View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does the narrator feel about playing bridge?

2. What sort of woman does the narrator crave to be?

3. From what illness is Mrs Van Hopper suffering?

4. From the woods, where does Maxim say the right-hand path leads?

5. What object is Robert suspected of stealing?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Maxim say is missing from his proposal?

2. What is special about Happy Valley?

3. What is the purpose of the opening chapter of Rebecca?

4. In what ways does Rebecca conform to the genre of romance fiction?

5. Why is the Manderley fancy dress ball so important?

6. What impression of Beatrice is gained in this chapter of Rebecca?

7. What is the difficult position Mrs. de Winter imagines she might shortly be in?

8. Why does the protagonist feel that there is "a strange air of unreality" about her first luncheon with Maxim de Winter?

9. How appropriate is Maxim's suggestion that his wife dress for the costume ball as Alice in Wonderland?

10. Comment on the scene that takes place in Rebecca's room.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Manderley is the major character in the novel Rebecca." How far do you agree with this statement? What is the meaning of its destruction? Why doesn't Maxim simply rebuild it?

Essay Topic 2

What elements of the novel Rebecca do you think are similar to the fairy-tale? In your answer, refer to characters and structure as well as subtext. Does the novel subvert the fairytale elements to any extent?

Essay Topic 3

"Rebecca contains a critique of the luxurious, idle lives of the British landed gentry." Do you agree? Is there evidence of such a critique?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,127 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample