Rebecca: Analysis of Major Characters
"Rebecca: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the complex relationships and personalities of key figures in Daphne du Maurier's novel "Rebecca," set against the backdrop of the grandeur and mystery of Manderley. The central character, Maxim de Winter, is portrayed as a middle-aged, emotionally distant owner, whose secretive demeanor is influenced by his troubled history with his deceased wife, Rebecca. Maxim's new wife, known as Mrs. de Winter, serves as the narrator; she grapples with her insecurities and struggles to gain her husband’s affection while feeling overshadowed by Rebecca's lingering presence.
Rebecca, although dead, looms large over the narrative as a beautiful yet manipulative figure whose actions lead to tragic consequences, including Maxim's dark secret. Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, resents the new Mrs. de Winter and embodies loyalty to Rebecca, revealing the deceased’s true nature and creating a tense atmosphere within Manderley. Other characters, like Frank Crawley, the estate manager, and Jack Favell, Rebecca’s cousin, contribute additional layers of intrigue and conflict. This analysis delves into how these characters navigate themes of love, jealousy, and identity, making it a vital resource for understanding the underlying dynamics of the story.
Rebecca: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Daphne du Maurier
First published: 1938
Genre: Novel
Locale: England
Plot: Gothic
Time: The 1930's
Maximilian (Maxim) de Winter, middle-aged owner of Manderley. He is detached, moody, mysterious, at times gracious, friendly, and apologetic for his seeming rudeness, only to return unaccountably to his reserve. This reserve is finally removed with the lifting of the burden on his conscience.
Mrs. de Winter, Maxim's young wife, the narrator. A shy, sensitive orphan, she first meets Maxim through her older traveling companion, Mrs. Van Hopper. Deeply in love with him, she happily accepts his proposal and marries him. Puzzled and troubled by Maxim's strange shifts of mood and his abstracted manner and by Mrs. Danvers' obvious dislike of her, she thinks herself unwelcome, an inferior successor to Rebecca at Manderley. Desiring Maxim's love, she yet remains aloof because of her brooding insecurity and thus hinders his revealing his painful memories to her.
Rebecca de Winter, Maxim's dead wife, a very beautiful woman who charmed many people but who tortured her husband with flagrant infidelities. When she learned that she would soon die of cancer, she taunted her husband with a false story of her unborn child by another man until she drove him to murder her.
Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper at Manderley. Tall, gaunt, with a face like a death's head, she is cold, formal, and resentful of the new Mrs. de Winter, who has replaced the Rebecca she adored. She is the first to reveal to Mrs. de Winter what Rebecca really was like with men. After the closing of the inquiry into Rebecca's death, Mrs. Danvers apparently sets fire to Manderley and disappears.
Frank Crawley, estate manager at Manderley. A thin, colorless bachelor, he is a devoted friend of Maxim.
Jack Favell, Rebecca's cousin, tanned and good looking, but flashy, with hot, blue eyes and a loose mouth. He is a heavy drinker who attempts to blackmail Maxim after the discovery of Rebecca's sunken boat.
Colonel Julyan, a magistrate who suspects the truth about Rebecca's death but keeps it to himself.
Mrs. Van Hopper, an overbearing American social climber who forces herself upon Maxim at Monte Carlo.
Beatrice Lacy, Maxim's sister, tall, broad-shouldered, handsome, tweedy, inquisitive, blunt, and chatty.
Major Giles Lacy, Beatrice's fat and genial husband.
Dr. Baker, a London physician visited by Rebecca (under Mrs. Danvers' name) the day of her death. He reports that she was dying of cancer, though she appeared in good health.
Frith, Maxim's elderly butler.
Clarice, Mrs. de Winter's young maid.
Ben, a simple-minded old man.