The exposition of the book begins with present-day Mr. and Mrs. de Winter who travel from hotel to hotel in Europe. They harbor fond memories of a legendary home called Manderley which had been razed to the ground by a fire. We are taken back to the very beginning of the story when the young couple met in Monte Carlo years ago.
The narrative then shifts into flashback mode and we see the unnamed protagonist working as a traveling companion to Mrs. Van Hopper, a wealthy American woman who loves to travel and loves to gossip. Upon meeting Maxim de Winter, who happens to be staying at the same hotel, the narrator and Maxim feel an initial attraction towards each other and begin spending time together. After spending a few short weeks with each other, they decide to get married. They tie the knot, go on a romantic honeymoon, and move into Maxim’s ancestral estate, Manderley.
As beautiful as the estate was, it also had a sinister atmosphere. Maxim’s ex-wife, Rebecca had drowned in a tragic accident a year ago, and the ghost of her memory cast a dark shadow over Manderley. The dead woman’s memory was also kept alive by the eerie Mrs. Danvers – who remained dedicated to Rebecca even in her death. This is where the rising action begins.
As the days go by and the second Mrs. de Winter struggles to adjust to her new life at the beautiful Manderley, she begins to hear tales of the wonderful Rebecca – how talented she was, how gorgeous she looked, and how well-loved she was by everyone around. Despite the encouragement that the heroine receives from her sister-in-law, Beatrice, and the house overseer, Frank Crawley, she begins to feel intimidated by the ghost of her husband’s ex-wife.
And here, dear reader, is where our timid heroine finds herself trapped in the most classic of gothic dilemmas. Our poor protagonist might be forgiven for wondering if she should have stayed in the comforting, (if gossipy), clutches of Mrs. Van Hopper. After all, it’s hard enough to step into someone else’s shoes, but it’s even harder when those shoes belong to a woman who seems to have no faults!
Soon, with some sinister encouragement from Mrs. Danvers, Mrs. de Winter begins to believe that her husband is still in love with the brilliant and talented Rebecca.
The time comes for an annual costume ball which is held at Manderley estate each year. Rebecca had been a charming hostess all these years, and Mrs. de Winter is determined to revive the ball after her death. The ball is almost a success – until, to the horror of everyone present, the heroine turns up at the party in Rebecca’s old gown at the suggestion of the evil Mrs. Danvers.
Utterly miserable at having pushed her husband further away, Mrs. de Winter is found by Mrs. Danvers in a vulnerable state the next day. The villainous housekeeper almost convinces her to kill herself until her attempts are thwarted when a signal goes off from a nearby cove. A mysterious ship had been washed onto land with a body in it. This proves to be the turning point in the story. It doesn’t take too long for divers to identify the ship as Rebecca’s old sailboat and they suspect that the body might belong to Rebecca. The only problem was that Rebecca’s body had already been identified a year ago by Maxim.
As everyone begins to harbor suspicions of murder, Maxim decides to spill the beans to his wife. This is where the revelation of Rebecca’s true nature occurs. He reveals that Rebecca was a wicked and malevolent woman whom he desperately hated during the course of his marriage. His ex-wife apparently carried on several affairs with other men, including her cousin, Jack Favell, and she was not opposed to revealing all of her misadventures to her husband. One day, Rebecca confessed to Maxim that she had gotten pregnant with Jack Favell’s child. Maxim finally flew into a raging temper and demanded a divorce. Rebecca refused his demand, and in his fury, Maxim shot her to death. The truth about Rebecca’s death gives way to the climax in the story.
Talk about a faux pas! I feel sorely for Mrs. de Winter, who bravely revives the annual ball, only to discover she’s been duped by Mrs. Danvers into wearing Rebecca’s infamous dress! But it turns out that darling Rebecca was more a nightmare than a dream, making Mrs. de Winter’s own nightmares suddenly seem quite manageable.
Maxim then took her body to the harbor in Rebecca’s sailboat and sank it underwater. Finally, Mrs. de Winter is assured of her place in the marriage and she shakes the ghost of Rebecca off her back. But there are other trials at hand for the young couple in the near future – namely, accusations of murder. It had come to light that the bottom of Rebecca’s sailboat had several holes drilled into it.
Fortunately, the coroner’s report comes back as a case of suicide, but Rebecca’s cousin, Jack Favell is not satisfied with this report. Convinced that his lover would not have killed herself, he accuses Maxim of murdering her, introducing a major conflict in the plot.
The matter is then investigated by the local magistrate, Colonel Julyan who discovers that Rebecca traveled to London on the day of her death to visit a Doctor Baker. The Colonel makes the visit to the doctor himself, with Mr. and Mrs. de Winter and Favell in tow.
Instead of informing the Colonel that Rebecca was pregnant, which would have sealed Maxim’s motive for murder, the doctor reveals that Rebecca was infertile and terminally ill from cancer. Maxim understands that his ex-wife had lied to him in a vengeful move – but the doctor’s report proves to be enough to produce a motive for suicide and absolves Maxim of suspicion. This forms the basis of the falling action in the story.
All investigation into the matter ceases, and Mr. and Mrs. de Winter decide to spend the night at a hotel in London. However, they learn from the house overseer that Mrs. Danvers – forever a faithful servant to Rebecca – is nowhere to be found. Uneasy at this piece of news, Maxim decides to drive back home right away. As dawn approaches, the couple pulls up near the ridge in front of the mansion and they see sparkling bright lights on the horizon. Mr. and Mrs. de Winter are horrified to discover that the beautiful estate of Manderley was up in flames. Thus, the resolution to the story offers one final and fateful twist in the tale.
Ah, the twists of fate! Just when Mrs. de Winter thinks she’s exorcised Rebecca’s ghost, Jack Favell swoops in, accusing Maxim of murder. But in a dramatic turn, Rebecca’s last act of spite backfires. I can’t help but think, “Vindication at last!” but it looks like Rebecca has the last word on Manderley after all.
