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First Tuesday Book Club: Just for girls? Daphne du Maurier's 'Rebecca'

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Panellists sit on set
First Tuesday Book Club: Just for girls? Daphne du Maurier's 'Rebecca'

SUBJECTS:  English

YEARS:  9–10


Gender and its representation is a significant concern for many writers, readers and critics.

Some dismissed Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel 'Rebecca' as a romantic novel, but du Maurier insisted that she was exploring deeper issues of jealousy and power in relationships.

Explore these different readings in this discussion.

This clip is the second in a series of two.


Things to think about

  1. 1.Although published in 1938, much of 'Rebecca' is set in an earlier period, possibly the 1920s. What changes in the expectations and opportunities for women in western society have taken place since then? If you haven't read the novel, read a synopsis online.
  2. 2.The panellists mention two quite different readings of 'Rebecca' — as a love story or as a story of jealousy and power. What evidence is given for each of these readings? What aspects of du Maurier's life seem to be similar to the character of Rebecca? What evidence is there that either Rebecca or her creator might have felt powerless?
  3. 3.Which reading of 'Rebecca' do you think is more accurate? Do you believe it is a love story or a tale about jealousy and power in relationships? Explain your response, using quotes from the program and the book.
  4. 4.Jennifer Byrne jokingly says to Tom Keneally, 'See, women's novels are not so bad, are they?' in response to a tongue-in-cheek comment Keneally made about a literary genre that publishers call 'women's literature'. Do you think that such a category exists? If so, what would be the features of this genre?



Production Date: 10 Apr 2011


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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