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SCMP Reporter

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is an HKCEE text.

Who is Rebecca?

Rebecca is the eponymous heroine of this novel. By 'eponymous' is meant that the novel is named after her. Yet, despite the fact that she is so important, she does not actually appear in the book  at all - she has died some time before. So, who is Rebecca, and how do we know so much about her?

The brilliance of Rebecca

As she is already dead, we get to know Rebecca through the memories of other characters. The process starts with the words of Mrs Van Hopper:

'I believe she was very lovely. Exquisitely turned out, and brilliant in every way. They used to give tremendous parties at Manderley. It was all very sudden and tragic, and I believe he adored her in every way.'  page 46

Her words establish a picture of Rebecca in the mind of the new Mrs de Winter and the reader. What we learn from the other characters develops and fleshes out this initial impression, until it all comes crashing down with the revelation of the truth towards the end of the novel. Until that time, all we learn about Rebecca suggests that brilliance was her defining characteristic. With whatever she did, she shone and sparkled in people's eyes.

'Business-like and purposeful'

Rebecca was superbly organised and accomplished in running Manderley. Mrs de Winter discovers this when she explores the morning-room. She finds everything is in excellent taste. The desk is well-organised, with a book showing all the Manderley guests:

'... the notepaper of the house, with the crest, and the address, and visiting cards, ivory white, in little boxes.'  page 94

She ran the house and estate. She arranged the menus, managed the staff, ordered what was needed, looked after the many guests. All the details do not just show that Rebecca was 'business-like and purposeful', but that everything - even the notepaper - was of high quality and in the very best taste.

A contrast with Mrs de Winter

Beatrice, Maxim's sister, tells the new Mrs de Winter:

'... you are so very different from Rebecca'  page 118.

That is another way in which we learn about Rebecca's character. She is quite simply the opposite  of Mrs de Winter in every way. Whereas Mrs de Winter is shy, awkward and passive with other people, Rebecca was confident, assured and outgoing. Mrs de Winter is dull and passionless. Rebecca was exciting and full of sexuality.

Mrs de Winter consequently feels inferior, and believes that Maxim cannot possibly love her as much as he did Rebecca. It is only later that the truth is revealed. He did not love Rebecca but hated her, and he has married Mrs de Winter because she offers a contrast. He wanted someone totally different, someone who would be a passive partner in the marriage rather than someone as dominant as Rebecca.

Selfish Rebecca?

Although Rebecca puts on a good show for her guests, in reality she only does what she wants in order to make her happy.  She is immoral. As Mrs Danvers reports:

'I shall live as I please, Danny', she told me, 'and the whole world won't stop me.' page 275.

In reality, that meant she was not a faithful wife to Maxim. She would go to London,  and have affairs with other men. She brought them back to Manderley and entertained them in her hut on the beach.

This is the secret life that drove Maxim to distraction. Everyone else saw a perfect, brilliant wife. He saw the truth - a woman who followed her own pleasures  and betrayed him.  It was the discovery that she was pregnant by another man that finally drove him to murder her.

Who does du Maurier prefer?

So how do we finally feel about Rebecca? She lies and she cheats. She treats her husband appallingly and drives him to such despair that he commits murder. Should we not hate her?

The truth is more complex. In our heads, we know that Rebecca was a bad woman.  But in our hearts, we  find  her irresistibly attractive. She is so full of life, beauty and energy that we, too, cannot resist her charms. She seems such a life-force, particularly in contrast with the dull Mrs de Winter. Du Maurier has created a woman whom we admire in spite of our better judgment.



Heroine's character shines through