Why is the narrator nameless in rebecca

Throughout his early interactions with the narrator, he is rude, moody, condescending, and generally detached from those around him. The narrator is entranced with his sophistication and brooding temperament, but it is difficult for the reader to fall in love with him as quickly as the narrator does. His behavior to the narrator when she finds the beach cottage, as well as after her entrance at the costume ball, is especially appalling.

It is only after the truth of Rebecca's death is revealed that Maxim becomes a more sympathetic character. His previous moodiness and detachment from the narrator are explained, and he is suddenly capable of treating the narrator as an equal partner in the relationship, rather than a child. From the very start, it is clear that Mrs. Danvers is the antagonist of the narrative; her rude resentment of the narrator establishes their relationship as the conflict that must be resolved.

However, Mrs. Danvers is also crucial as the physical representation of Rebecca's presence at Manderley. Danvers maintains all of Rebecca's traditions and habits in the house -- even down to the use of the house telephone for approving menus -- and strives to keep Manderley the same as it was during Rebecca's life.

In this role, Mrs. Danvers also articulates the narrator's fears about Rebecca, assuring her that she is and always will be inferior to Rebecca.

It is only after the narrator discovers that Maxim never loved Rebecca that she is able to escape Mrs. Danvers and Rebecca's influence at Manderley. Ben is the only character in the novel to refer to Rebecca in a negative way from the very beginning.

Until Maxim reveals the truth about Rebecca near the end of the book, the narrator operates under the delusion that Rebecca was beloved by everyone. As such, she overlooks Ben's cryptic assertions about Rebecca, assuming that they are merely the confused ramblings of a mentally disabled man. In this way, Ben assumes the position of the wise fool, a literary archetype that dates back to Ancient Rome but was popularized in Shakespearean plays such as King Lear.

As with the Fool in King Lear who uses his "mental eye" to see the true natures of the King's daughters, Ben is able to see the evil in Rebecca long before the narrator does.

But the name reminds us that there is always the wintry chill of murder and deceit in the air. Rebecca is loaded with conversations where Mrs. Of course, she doesn't, and, of course, Rebecca did.

So it seems like the things you don't do matter just as much as the things you do. However, after becoming dissatisfied with her first sketch of Maxim, we don't see her lift pen to page.

In this way, she's kind of foil to her author, Daphne du Maurier, who couldn't stop creating art, and to Rebecca, who was incredibly active. Of course, maybe Mrs. It's not entirely clear what Maxim does all day, but it's probably wheeling, dealing, schmoozing, and politicking.

But, his most stunning action, murdering his wife, is what most defines him. Frith leads the narrator to her new bedroom.

The narrator finds herself feeling nervous—she says that the house is The narrator asks Mrs. In the evening, Alice, a maid, dresses the narrator for dinner. The narrator wears an old dress that Mrs. Van Hopper gave her months Chapter 8. The narrator notices right away that life at Manderley is carefully planned and scheduled.

Maxim gets up She apologizes to Frith for eating She realizes that even these animals knew what time the The telephone rings, and the narrator answers it. Rebecca kept herself busy for years Chapter 9. At noon, the narrator hears the sound of a car pulling up to Manderley. She feels a sudden rush The narrator notices that Maxim is trying not to seem angry.

Giles and Beatrice Beatrice and the narrator take a walk around Manderley. The narrator and Beatrice meet up with Giles and Maxim outside on a lawn. Maxim invites Giles, Giles and Beatrice say goodbye, inviting the narrator to visit them anytime. As Beatrice goes, she apologizes to the narrator for asking her Chapter The narrator notices that Maxim seems tired after hosting his sister.

To relax, he, the narrator , and As Maxim and the narrator walk around the grounds, Jasper bounds away from them, and the narrator goes chasing after The narrator and Jasper walk back to Maxim. Maxim tells the narrator that the man is named The next day, the narrator begins to fall into the rhythm of life at Manderley. She has tea with Maxim The narrator learns more about Rebecca in the coming weeks. One day, the narrator pays a visit to the wife of the local bishop.

The narrator gets up to leave. At the end of the day, the narrator drives back to Manderley and finds Frank Crawley waiting there. He greets the narrator , and The narrator asks Frank about Ben, the mentally challenged man who was working on the Manderley grounds The narrator , sensing that Frank is going to be honest with her, asks Frank how Rebecca The narrator tries to explain herself to Frank.

She tells him that everyone in her new life The narrator and Frank walk back to the front of Manderley. The narrator asks Frank if Rebecca The narrator sees very little of Mrs. Danvers in the coming days, and she senses that Danvers The narrator receives a wedding present from Beatrice—a large multi-volume text called A History of Painting. Robert of stealing a valuable ornament from the morning-room, and Robert has denied this. As the narrator listens to Frith and Maxim speak, she realizes that she was responsible for breaking the A short while later, Maxim and Mrs.

Danvers come back to where the narrator is sitting. Danvers, who is blank-faced as ever, tells the narrator that she should The narrator tells Maxim that her closest friend at Manderley is the servant girl, Clarice. Maxim, she The narrator apologizes to Maxim once again for breaking the china cupid.

She asks him if it In June, Maxim travels to London to attend a public dinner. For two days, the narrator is on her own. As she watches Maxim drive away in his car, she senses The narrator proceeds with her day. The narrator walks through the Happy Valley until she approaches the sea. There is a harbor with Jasper begins to bark, and he runs toward the cottage nearby.

Ben sheepishly emerges, and As the narrator walks back to the house, she notices an unfamiliar car parked off the road. When the narrator enters the house, she notices that a few things have been moved or rearranged: her Danvers enters the room, and the narrator senses that Danvers despises her.

The man asks Danvers to introduce him to the narrator —Danvers The narrator surveys the room more closely. There are dressing gowns in the wardrobe, which emit a Then, unexpectedly, Danvers Danvers continues talking about Rebecca as the narrator grows more and more uncomfortable.

The next day, Maxim is scheduled to return in the late evening. In the morning, the narrator receives a call from Beatrice. At , Beatrice arrives at Manderley. Inside, the narrator finds a house Beatrice tells Gran that the narrator is a talented artist, and the narrator modestly denies this. As the narrator talks with Gran is very old, As Beatrice and the narrator drive back to Manderley, the narrator imagines Gran as a younger woman, raising Maxim when The narrator thanks Beatrice and says goodbye.

As she walks into Manderley, she hears Maxim arguing with After the guests leave, the narrator , Frank, and Maxim discuss the idea of a ball. The narrator complains that Lady The narrator goes to the west wing of the house with Jasper.

Frank and The next day, Mrs. After Mrs. She suspects that Jack is the As the ball approaches, the narrator decides to go with Mrs. It is the afternoon of the ball. Beatrice and Giles show up early, The narrator goes upstairs to put on her dress.

As Clarice helps her with it, the narrator The narrator , now dressed in her white gown, walks downstairs, to find a group of guests When the narrator returns to her room, she finds Clarice, teary-eyed.

Beatrice explains the truth to the narrator : the white The narrator imagines the conversations about her going on downstairs. The guests are undoubtedly talking about how Slowly, the narrator takes out a blue dress from her wardrobe. She irons the dress, puts it on, The narrator joins Maxim. Together, they smile graciously at guests. As the night goes on, the narrator dances joylessly with Maxim. Slowly, the guests begin to leave. The narrator says goodbye to The narrator goes to her bed, and waits for Maxim to enter the room and climb into In the late morning after the ball, the narrator wakes up to find a tray of cold tea waiting for her—Clarice must have left Downstairs, the narrator greets Robert and asks where Maxim might be—Robert reports that he left the house after The narrator waits for Frank to arrive.

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