and more luxurious than this one
b- is now used as the guest room

Chapter 3: THE COTTAGE IN THE BAY

1- Answer these questions
2- Who came to visit them that morning?
3- Did the narrator like Maxim’s sister ? Why (not)?
4- What does she tell her about Maxim’s personality?
5- Why did she think that Mrs Danvers was jealous?
6- What did she say about the narrator and Rebecca?

2- Complete the summary

When Beatrice left, Maxim said he wanted ___________________________________________________. It

was raining. The dog Jasper followed them. When they arrived to the woods there were two paths going in
opposite directions. One led to the __________________________________, the other to a little bay. They
took the ______________________________ and reached a little valley. There were bushes covered with
______________________ and the air was full of _________________________. At the end of the path they
found themselves in front of the sea. They walked on the shore for some time but the dog
__________________________. She decided to climb the rocks and _______________________________
although Maxim told her to come back. Beyond the rocks, she found _______________________ and there
was a man on the beach. He was ______________________________.
She needed a string to tie the dog so she ________________________________. To her surprise , she
discovered that it was _________________________________. There were ____________________________
but it was damp and cold.
When she went out of the cottage the man was ________________________________________ and told her
a few incomprehensible things such as “__________________________________________________” and
“____________________________________________________”

When she met Maxim, he was ____________________________. He told her that he never
_______________________ he added he didn’t want to __________________________________________.

Chapter 4 : THE SHADOW OF REBECCA

Find and correct the mistakes in the sentences

1. She thought that Frank Crawley was very boring.

2. He told her that Ben was a dangerous man.
3. He said that the cottage belonged to Maxim and that it was a boathouse.
4. Frank had never been there.
5. Rebecca’s boat is still there.
6. Rebecca died when she was swimming in the sea.
7. Maxim used to sleep in the cottage
8. Rebecca’s body was found two days later in the shore next to the cottage.
9. Frank Crawley thought it was a mistake that she had married Maxim.
10. She thought that she had all the qualities a man needed to be happy with her.
11. Frank told her that Rebecca was the most intelligent woman she had met.

Chapter 5: REBECCA’S ROOM

1- Say if the following statements are TRUE or FALSE

1. While Maxim was in London the storyteller returned to the cottage in the bay.
2. When she went into the cottage she found Frank Crawley
3. The man was nervous and frightened.
4. He said that the other one was tall and dark, like a snake.
5. When Maxim got back home he met a man in the drawing room.
6. The narrator liked him because he was good looking.
7. He had gone to Manderley to see Maxim.
8. The man invited her to go for a drive in his car , but she refused.
9. She realized that he had gone to Manderley because he had assumed that Mrs Danvers was alone.
10. After Favell had left, she decided to go to her room and rest.

2- Describe what the narrator found in Rebecca’s room

3- Write at least 4 facts about the night of Rebecca’s death

1- _____________________________________________________________________________
2- _____________________________________________________________________________
3- _____________________________________________________________________________
4- _____________________________________________________________________________
4- Answer the following questions

1- What did Beatrice tell the narrator about Jack Favell?

2- What message did Maxim give Mrs Danvers for Favell?

Chapter 6: The Fancy Dress Dance

1- Before you read:

1. What is a fancy dress dance?

2. Whose idea do you think it was to have one at Manderley?
3. Do you think the narrator might find it easy to decide what to wear?
4. Who do you think can help her choose the right costume?

2- Read and find out the answers

3- Describe what happens in this picture

Chapter 7: The Sunken Boat

1- Put the events in order

⃝ While she was having tea Captain Searle arrived at Manderley.

⃝ She heard Maxim say there was a ship in trouble in the bay.
⃝ A diver went down into the water to examine the ship.
⃝ While she was in her bedroom she heard an explosion.
⃝ He said the diver had found Rebecca’s boat and there was a body inside.
⃝ She decided to go to the bay to see what was happening.
2- Complete the summary

When Captain Searle left the storyteller _____________________________________ . Maxim looked

_________________________________. He told her that the body they had found was
____________________________________. He said that Rebecca had not drowned accidentally but
_________________________________________________.

Little by little the narrator began to understand ________________________________________. Maxim

told her that he _________________________________ Rebecca because she was ___________________
_______________________________________. He explained to her that their marriage had been
_____________________________________. He told her that Rebecca used to ______________________
____________________________________.
That night Maxim thought she was ____________________________________________ so he had gone
there with a gun. But Rebecca was alone. She told him that she __________________________________
but he was not the baby’s father. Maxim was furious and _________________________________.
He then put the body _____________________________________________________. After that Maxim
____________________________________________________________________.

3- Answer the questions

1- Where did Maxim and Captain Searle go the next day?
2- What did they suppose happened to Rebecca?
3- Why was Maxim sorry for the narrator?

4- Create a headline for the newspaper story

Chapter 8: The Inquiry

Underline and correct the wrong information

When the storyteller went inside the room the diver was being questioned. He said that Rebecca’s boat was

very old but perfectly fit for sailing. He said that Rebecca’s boat had probably sunk because it was a very

stormy night although Rebecca was an excellent sailor. He said that when he had inspected the boat he

discovered three holes that had probably been made by the rocks.

Chapter 9: Favell Accuses Maxim

Answer these questions

1- What did the judge decide after the inquiry?

2- Why did Favell go to Manderley that night?
3- How much money did he want from Maxim and ehy?
4- Did Maxim accept the blackmail?
 5- What did Favell tell Colonel Julyan?
6- Who did they call as a witness first? What did he say?
7- What did Mrs. Danvers say about Rebecca and men?
8- How had Rebecca spent her day in London between 12 and 3 and what did she do after that?
9- Who was Dr Baker?
10- What did they decide to do the following morning?

Chapter 10: A Visit to Dr Baker

Match the two halves of the sentences
1- The story teller thought
2- Dr Baker said
3- Maxim thought
4- When Maxim phoned Manderley
5- Frank told him
6- Maxim decided

⃝ Rebecca had wanted him to kill her

⃝ to go to Manderley right away
⃝ Mrs Danvers had left the house after
receiving a phone call
⃝ Rebecca had been pregnant
⃝ Rebecca had an incurable disease

After they leave Dr Baker’s Favell say to Maxim, ‘The law can get you yet and so can I, in a different way’

Does he ‘get’ Maxim? If so, how?

At the beginning of the story the narrator says that ‘dullness is better than fear’. Do you agree?

Do you think the story has a happy ending? Give reasons for your answer.

INTRODUCTION: Read the first part of the novel and put these events under the right column. Make
sure you use the verbs in the correct form

THEIR PAST LIFE THEIR PRESENT LIFE

They (live) in Manderley . They (never talk) about Manderley.

They (live) in a small hotel. She (be) a shy and frightened girl.

They (not be) afraid. They (feel) free.

They (live) in England . The sea (be) silent and smooth like glass.

They (read) English newspapers. She (dreams) of Manderley.

They (never meet) English people. The (be) hard and bright sunlight.

They (feel) terror and fear. She (live) with Maxim.

They (stand) in the Happy Valley and (smell) the She (be) a mature woman.
scent of the flowers.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS / THE CHINA CUPID: Who said what? Match the phrases to the speakers

1. “Will your husband hold the Manderley Fancy Dress?”

2. “Did Rebecca use the cottage a lot?” THE NARRATOR

3. “Perhaps I was selfish when I married you.”

4. “They found the body two months later.” THE BISHOP’S WIFE

5. “Was Rebecca very beautiful?”

6. “She was a very clever person. Everybody loved her.” FRANK CRAWLEY

7. “Nobody knew she was sailing. Her boat overturned and she drowned.”
8. “You broke the china cupid, Robert.” MRS DANVERS

9. “It was me. I broke the china cupid yesterday.”

10. “Forget the past.” MAXIM

11. “You must learn to hide your shyness.”

12. “I never thought Mrs De Winter broke the ornament.”

Report the statements and questions. Use the following reporting verbs:

ASKED WANTED TO KNOW EXPLAINED ADMITTED ACCUSED TOLD ADVISED

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________________________________
6. ____________________________________________________________________________________
7. ____________________________________________________________________________________
8. ____________________________________________________________________________________
9. ____________________________________________________________________________________
10. ____________________________________________________________________________________
11. ____________________________________________________________________________________
12. ____________________________________________________________________________________