The Construction Of Female Identity In Rebecca From The Perspective Of Rhetorical Narratology

Rebecca is Daphne du Maurier’s masterpiece,portraying a romantic love story with gothic elements.Applying the rhetorical narratology of James Phelan,which fully considers the unity and balance of the author,text,and reader,this thesis explores the construction of female identity in Rebecca from three aspects: unreliable narration,narrative progression,and narrative judgments.Through the self-contradictory statements of homodiegetic Narrators,the unreliability of the portrayal of the heroine is revealed.In addition,the implied author uses the words of the heterodiegetic narrators to imply her true attitude,which contrasts with the unreliable narrator and proves the true image of the heroine.Then,through the comparative analysis of the two female characters in the novel,this thesis figures out that the “instability” of the nameless narrator and Rebecca’s relationship is the main driving force for the novel to progress.This “instability” modifies the distance between the reader and the nameless narrator and Rebecca and hence changes the “tension” between the reader and the characters.As a result,the reader and the nameless narrator make distinct interpretive and ethical judgments.At the same time,the suspense setting in the development of the plot enables readers to enjoy an immersive reading experience and construct a real image of Rebecca with a rebellious spirit.This thesis concludes that Rebecca,as a new woman,strives for the rest of her life to escape women’s predetermined fate,and her spirit of rebellion in quest of independence will continue under patriarchal restrictions.