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Rebecca is considered to be one of Daphne Du Maurier's best works. The nameless narrator is a new and young bride, married above her station to Maxim de Winter, and coming to terms with settling into her new home. Obstacles in her way are the aptly-named, cold-mannered Mrs. Danvers, her naïveté, and the seemingly ghostly presence of her new husband's wife, who drowned in the very place that the young narrator met her husband-to-be.
Du Maurier's suspenseful piece illustrates divides between femininity and showcases strong characters amidst increasingly shocking developments. The naïveté of the narrator is given a stark contrast by the calculated behavior of Mrs. Danvers, who schemes to humiliate the narrator and destroy her spirit. This is evident in one scene before a costume party in which she advises the young heroine, who is ignorant of social requirements and Maxim’s past, to dress unknowingly in the same costume Rebecca had worn the previous year; this causes embarrassment and mortification for the young heroine.
Indeed, Mrs. Danvers could be said to represent the worst traits of misogyny by constantly deriding, undermining and emotionally manipulating the heroine as she cannot stand a replacement for Rebecca. This puts the heroine in a difficult position, for as she is naive and susceptible to criticism, she is unable to forge even her own identity, let alone fill someone else’s shoes, so for Mrs. Danvers and to see a younger girl who, in her eyes, is undeserving of Rebecca’s legacy, attempt to even be the things Mrs. Danvers loved Rebecca for, is all the more of an insult, and makes the heroine even less deserving of her charity.
This is despite the fact that Mrs. Danvers insists that Rebecca’s household traditions be continued, disregarding the proper servant’s receipt of a new household mistress, and again keeping the socially inexperienced heroine in a no-win situation, because no matter what she does, or does not do, she is at the mercy of Mrs. Danvers’ disinclination. Mrs. Danvers is also an example of cowardly female jealousy; although she was clearly bound to Rebecca and has sadly never come to terms with her death, she doesn’t turn her anger on Maxim, who himself took up with a new wife a year after Rebecca’s disappearance; instead she directs her bitter grief and jealousy towards his new bride, who does not have the capacity or emotional strength to defend herself.
Although the novel was accused of plagiarism and unoriginality, the novel is a more modern twist on the Gothic sensibilities, twists and secrets of prior novels such as Jane Eyre, and provides an interesting character study of three very different women. -
Fast Facts
- Author: Daphne Du Maurier
- Publication date: 1938
- Inspired by Jane Eyre
- Much of the novel was written in Alexandria, Egypt
- One edition of the novel was used by the Germans in WWII as a code source.
- Two book sequels have been published, including "Rebecca's Tale" and "Mrs. de Winter".
- Has been adapted into several plays, tv series, and films, including a Bollywood version called "Anamika"
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Rebecca is considered to be one of Daphne Du Maurier's best works. The nameless narrator is a new and young bride, married above her station to Maxim de Winter, and coming to terms with settling into her new home. Obstacles in her way are the aptly-named, cold-mannered Mrs. Danvers, her naïveté, and the seemingly ghostly presence of her new husband's wife, who drowned in the very place that the young narrator met her husband-to-be.
Du Maurier's suspenseful piece illustrates divides between femininity and showcases strong characters amidst increasingly shocking developments. The naïveté of the narrator is given a stark contrast by the calculated behavior of Mrs. Danvers, who schemes to humiliate the narrator and destroy her spirit. This is evident in one scene before a costume party in which she advises the young heroine, who is ignorant of social requirements and Maxim’s past, to dress unknowingly in the same costume Rebecca had worn the previous year; this causes embarrassment and mortification for the young heroine.
Indeed, Mrs. Danvers could be said to represent the worst traits of misogyny by constantly deriding, undermining and emotionally manipulating the heroine as she cannot stand a replacement for Rebecca. This puts the heroine in a difficult position, for as she is naive and susceptible to criticism, she is unable to forge even her own identity, let alone fill someone else’s shoes, so for Mrs. Danvers and to see a younger girl who, in her eyes, is undeserving of Rebecca’s legacy, attempt to even be the things Mrs. Danvers loved Rebecca for, is all the more of an insult, and makes the heroine even less deserving of her charity.
This is despite the fact that Mrs. Danvers insists that Rebecca’s household traditions be continued, disregarding the proper servant’s receipt of a new household mistress, and again keeping the socially inexperienced heroine in a no-win situation, because no matter what she does, or does not do, she is at the mercy of Mrs. Danvers’ disinclination. Mrs. Danvers is also an example of cowardly female jealousy; although she was clearly bound to Rebecca and has sadly never come to terms with her death, she doesn’t turn her anger on Maxim, who himself took up with a new wife a year after Rebecca’s disappearance; instead she directs her bitter grief and jealousy towards his new bride, who does not have the capacity or emotional strength to defend herself.
Although the novel was accused of plagiarism and unoriginality, the novel is a more modern twist on the Gothic sensibilities, twists and secrets of prior novels such as Jane Eyre, and provides an interesting character study of three very different women. -
The Mahalo Top 7
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Official Site: Rebecca
dumaurier.org -
Strand Magazine: Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca
strandmag.com -
Wikipedia: Rebecca
en.wikipedia.org -
Sparknotes: Rebecca Study Guide
sparknotes.com -
eNotes: Rebecca Study Guide
enotes.com -
Amazon.com: Rebecca Merchandise
amazon.co.uk -
PDF: Rebecca Factsheet (15 MB)
penguinreaders.com
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Official Site: Rebecca
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Rebecca on Twitter Powered by Twitter
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Good meeting with Rebecca. Let's support her in getting the coffee house going
@sshockey | November 14, 2009 02:22 AM -
RT @SkirtsandScuffs: Summer's got ?'s, Rebecca wants Danica to succeed, and Katy wants input. What's up with S&S? http://ow.ly/C2m0 #nascar
@NASCARKaty | November 14, 2009 02:17 AM -
Summer's got questions, Rebecca wants Danica to succeed, and Katy wants your input. What's up with S&S this week? http://ow.ly/C2m0 #nascar
@SkirtsandScuffs | November 14, 2009 02:16 AM -
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Rebecca on Amazon | View All
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The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder: A Novel - $25.99
Known for her beloved Ya-Ya books (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Little Altars Everywhere, and Ya-Yas in Bloom), Rebecca Wells has helped women name, claim, and celebrate their shared sisterhood for over a dec...
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Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm - $14.98
When orphan Rebecca (Temple) auditions for a radio show and doesn't get the job, her stepfather (William Demarest) takes her to live with her Aunt Miranda (Helen Westly), owner of Sunnybrook Farm. But the show's talent agent (Randolph Scott...
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Rebecca Boxed Set (American Girls Collection) - $39.95
Rebecca's six-book set comes in a protective slipcase, and each story reveals more about this lively girl growing up in New York in 1914. They include Meet Rebecca, Rebecca and Ana, Candlelight for Rebecca, Rebecca and the Movies, Rebecca t...
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Rebecca - $14.95
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. . . With these words the reader is ushered into an isolated gray stone manse on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired as sh...
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Rebecca - $19.98
Rebecca is an ageless, timeless adult movie about a woman who marries a widower but fears she lives in the shadow of her predecessor. This was Hitchcock's first American feature, and it garnered the Best Picture statue at the 1941 Ac...
Amazon
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Questions and Answers About Rebecca | View All | Ask a Question
View All Rebecca Questions (6) | Ask a QuestionWas Rebecca Shaw the pilot of Flight 3407? (10 Answers)No, Rebecca Shaw was the First Officer of Flight 3407, Captain Marvin Renslow was the pilot of the flight in question. read moreWhatever happened to Rebecca De Mornay? (2 Answers)Rebecca De Mornay is still a relatively active actress, her last 4 films have been: Lords of Dogtown (2005) Wedding Crashers (2005) American Venus (2007) Music Within (2007) Rebecca De ... read moreI want Rebecca Mader back on Lost....how do I go about getting this done? (1 Answer)You may be out of luck unless she comes back to life somehow on the show. I'm pretty sure the writers and producers have it planed out what is going ... read moreDo you think Jerry OConnells twin girls most resemble him or his wife Rebecca Romijn? (1 Answer)Honestly they're pretty tiny at this point, so it's hard to say who they'll look morelike in the future. They just look like babies to me... read more
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Fast Facts
- Author: Daphne Du Maurier
- Publication date: 1938
- Inspired by Jane Eyre
- Much of the novel was written in Alexandria, Egypt
- One edition of the novel was used by the Germans in WWII as a code source.
- Two book sequels have been published, including "Rebecca's Tale" and "Mrs. de Winter".
- Has been adapted into several plays, tv series, and films, including a Bollywood version called "Anamika"
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