Theme of Motivation in Rebecca By Daphne Du Maurier

Everybody wants something and fictional characters are no exception. A character’s motivations are what drives them throughout the plot of a story. In Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, all of the characters have their own thoughts, fears and motivations. Since the book is told from the point of view of the second Mrs. de Winter, the readers have a front row seat to her true thoughts, emotions and motives. To outsiders, it could appear that the narrator only marries Maxim de Winter to gain access to his wealth and status. After reading the novel, it can be concluded that the narrator’s motivations were from love. Throughout the story, she is afraid of being inadequate. She feels that she is ill prepared for the new responsibilities that come with being the mistress of Manderley. By the end of the novel she learns to overcome these fears because of her love for Maxim. This essay will continue to discuss the underlying thoughts, fears and motivations of the second Mrs. de Winter.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is written from the perspective of the second wife of Maxim de Winter. This is an interesting point of view because the narrator had never met Rebecca so all of her knowledge on her comes from those at Manderley who knew her when she was alive. Rebecca’s shadow immediately casts over Maxim and the narrator’s budding relationship in Monte Carlo. At this point the narrator knows nothing of Rebecca except that she recently passed away. She assumes that Maxim must think of her constantly and miss her dearly. As they return to Maderley from their honeymoon, the new Mrs. de Winter is instantly bombarded with Rebecca’s reputation. Throughout most of the novel, she has a sickening feeling that everyone is comparing her to Rebecca. These emotions are made clear through her panicked narrations and her fear of meeting people that knew her predecessor. The unbelievable relief that the narrator feels when she finds out that Maxim never loved Rebecca is a significant turning point in the novel. Her knowledge that the kind and charming aspects of Rebecca were just a facade gave her solace. The narrator’s motivation of love is further exemplified when she continues to love Maxim even after he confessed to murdering Rebecca.

I believe that the fact that the narrator remains nameless is symbolic of the presence Rebecca still has even after her death. While the narrator struggles with Rebecca’s ever-present ghost, Mrs. Danvers makes it clear that her motive is to make living at Manderley hell on earth for the new bride. From encouraging the narrator to jump out of a window to sabotaging her costume for the ball, it is clear that Mrs. Danvers resents Mrs. de Winter for taking Rebecca’s place. All of the misery that the narrator encounters symbolizes one of her worst fears: not living up to Maxim’s expectations. Before she discovers Rebecca's true personality, all she has to go on is the words of admiration that come from the staff and other towns-people. This leaves her feeling like she is second-best. All she wants is to be everything and more for Maxim.

The narrator’s fear of not being enough for Maxim leads to the dependency that this novel has on irrational fears or beliefs. If Maxim’s new bride walked into Manderley confidently without any doubts or fears present, the novel would have been completely different. The whole plot depends on the narrator feeling unsure and inadequate. This allows for a tremendous character development. Nearing the end of the novel, the new Mrs. de Winter lets go of her fear because she realizes that the love that her and Maxim share is real while the love he had for Rebecca was non-existent. Every character in this story had a fear. Mrs. Danvers feared losing Rebecca’s memory and Maxim feared that the public finding out about his first, scandalous, loveless marriage. Essentially, this novel’s foundation is the fears of the characters.

In conclusion, the thoughts, fears and motivations of the narrator give this novel an added depth. If Rebecca was told from any other point of view, the reader would not be able to properly understand the context of each situation that took place in the novel. It can be concluded that the second Mrs. de Winter lived in fear of being inadequate in the eyes of Maxim because she wanted him to love her as much as she loved him.