How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
It seemed to me, as I sat there in bed, staring at the wall, at the sunlight coming in at the window, at Maxim's empty bed, that there was nothing quite so shaming, so degrading as a marriage that had failed. Failed after three months, as mine had done. (18.5)
Even today, a failed marriage can be a big source of shame. Mrs. de Winter isn't the first woman to prefer an outwardly successful, but inwardly terrible marriage. What she doesn't know is that Maxim made just that choice when he stayed married to Rebecca.
Quote #8
"She knew I would sacrifice pride, honour, personal feelings, every damned quality on earth, rather than stand before our little world after a week of marriage and have them know the things about her that she had told me then. She knew I would never stand in a divorce court and give her away, have fingers pointing at us, mud flung at us in the newspapers." (20.42)
Here we see Maxim echoing the narrator's unspoken thoughts on marriage. Even though it's no excuse for murder, we can see the social pressure under which Maxim finds himself. Divorce is definitely a big taboo, and shame seems to be a major motivator for his actions.
Quote #9
"I found her out at once […], five days after we were married. You remember that time I drove you in the car, to the hills above Monte Carlo? I wanted to stand there again, to remember. She sat there, laughing, her black hair blowing in the wind; she told me about herself, told me things I shall never repeat to a living soul." (20.35)
We'll never know exactly what Rebecca confesses, but we can assume it's of a sexual nature. Leaving it obscure makes it even more suggestive, perhaps, than providing specific details.