Roles Of Women In Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca

In Daphne Du Maurier’s novel, Rebecca, there are two women who have the title Mrs. de Winter. Both women have similar jobs to do at their home called Manderley. They must order the lunch menu, write letters, and decorate the house. The two women, the narrator and Rebecca, carry out this role very differently. The two women vary greatly in their appearance, their attitude, and their role as Mr. de Winter’s wife. These differences cause the narrator to feel insecure about herself and her relationship with Maxim. The narrator and Rebecca have very different appearances about them. The narrator is very young. She is also described as plain. She does not wear fancy outfits. When she got to Manderley, she felt as if the servants were talking about how poorly she dressed. Maxim’s sister, Beatrice, said the narrator’s hair was to plain. Beatrice even made the comment, “I can tell by the way you dress that you don't care a hoot what you wear.”(101) Rebecca is noted for her beauty. Frank told the narrator, “She was the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.” (137) The Bishop's wife also told the narrator about what beauty Rebecca had. She wore fancy evening dresses and always looked stunning.

The narrator is very simple. She does not sail or ride horses. She enjoys painting. Rebecca had her own boat and loved sailing. Rebecca even cut her hair once to be better at horseback riding. The narrator is very timid and shy. She does not want to mess up Manderley. She is very insecure about herself, because she is compared to Rebecca so often. Rebecca was very sociable. She hosted parties frequently, and she wrote letters to many people. When the narrator went in the morning room, she could not think of anyone to write to. Rebecca was also very unfaithful to Maxim. She had multiple affairs. All the narrator wants is to truly feel loved by Maxim. Rebecca just wanted the luxurious lifestyle of