Rebecca (novel)
Rebecca is a 1938 Gothic novel by English author Dame Daphne
du Maurier. It concerns an unnamed young woman
who impetuously marries a wealthy widower, only to discover that he and his
household are haunted by the memory of his late first wife, the title
character. A best-seller which has never gone out of print, Rebecca sold
2.8 million copies between its publication in 1938 and 1965. It has been
adapted numerous times for stage and screen, including a 1939 play by du
Maurier herself, and the film, Rebecca
(1940), directed by Alfred
Hitchcock, which won the Academy Award for
Best Picture.
Plot
While
working as the companion to a rich American woman on holiday in Monte
Carlo, the unnamed narrator, a naïve
young woman in her early 20s, becomes acquainted with a wealthy Englishman,
George Fortescue Maximilian "Maxim" de Winter, a 42-year-old widower.
After a fortnight of courtship, she agrees to marry him and, after the wedding
and honeymoon, accompanies him to his mansion in Cornwall, the beautiful estate Manderley.
Mrs
Danvers, the sinister housekeeper, was profoundly devoted to the first Mrs de
Winter, Rebecca, who died in a boating accident about a year before Maxim and
the second Mrs de Winter met. She continually attempts to undermine the new Mrs
de Winter psychologically, subtly suggesting to her that she will never attain
the beauty, urbanity,
and charm her predecessor possessed. Whenever the new Mrs de Winter attempts to
make changes at Manderley, Mrs Danvers describes how Rebecca ran it when she
was alive. Each time Mrs Danvers does this, she implies that the new Mrs de
Winter lacks the experience and knowledge necessary for running an important
estate. Cowed by Mrs Danvers' imposing manner, and the other members of West
Country society's unwavering reverence for Rebecca, the new mistress becomes
isolated.
She
is soon convinced that Maxim regrets his impetuous decision to marry her and is
still deeply in love with the seemingly perfect Rebecca. The climax occurs at
Manderley's annual costume ball. Mrs Danvers manipulates the protagonist into
wearing a replica of the dress shown in a portrait of one of the former
inhabitants of the house—hiding the fact that the same costume was worn by
Rebecca to much acclaim shortly before her death. The narrator has a drummer
announce her entrance using the name of the lady in the portrait: Caroline de
Winter. When the narrator shows Maxim the dress, he gets very angry at her and
orders her to change.
Shortly
after the ball, Mrs Danvers reveals her contempt for the second Mrs de Winter,
believing she is trying to replace Rebecca, and reveals her deep, unhealthy
obsession with the dead woman. Mrs Danvers tries to get Mrs de Winter to commit
suicide by encouraging her to jump out of the window. However, she is thwarted
at the last moment by the disturbance occasioned by a nearby shipwreck. A diver
investigating the condition of the wrecked ship's hull also discovers the
remains of Rebecca's sailing boat, with her decomposed body still on board.
This
discovery causes Maxim to confess the truth to the second Mrs de Winter. He
tells her how his marriage to Rebecca was nothing but a sham: how from the very
first days husband and wife loathed each other. Rebecca, Maxim reveals, was a
cruel and selfish woman who manipulated everyone around her into believing her
to be the perfect wife and a paragon of virtue. She repeatedly taunted Maxim
with sordid tales of her numerous love affairs. The night of her death, she
told Maxim that she was pregnant with another man's child, which she would
raise under the pretense that it was Maxim's and he would be powerless to stop her. In a rage, he had shot her through the heart, then
disposed of her body by placing it in her boat and sinking it at sea. The
second Mrs de Winter thinks little of Maxim's murder confession, but instead is
relieved to hear that Maxim has always loved her and never Rebecca.
Rebecca's
boat is raised and it is discovered that it was deliberately sunk. An inquest brings a verdict of suicide. However, Rebecca's first
cousin, and lover, Jack Favell, attempts to blackmail Maxim, claiming to have
proof that Rebecca could not have intended suicide based on a note she sent to
him the night she died.
It
is revealed that Rebecca had had an appointment with a Doctor Baker in London
shortly before her death, presumably to confirm her pregnancy. When the doctor
is found, he reveals that Rebecca had been suffering from cancer and would have died within a few months. Furthermore, due
to the malformation of her uterus,
she could never have been pregnant. Maxim assumes that Rebecca, knowing that
she was going to die, manipulated him into killing her quickly. Mrs Danvers had
said after the inquiry that Rebecca feared nothing except dying a lingering
death.
Maxim
feels a great sense of foreboding, and insists on driving through the night to
return to Manderley. However, before he comes in sight of the house, it is
clear from a glow on the horizon and wind-borne ashes that it is ablaze.
The
novel is remembered especially[1]
for the character Mrs. Danvers,
the fictional estate Manderley,
and its opening line:
"Last
night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."
— The second Mrs de Winter
Characters
Main characters
- The Narrator/the Second Mrs de Winter: A timid, naïve, middle-class woman in her early twenties, who enjoys sketching. Neither the narrator's first nor maiden name is revealed. She is referred to as "my wife", Mrs de Winter, "my dear", and so on. The one time she is introduced with a name is during a fancy dress ball, in which she dresses as a de Winter ancestor and is introduced as "Caroline de Winter", although this is clearly not her own name. She signs her name as "Mrs M. de Winter", using Maxim's initial. Early in the novel she receives a letter and remarks that her name was correctly spelled, which is "an unusual thing," suggesting her name is uncommon, foreign or complex. While courting her, Maxim compliments her on her "lovely and unusual name". Despite her timidity, she gradually matures throughout the novel, refusing to be a victim of Rebecca's phantom-like influence any longer and becoming a strong, assertive woman in her own right.
- George Fortescue Maximilian "Maxim" de Winter: The reserved, unemotional owner of Manderley. He marries his new wife after a brief courtship, yet displays little affection toward her after the marriage. Emotionally scarred by his traumatic marriage to Rebecca, his distance toward his new wife causes her to fear he regrets his marriage to her and is still broken-hearted over Rebecca's death. Maxim killed Rebecca in a blind rage after she pushed him over the edge with her lie that she was carrying the child of one of her lovers and would force him to raise it as his own. He does eventually reveal to his new wife that he does love her, but not until several months of marriage have passed. His full name is tauntingly revealed, by Jack Favell, to be George Fortescue Maximilian de Winter.
- Mrs Danvers: The cold, creepy, overbearing housekeeper of Manderley. Danvers was Rebecca's family maid when she was a child and has lived with her for years. She is unhealthily obsessed with Rebecca and preserving Rebecca's memory. She resents the new Mrs de Winter, convinced she is trying to "take Rebecca's place". She tries to destroy the marriage, but her efforts fail and only serve to bring Maxim and his new wife closer together. After her scheme is ruined, Mrs Danvers apparently burns Manderley to the ground, preferring to destroy it than allow Maxim to share his home with another lover and wife. She is nicknamed Danny which is derived from her last name; her first name being unknown or unimportant, but in Sally Beauman's sequel Rebecca's Tale it was said to be Edith.
- Rebecca de Winter: The unseen, deceased titular character, who has been dead for less than a year. A famous beauty, and on the surface a devoted wife and perfect hostess, Rebecca was actually a compulsive liar and an openly promiscuous woman who tormented her husband Maxim with lurid tales of her nonstop affairs. Her lingering presence overwhelms Manderley, dominating the visitors, the staff and the new Mrs de Winter. Through dialogue, it is slowly revealed that Rebecca possessed all the signs of a psychopath: habitual lying, superficial charm, expert manipulation, no conscience and no remorse. She was also revealed to be somewhat sadistic — Danvers tells a story of Rebecca, during her teenage years, cruelly whipping a horse until it bled. In the 1940 film adaptation, her maiden name was said to be Hildreth.
Recurring characters
- Frank Crawley: The hard-working, dutiful agent of Manderley. He is said to be Maxim's trusted advisor and faithful confidant. He soon becomes a good friend to the second Mrs de Winter, and helps her in the self-doubt of her inability to rule Manderley as its mistress.
- Beatrice Lacy (formerly de Winter): Maxim's wilful and quick-witted sister, who develops an immediate fondness for the new Mrs de Winter. Prior to the novel, she had married Giles Lacy. She, along with her brother, is one of the few people who knew Rebecca's true, vile nature, and was one of her victims: Beatrice's husband was seduced by her.
- Giles Lacy: The slightly slow-witted husband of Beatrice and Maxim's brother-in-law. He was one of the many men who fell for Rebecca's charms.
- Frith: The middle-aged, kind and devoted butler at Manderley. He had worked for the de Winters when Maxim's late father was a boy.
Supporting characters
- Robert: A footman.
- Clarice: Mrs de Winter's faithful and trusted maid. She aided her lady and mistress in fitting her white, frilly gown for the fancy dress ball. She replaces the original maid, Alice, later on.
- Jack Favell: The crafty and sneaky first cousin of the late Rebecca de Winter and her most frequent boyfriend/lover. He and Rebecca had grown up together as children, causing mayhem, and he shares many of her worst traits, suggesting insanity runs in their family. He is strongly disliked by Maxim and several other characters. Since Rebecca's untimely demise, his one and only true friend and confidante is Mrs Danvers, whom he calls "Danny", just as Rebecca had done.
- Colonel Julyan: The investigator of the inquest of the true cause of Rebecca's untimely demise.
- Dr. Baker: A doctor who specialises in the feminine problems of women. A few hours prior to her death, Rebecca went to see him in secret, when he diagnosed her with an unspecified type of cancer.
Location
- The fictional Hôtel Côte d'Azur, Monte Carlo
- The fictional Manderley, a country estate which du Maurier's editor noted "is as much an atmosphere as a tangible erection of stones and mortar"[2]
Development
In
1937, Daphne du Maurier signed a three-book deal with Victor Gollancz and
accepted an advance of £1,000.[2] A 2008 article in The Daily Telegraph indicates she had been toying with the theme of jealousy
for the five years since her marriage in 1932.[2] She started "sluggishly" and wrote a desperate
apology to Gollancz: "The first 15,000 words I tore up in disgust and this
literary miscarriage has cast me down rather."[2]
Her
husband, Tommy "Boy" Browning, was Lieutenant Colonel of the Grenadier Guards and they
were posted to Alexandria, Egypt, with the Second Battalion, leaving Britain on
30 July 1937.[2] Gollancz expected her manuscript on their return to Britain
in December but she wrote that she was "ashamed to tell you that progress
is slow on the new novel....There is little likelihood of my bringing back a
finished manuscript in December."[2]
On
returning to Britain in December 1937, du Maurier decided to spend Christmas
away from her family to write the book and she successfully delivered it to her
publisher less than four months later.[2] Du Maurier described the plot as "a sinister tale
about a woman who marries a widower....Psychological and rather macabre."[2]
Derivation and inspiration
Some
commentators have noted parallels with Charlotte Brontë's
Jane
Eyre.[3][4] Another of du Maurier's works, Jamaica Inn, is also linked to one of the Brontë sisters' works, Emily's
Wuthering Heights. Du Maurier commented publicly in her lifetime that the
book was based on her own memories of Menabilly and Cornwall,
as well as her relationship with her father.[5]
While
du Maurier "categorised Rebecca as a study in jealousy... she
admitted its origins in her own life to few."[2] Her husband had been "engaged before – to
glamorous, dark-haired Jan Ricardo. The suspicion that Tommy remained attracted
to Ricardo haunted Daphne."[2] In The Rebecca Notebook of 1981, du Maurier
"'remembered' Rebecca's gestation … Seeds began to drop. A beautiful
home... a first wife... jealousy, a wreck, perhaps at sea, near to the house...
But something terrible would have to happen, I did not know what..."[2] She wrote in her notes prior to writing: 'I want to build
up the character of the first [wife] in the mind of the second... until wife 2
is haunted day and night... a tragedy is looming very close and CRASH! BANG!
something happens.'"[2]
Du
Maurier and her husband, "Tommy Browning, like Rebecca and Maximilian de
Winter, were not faithful to one another." Subsequent to the novel's
publication, "Jan Ricardo, tragically, died during the Second World War.
She threw herself under a train."[2]
Childhood
visits to Milton Hall,
Cambridgeshire (then in Northamptonshire) home of the Wentworth-Fitzwilliam family, may have influenced the descriptions of Manderley.[6]
Literary technique
The
famous opening line of the book "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley
again." is an iambic hexameter.
The last line of the book "And the ashes blew towards us with the salt
wind from the sea" is also in metrical form; almost but not quite an anapestic tetrameter.
Plagiarism allegations
Shortly
after Rebecca was published in Brazil, critic Álvaro Lins pointed out
many resemblances between du Maurier's book and the work of Brazilian writer
Carolina Nabuco. Nabuco's A
Sucessora (The Successor) has a main
plot similar to Rebecca, for example a young woman marrying a widower
and the strange presence of the first wife – plot features also shared
with the far older Jane Eyre.[7] Nina Auerbach alleged in her book, Daphne du Maurier,
Haunted Heiress, that du Maurier read the Brazilian book when the first
drafts were sent to be published in England and based her famous best-seller on
it.
According
to Nabuco's autobiography, Eight Decades, she (Nabuco) refused to sign
an agreement brought to her by a United
Artists' representative in which she agreed
that the similarities between her book and the movie were mere coincidence.[8] Du Maurier denied copying Nabuco's book, as did her
publisher, claiming that the plot used in Rebecca was quite common.[citation needed] A
further, ironic complication in Nabuco's allegations is the similarity between
her novel and the novel Encarnação, written by José de Alencar,
Brazil's most celebrated novelist of the nineteenth century, and published
posthumously in 1873.[9]
In
1944 in the United States, du Maurier, her US publishers, Doubleday,
and various parties connected with the 1940 film version of the novel, were
sued for plagiarism by Edwina L. MacDonald who alleged that du Maurier had
copied her novel Blind Windows. Du Maurier successfully rebutted the
allegations.
Publishing history and reception
Du
Maurier delivered the manuscript to her publisher, Victor Gollancz, in April
1938. On receipt, the book was read in Gollancz's office and her "editor,
Norman Collins, reported simply: 'The new Daphne du Maurier contains everything
that the public could want.'"[2] Gollancz's "reaction to Rebecca was relief and
jubilation" and "a 'rollicking success' was predicted by him."[10] He "did not hang around" and "ordered a
first print run of 20,000 copies and within a month Rebecca had sold
more than twice that number."[2] The novel has been continuously in print since 1938 and in
1993 "du Maurier's US publishers Avon estimated ongoing monthly paperback
sales of Rebecca at more than 4,000 copies."[2]
Promotion
Du
Maurier "did several radio interviews with BBC and other stations"
and "attended Foyle's Literary Lunch" in August 1938 while Good
Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, and House & Garden
published articles on du Maurier.[11]
Contemporary reception in the professional and popular press
The
Times said that "the material is of
the humblest...nothing in this is beyond the novelette." In the Christian Science Monitor of 14 September 1938, V.
S. Pritchett predicted the novel "would be
here today, gone tomorrow."[2]
Few
critics saw in the novel what the author wanted them to see: the exploration of
the relationship between a man who is powerful and a woman who is not.[
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