The Cinderella Story Of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca

Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier, is a Cinderella story gone awry. A young, inept, and naïve women meets, presumably, the man of her dreams and moves into a role of higher status at a palatial mansion. From the first, the relationship is troubled by insecurity, jealously, and the specter of a dead wife. The marriage founders under the weight of the issues that surround them. They are unable to truly bond as husband and wife, and their future is grim. While they are able to work through their issues, the loss of the house decimates their social standing. Rebecca is a story of intrigue; however, it is also a story that negates the fantasy of Cinderella to uncover the realities of trust and loyalty. This Cinderella story begins when the narrator

de Winter (“Rebecca” Novels 265). When the narrator first meets Mr. de Winter, he is trying to gain her attention, but, he is always being bombarded by Van Hopper. Later, Mr. de Winter and the narrator are able to talk to each other one on one. Mr. de Winter has a perplexing but elegant manner about him (“Rebecca” Novels 260). He had the priority of maintaining a positive personal persona (Bakersman 272). He not only has to maintain this positive look for himself, but for Manderley, his famous house that indicates his luxury and ancestry (Bakerman 271). Manderley is a representation of English living (Frank 239) and has to have its tradition and popularity continuing (Frank 240). It is clear to tell from the way Mr. de Winter carries himself, and by the house he lives in, that he is of high society. When Mr. de Winter takes the narrator out into society, they either go to places that are memorable to him or just for a bite to eat. As they spend time together and gain information about each other, de Winter becomes increasingly mournful or disturbed (“Rebecca” Novels 270). The narrator comes to the conclusion that he is mourning for his dead wife, Rebecca, whom he had lost almost a year before (“Rebecca” Novels 263). As Van Hopper’s trip away from the United States coming to a close this Cinderella story starts to get interesting. Mr. de Winter decides to ask the narrator to

“…conservative social views created the stiff-lipped, formal stereotype of the British citizen that is known today and that is portrayed in Rebecca: strict rules of behavior between the sexes, tea at four-thirty each day, and a fascination with wealth that was suppressed by the good taste not to talk about it” (“Rebecca” Novels 265). Having been domestic help herself just before the marriage (Gaydosik), Manderley is overwhelming to Maxim de Winter’s new wife (“Rebecca” Novels 264). She has to keep Manderely’s image just as Rebecca left it as well as continue the long-held tradition of the popular estate (Frank 240). A part of what makes Manderley so overwhelming for the new Mrs. de Winter is the constant reminders of Rebecca throughout the estate. She lavished Manderley with costly accessories (“Rebecca” Novels 264) and other various personal touches (“Rebecca” Novels 263). The staff, led by Mrs. Danvers, still follows the daily routine that Rebecca set in motion when she was still alive. Danvers always makes it a point to make the new Mrs. de Winter feel like an outsider because of her strong loyalty to Rebecca. Maxim had Danvers move his living quarters to the opposite side of Manderley to escape the presence of Rebecca. Danvers, because of her loyalty to Rebecca, keeps the section of the house overlooking the sea looking as if Rebecca would return to it one day. In order to