Published nearly a hundred years apart,
Jane Eyre and Rebecca share a number of striking similarities.
Both novels feature Gothic motifs within a coming-of-age story
and are narrated by female protagonists who start out as insignificant, insecure, and innocent.
Coincidentally (or not), the two roles have been portrayed by the same actress,
Joan Fontaine, in two iconic adaptations during the 1940s.
So through these films, we'll compare various elements from both stories
to see if there is more to their connection than meets the eye.
"Do you think I could stay here to become nothing to you?"
"I'm asking you to marry me, you little fool."
After its publication in 1847,
Jane Eyre inspired generations of authors to continue in the Gothic Romantic tradition.
In 1938, the Gothic novel, Rebecca, became an immediate bestseller,
quickly adapted for radio, theater, and film within the decade.
Although Daphne du Maurier never publicly commented on her novel's resemblance to Jane Eyre
it has been noted that she admired Charlotte Brontë’s work.
But is Rebecca just a modernized version of Jane Eyre?
Or is it a warning tale?
Let's start with a closer look at the narrators.
Both novels are told in the first-person,
allowing the readers to experience events as recounted by the protagonists.
The two heroines are orphaned before the stories begin.
Lacking money and position, they must fend for themselves.
Jane works as a governess, while the narrator of Rebecca works as a companion.
They are, by their own accounts, plain and shy,
struggling with many of the same insecurities.
Being around the age of 20 throughout the main portion of their respective novels,
they gradually mature, acquiring self-knowledge and confidence.
The first major difference, however, is that Jane Eyre begins with the titular character's childhood,
and includes other experiences that help shape her self-identity.
Meanwhile, we know little about the narrator of Rebecca.
Her personal name and family history are never revealed,
while her identity as the second Mrs. de Winter is what takes precedence.
This leads us to the Byronic heroes of our story:
Edward Rochester and Maxim de Winter are in their 40s,
own grand estates in the countryside, and harbor secrets about their previous wives.
Their wealth and status make them unexpected suitors for Jane Eyre and the unnamed narrator,
who are both bewildered by the attention that they receive.
Their relationships offer another parallel
in that they are dominated by the heroine's predecessors,
bringing us to the next major element that the novels have in common:
the deranged first wife.
Bertha and Rebecca are shown to cast a shadow on their husband's second relationships.
Barely developed as characters, their roles are mostly symbolic
as they heighten the suspense and torment the heroine psychologically.
Both first wives were initially famous for their beauty,
but later revealed to be incapable of love.
Bertha Mason was found to be mentally ill,
while Rebecca de Winter displays her psychopathic personality after the wedding.
Although their husbands attempt to be rid of them,
they are unable to move on as Bertha and Rebecca continually exercise their authority
through their presence in the house itself.
The imposing and isolated mansions of Thornfield Hall and Manderley
serve as settings and as metaphors for their owner's secrets, imprisoning them.
Jane's initial impressions of Thornfield reveals her apprehension about her new position,
but she later comes to love Thornfield and views it as a home.
The narrator of Rebecca initially has pleasant thoughts about Manderley,
but this changes when she arrives
and everything in the house constantly reminds her of the first Mrs. de Winter.
In both novels, the destruction of these estates coincides with the events
that allow the hero and heroine to be liberated from the past.
In the case of Jane Eyre,
Rochester is released of his obligation to Bertha through the latter's own actions.
In the case of Rebecca,
Maxim is found to be a pawn in Rebecca's apparently suicidal scheme.
The 1940 film differs from the book by portraying Rebecca's death as an accident.
Either way, Maxim escapes official punishment.
It appears that both protagonists eventually find happiness.
However, the conclusions illustrate several core differences
in spite of the similarities in plot and characterizations.
In the last chapter, Jane states that she and Rochester are happy
especially because the ones they loved were also happy.
Jane's integrity, friendships, and independence
enabled her to be of an equal standing when she reunites with Rochester.
They settle down at the manor house and eventually have a son.
On the other hand, Mrs. de Winter describes at the beginning
that she and her husband have entered into a self-imposed exile,
and although they no longer have any secrets from each other,
they live a monotonous existence in a little hotel to avoid seeing any past acquaintances.
Through the flashback,
we see that the narrator's life has revolved mainly around herself and her love for Maxim.
She overcomes her jealousy after her husband confesses his crime,
feeling relieved rather than horrified to hear what actually happened.
In the aftermath, the couple continued to think only of themselves,
but the novel is entitled Rebecca, after all,
and even in the end, they are unable to escape their memories of the past.
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