In Daphne du Maurier’s novel, Rebecca, Mrs. de Winter feels the haunting presence of Maxim’s late wife, and as a result, she experiences the psychological problems of insecurity, unhappiness, and a loss of her identity.
The young bride of Maxim, formally known as Mrs. de Winter, is a twenty-one-year-old foster who came from a working-class family. She is well aware of the levels of class she and Mr. de Winter belong to. Even after she is made Lady Manderley, she still feels uncomfortable with her social station. She hears stories about how talented and endearing Rebecca, the late wife, had been, which worsens her anxiety about society. Rebecca is shown as an extremely charming girl who is gifted, bright, gorgeous, and beloved by the entire
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Max de Winter acts impulsively on marrying the opposite of Rebecca recently after her death. A key element for their marriage to have many problems was their lack of communication as Maxim was often in his own dark secret world. “We were like two performers in a play, but we were divided, we were not acting with one another. We had to endure it alone, we had to put up this show, this miserable, sham performance for the sake of all these people I did not know and did not want to see again.” (du Maurier 229; ch. 17) Mrs. de Winter describes her mood and environment as "miserable." Although Mrs. Danvers was the one who drove her to wear the outfit, she felt as though it was her fault and she was responsible for upsetting Maxim. Their relationship evolved into what Maxim and Rebecca had been throughout the ball. In public settings, they had to perform for an audience. She begins to doubt her role as Maxim's wife later on in the novel. Was she wed to him because of their love for one another? Or did he wish to avoid being alone, which is why she was there? She possesses a loss of