Mrs De Winter Character Analysis

In today’s society many people struggle to seek power over others. Daphne Du Maurier, author of Rebecca, demonstrates this in her writing. Du Maurier uses the main character of her book, Mrs. de Winter, to take the readers through the journey of someone feeling scrutinized by the citizens of Manderley. Mrs. de Winter struggles to gain power over the memories of her husband’s deceased wife, Rebecca.
Gaining power is something that Mrs. de Winter will need to fight for in her future at Manderley. Maxim asks Mrs. de Winter to marry him and move to Manderley. At Manderley, Mrs. de Winter is constantly being compared to Rebecca. Rebecca was Maxim’s past wife who was believed to have committed suicide. Everyone, with the exception of Maxim, loved Rebecca
and Mrs. de Winter agree to host a ball at Manderley, just like the ones Rebecca used to throw. Mrs. de Winter wants to look impressive for her husband and guests, but is stumped as to what to wear. Mrs. Davers, out of all people, comes to make a suggestion that she wears a dress that Rebecca had once worn. Mrs. de Winter does not know the dress was Rebecca’s and when she gathers with the family, they are upset that she would wear the dress. Mrs. Davers had set her up to disappoint her husband and guests. Mrs. Davers suggested that Mrs. de Winter should take her own life because she was no comparison to Rebecca and that Maxim would never love her as equally as he did Rebecca. Soon after the ball, a harbormaster informs them they have found wreckage of Rebecca’s boat. In the cabin of Rebecca’s boat is a body. Maxim tells his wife that he killed Rebecca. Rebecca was not the person everyone thought she was. She was kind to the citizens of Manderley but she was selfish and wicked to Maxim. Rebecca had affairs with many men in the boat house. Maxim could not handle this any longer and killed her. Once Mrs. de Winter realizes that Rebecca wasn’t as perfect as everyone believed, she gains self