Summary Of Rebecca

3 Pages 644 Words

The author starts out the story with a flashback describing the end of the story or for the narrator of the book, the present. Then, the narrator, who we never learn her name, starts to explain the beginning of the novel.
She is very young and inexperienced on life and works as a young companion for a rich American lady called Mrs. Van Hopper. At a hotel in France, where everything around her makes her feel inferior, she meets Maxim De Winter, the man who owns Manderley, a mansion known by all. During their stay at the hotel, they spend more and more time with each-other. As the narrator is about to leave for New York, Maxim proposes and they get married.
After a wonderful honeymoon around Europe, they return together to Manderly. As soon as they get there, the narrator’s insecurities step in. She is constantly reminded of Rebecca, Maxim’s beautiful first wife who had tragically drowned sailing. To add to these insecurities, Mrs. Danvers, head housekeeper and who loved Rebecca, tries everything to destroy this young girl. Soon the narrator feels like she can never stand up to the talented, beautiful, loved by all and brilliant Rebecca. She feels like Maxim is still in love by her.
Manderley hosts a yearly costume ball. This was the narrator’s first entrance in the public eye as Mrs. De Winter and she wanted to impress everybody. After days and days of thinking of what her costume was going to be, she takes Mrs. Danver’s advice and chooses a shepherd’s dress as in one of the paintings at Manderly. As she is walking down the steps into the great hall of Manderley, she finds herself looking at Maxim’s terrified face. Mrs. Danvers has intentionally suggested her to wear a costume which Rebecca had wore to her last ball.
The next morning a series of mysteries quickly unfold. The wreckage of Rebecca’s sailing boat was found with her body inside near the bay. This discovery pushed Maxim to tell the narrator the truth....