Summary on Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The Author Daphne Du Maurier was born in England in 1907. She was the daughter of a wealthy father who was one of the country’s most famous actor managers. Her first novel The Loving Spirit was published when she was in her early twenties. She was married to a soldier-nobleman named Lieutenant-General Sir Fredrick Browning. She and her husband lived on the coast of Cornwall in a lovely picturesque mansion called Menabilly. It was this home that sparked the inspiration for the Manderley mansion in this popular novel. Due to her accomplishments as an influential writer, Daphne Du Maurier was named ‘Dame of the British Empire’ in 1969. She died in 1989. 

Rebecca is narrated in the form of a flashback and the main female character, who turns out to be the heroine of the story, remains nameless. Her flashback starts with personal memories years previous of her first encounter with her husband, Maxim de Winter, a young, wealthy widowed aristocrat who owns a luxurious estate. At the time, the youthful heroine was working as a travelling companion to the wealthy American Mrs. Van Hopper. She meets Maxim de Winter, who was also staying at the same hotel as her and after a few weeks of knowing her, he proposes to her. They marry and he takes her to his ancestral estate called ‘Manderley’, located somewhere in the South of England. It doesn’t take long for the marriage to start looking murky, as Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca’s presence is felt all throughout the hollow, big mansion, as though her soul still roamed its hallways and staircases. Rebecca had only died a year before and it was believed that she had drowned in a cave nearby Manderley estate. Mrs. Danvers, Rebecca’s utmost devoted house-keeper, is in charge of the mansion and begins to eerily taunt her new mistress with odd references and remarks at each exchanged conversation between the two. The main character struggles with adjusting to her new life and surroundings and begins to feel inferior to the mysterious Rebecca, who was described by all to be beautiful and talented, leading her to assume that Maxim was somehow still deeply affectionate and attached to his deceased first wife. A yearly traditional costume ball at Manderley comes to take place yet again and the heroine’s spirits slightly shift to a more positive light, but despite her hopes, the entire event ends in utter disaster. The reason for this being that she took Mrs. Danvers’ suggestion for a costume which she later on learns was also the same inspired costume Rebecca had worn to the last ball. Maxim’s reaction then convinces her that she may never replace Rebecca. Mrs. Danvers then tries convincing her to commit suicide but fails as the heroine notices rockets go off across the shore, over at the cave, signaling that a ship has run aground. Divers soon find the wreckage of Rebecca’s boat, with Rebecca’s body. Upon this discovery, Maxim finally tells the heroine the truth about Rebecca whom he said was malevolent and wicked. He goes on to explain that she lived a double-life and had been involved in a number of affairs behind his back, including a liaison with her own cousin, Jack Favell. On that same night of her death on that boat, Maxim demanded he divorce her which she refused. She revealed to him that she was pregnant but with her cousin’s child. In a fit of rage, he seized the gun from her possession and shot her. He then sailed the boat out towards the Harbor and broke holes in it and sunk the boat, along with Rebecca’s dead body inside. When the main character learns the truth, she shakes off her insecurities and puts off the heavy burden of bearing her somewhat lingering presence.

A portrait photo of the Author Daphne du Maurier

As the case resurfaces, Maxim is left feeling anxious of the secret he carries. They discover that holes had been drilled in the bottom of Rebecca’s sailboat but luckily enough, her death was ruled as a suicide attempt, rather than a murder. Soon after, Jack Favell, Rebecca’s cousin, insists Rebecca never took her own life and accuses Maxim of murdering her instead. The local magistrate, Colonel Julyan, takes over the case and investigates it. He finds out that on the same day of her death, Rebecca travelled to London to see a Doctor by the name of Dr. Baker. The heroine, along with Maxim and Favell, accompany magistrate Julyan to London in which time the heroine is almost certain that Julyan will reveal to them that Rebecca was carrying a child when she died, leaving Maxim de Winter to be the main suspect with a vengeful motive in her death. Instead, they learn that she hadn’t been pregnant at all. Rebecca had been diagnosed with cancer, moreover, she had been infertile. Her terminal illness gives enough motive to back up the assumption that her death was a supposed suicide, resulting into Maxim being cleared of any suspicions. They drive back to Manderley that same night and stop only once. Maxim learns that Mrs. Danvers had disappeared. As they drive into view, they find the once dreamy, picture-perfect estate engulfed in flames. 

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