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Rebecca Dew was the faithful maid of Windy Poplars, a friend of Kate MacComber, Chatty MacLean and Anne Shirley and a hater of Dusty Miller.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Rebecca was born in 1840s probably in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, to Mr. and Mrs. Dew. She was raised there and attended school. Rebecca didn't continue with studies.

Life in Windy Poplars[]

Rebecca Dew arrived at Windy Poplars in 1872, fifteen years prior to Anne's arrival in Summerside, with a bang and a pop, presumably, considering her personality and character. Although told as not being very neat when she first came, Rebecca was a perfect fit for Kate MacComber and Chatty MacLean, the widows of Windy Poplars.

Rebecca milked the red cow, took its milk to Elizabeth Grayson, cared for Dusty Miller (or "That Cat" as she called him), prepared meals and did the dishes, cleaned, and was, in short, a maid of all work. Rebecca abhorred cards and novels, and very much disliked Dusty Miller. She often pored over magazines of rich people.

"Just imagine bathing in a golden tub, Miss Shirley."
—Rebecca to Anne Shirley[src]

Whenever anything of importance occurred at Windy Poplars, Rebecca would always ask Anne if she wouldn't "put this in a story?" Anne could never decide if Rebecca was afraid or hopeful of that occurring.

Visiting Ingleside[]

Rebecca Dew visited Ingleside during the year of 1899. She struck up an acquaintance with Susan Baker, the faithful maid of Ingleside. The two were kindred spirits, either because of their dislike for Mary Maria Blythe, their love for Anne, or both. They called one another "Miss Dew" and "Miss Baker", even during their later correspondences. Rebecca also becomes a confidante of Susan when Susan wished to tell someone of Mary Maria Blythe's faults.

Personality[]

Described as being a virulent Dusty-Miller-hater, Rebecca Dew was quite neat, and provided a perfect inmate for Windy Poplars. Rebecca Dew was a friend of Anne Shirley, although the former often spoiled the latter's pen-nib.

Relationships[]

Anne Shirley[]

Susan Baker[]

Physical appearance[]

"Rebecca Dew is 'around forty' and if a tomato had black hair racing away from its forehead, little twinkling black eyes, a tiny nose with a knobby end and a slit of a mouth, it would look exactly like her. Everything about her is a little too short... arms and legs and neck and nose... everything but her smile. It is long enough to reach from ear to ear."
Anne Shirley descibing Rebecca in her letter to Gilbert Blythe.[src]

Etymology[]

Rebecca is a female name of Hebrew origin and means to bind.

Behind the scenes[]

Portrayal

  • Anke Reitzenstein provided the voice of Rebecca in the German audio drama Anne of Windy Poplars (2009).
  • Elizabeth Patterson portrayed Rebecca in the film Anne of Windy Poplars (1940). She was the first actress to play the part.

Appearances[]

Book appearances

Short story appearances

Film appearances

Audio drama appearances

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