“Monster shrubs … tenacious fingers … choked with grass and moss … choked the terrace … they leant vulgar and lanky”
This sinister tone set by Du Maurier gives me a chill and sets Mrs de Winter’s dream to be eerie especially the way Manderley’s appearance is at the time.
The narrator, whose name is never mentioned throughout the novel takes us on a journey to the past to make us aware of the trauma she went through. Du Maurier makes the central character a weak uncertain person who lives in the shadows of others. The narrative voice reflects on Mrs de Winter’s personality.
“At any rate I have lost my diffidence, my timidity, my shyness with strangers.”
This shows that’s she has over came being under everyone else’s spell and has a sinister tone to Manderley and to Mrs Danvers.
“still leaving that dead hand in mine, her hollow eyes never leaving my eyes”
Mrs Danvers gave a discomfort and made Mrs de Winter feel at unease with being a newly wed bride.
Du Maurier establishes Mrs de Winters character by narrative voice. The central character has never been given a name throughout the novel which shows that she is different from the rest and doesn’t quite fit in with everyone else.
Each and every character was explained very well that I could actually see them in my mind. One example of this is Mrs Danvers. When Du Maurier explained her character she described her with such an evil sense of passion that it actually sent a chill up my spine and I was able to feel a dark presence about the story every time her name was mentioned.
Marrying Maxim de Winter gave Mrs de Winter an initial boost of confidence but loses it again when she arrives at Manderley. Mrs Danvers tries to make a mockery out of her as many times possible as she can. At the lowest points she even tries to persuade Mrs de Winter commit suicide by jumping out the off the big window in the west wing. At this point in the novel Mrs Danvers tried to provoke Mrs de Winter from jumping put of the big window to commit suicide. Mrs de Winter only backs away from the window when she hears some voices. Even when Mrs de Winter breaks a valuable ornament she hides it away from Mrs Danvers because she bluntly frightened of her.
“It was like being a prisoner.”
She felt like a prisoner by Mrs Danvers in her own home. Du Maurier structures the characters never to get along with each other because Mrs Danvers admired Rebecca too much. Mrs Danvers always made Mrs de Winter feel as if she was living under Rebecca’s spectre.
Coming to Manderley gave that initial boost of confidence as well as marrying Maxim but only when the truth about Rebecca is discovered is when Mrs de Winter becomes independent and confident within herself. She comes to realise that Rebecca wasn’t as perfect as everyone made her out to be. Maxim her beloved husband had indeed murdered Rebecca. Rebecca had numerous affairs with other men which Maxim was aware of. Rebecca hinted to Maxim that she was carrying a child which Maxim was not the father of but what Maxim didn’t no is that Rebecca was seriously ill and wanted to be killed so she didn’t have to surfer in pain from cancer.
When Rebecca’s body is discovered from her boat Maxim took his chance and confided in Mrs de Winter. This confrontation makes Mrs de Winter realise that Maxim really needs her and she doesn’t doubt him any more about loving her. This incident made her realise that Maxim never really loved Rebecca.
“My heart, all its quiet and doubt was light and free. I knew then that I was no longer afraid of Rebecca”
Du Maurier gives her a stronger personality and more confidence in the way she talks and acts. Mrs de Winter doesn’t allow others frighten her and especially not Mrs Danvers.
“I wasn’t going to be shy or nervous with the servants any more.”
She now was not frightened of anyone and over came the nasty Mrs Danvers. Mrs Danvers was aware that she could no longer try to exploit Mrs de Winter so she sets Manderley on fire because she says she could never see her and Maxim being happy at Manderley.
In conclusion I felt that this book had a lot of meaning and passion put into it. I sympathised with the main character a lot because of her not having any confidence within herself which I believe is very important in one self. I felt that the confidence gathered by the narrator at the end of the novel when she discovers that Rebecca wasn’t at all that perfect. Also now that Mrs de Winter has left Manderley since it went up in flames has become stronger because she doesn’t have to be reminded about the past of Rebecca being there.
