A Ghost in Fading Memory

A Ghost in Fading Memory

~Blog Post 1~

Topic F
April 17, 2015
By Scott Acker

During the first few chapters of Maurier's Rebecca, almost every moment is a flowery description of Manderley in the main character's dream. From the gate to the plants surrounding the house, vivid details create its image. The speaker remembers the house and surrounding property well. Her memories of the place are lucid, even though it is a dream. However, a deep problem pervades the atmosphere. Manderley is overgrown with weeds and vegetation. "Nature had come into her own again" and slowly takes over the lawn and house (1). The forest that is described as troublesome in the past is slowly edging its way back into the property. The speaker's bewilderment over this leads to the conclusion that the vegetation is a sort of blank spot in her memory. She has not been to Manderley in a long time, which is why her mind supplies the vines and weeds overrunning the house. However, this vegetation also shows that she is beginning to lose her memory of the place. Her memories are still vivid and lucid, but are also starting to fade slightly. They have become overwritten by new ones, much like how the house is overrun with new plants. The speaker is trying to grasp onto her fading memories of Manderly, despite no longer belonging there. She is truly a ghost, floating through her fading memories.