Rebecca - in search for identity

Throughout the novel “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier , the nameless narrator spends most of the time trying to find out more about the former Mrs. De Winter. She is trying to find out how Rebecca lived, as well as how she died. But is it really what she wants to know?
The new Mrs de Winter steps right into Rebecca’s shoes,only to find out that the shoes don’t fit. Eventually she realizes she doesn’t have to be who she is not. Throughout the novel, we watch the narrator trying to establish her own identity.
As soon as the narrator marries Maxim, she is made to meet expectations set by everyone surrounding her. She is expected to act like Rebecca and be who she is not. We watch her get lost in search of who she really is, we get to experience the uncertainty with her. She’s not sure whether the role of “Mrs De Winter” suits her and feels uncomfortable being in someone else’s position. The shadow of the “real” Mrs De Winter never seems to leave the her, constantly reminding her of herself.
There is a moment in the novel when the narrator is willing to give everything up. After the Manderley costume ball, the memory of Rebecca seems far too strong.The new Mrs De Winter is ready to admit Rebecca’s victory.
Even after the narrator finds out the truth about Rebecca’s personality and her complicated relationship with Maxim, She can’t feel completely assured of Maxim’s love and her identity as Mrs. de Winter. it takes her a lot of effort and analyzing before she is certain she has found herself.
What really made me think about the identity of the narrator was that the author doesn’t give her a name. Although Maxim states that the name is “lovely and unusual” , we never actually get to find out what it is. This fact made me realize that the new Mrs De Winter might never be quite an individual. Maxim was tortured by the memory of his marriage to Rebecca. Although the narrator had never known the former Mrs De Winter, she was equally tormented by her constant presence