Daphne Du Maurier Rebecca

Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989), author of Rebecca, started to write this novel in the late summer of 1937, and it was published in 1938, when she was only 30 years old. Daphne du Maurier was born into a prosperous family; her father was a famous actor-manager, and her grandfather was an artist and writer. Because her childhood was filled with literary and artistic experiences, there’s no doubt that du Maurier had a very vivid imagination and a love for reading and writing. Du Maurier married her husband in 1932, but their marriage was detached, as she was quite distant to her children especially when immersed in her writing. As a young woman, she realized her audience being mainly women, so Du Maurier made most of her protagonist’s women, staying

At, Milton Hall in Cambridgeshire, an estate which Du Maurier visited when she was young, Du Maurier thought of the character Mrs. Danvers. The housekeeper of Milton Hall was tall, dark, sinister, and Du Maurier never said a word to her. As a young adult, she discovered her love for Menabilly, a mansion, hidden in the trees, and a winding path that led to the beach cottage. Menabilly had many similar features as Manderly, such as the oak floors, high ceilings, formal gardens, and a beautiful drawing room. Years later, Du Maurier resided there for a happy 26 years. Frankly, Du Maurier always has said to loved places more than people. Thus, Menabilly soon became the beloved Manderly, the mansion where most of Rebecca takes place. The core plot of the story focused on Daphne Du Maurier’s jealousy of Jan Ricardo, the first fiancée of her husband, Frederick Browning (otherwise known as “Tommy”). After Ricardo split with Tommy, and shortly upon the publication of Rebecca, she committed suicide by throwing herself under a train in the Second World War (coincidental or not). Ricardo was a beautiful woman with long dark hair. Undoubtedly, Daphne Du Maurier always wondered if Tommy was still in love with Ricardo; the idea haunted her. In fact, Maurier would often find and read through letters and journals from Ricardo, along with other