Student Question
Why is Maxim referred to as Henry in the "Rebecca Epilogue" of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca?
Quick answer:
Maxim is referred to as Henry in the "Rebecca Epilogue" because it is part of an early draft where Daphne du Maurier originally named him Henry. Du Maurier later changed his name to Maxim, finding Henry too dull. The epilogue provides insight into her writing process and is not meant to be consistent with the final text.
"The Rebecca Epilogue" which appears in some editions of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca is part of an early draft of the novel. Though the material in the epilogue is largely incorporated into the text, the epilogue is often published alongside the novel to provide readers with insight into du Maurier's writing process. The epilogue is not intended to be consistent with the final draft of the text; it is simply there as background material for those interested.
One of the changes du Maurier made was to Maxim de Winter's name. He was called Henry in the earliest drafts of the book, but du Maurier later decided that this name was too dull and changed it. Names are of great importance in Rebecca. We see this in the second Mrs. de Winter (who has no other name) and her juxtaposition with Rebecca, whose pervasive influence the title signals. The change from Henry to Maxim is a symptom of the novel's reliance on subtle textual elements to flesh out the complex relationships between characters.
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