Explore the ways in which Daphne du Maurier presents social class and
wealth in Rebecca.
Daphne Du Maurier’s novel, Rebecca (1938), presents social class and wealth as an
unjustifiable way to oppress people. Written in a period of social upheaval following
WW1, Du Maurier critiques the injustice of the void between the working and upper
classes, for example, through entitled characters such as Mrs Van Hopper who is
overbearing and cruel towards the narrator. In comparison, although not having the
level of class and wealth of the narrator, Mrs Danvers is also able to use her
experience of serving a proper lady to taunt the new Mrs de Winter, who has come
from a lower class and struggles to fit into her new life in Manderley.
Before the narrator enters upper class society, Mrs Van Hopper is a prominent figure
in her life, influencing her attitudes and ideas. Mrs Van Hopper is a brash and
wealthy person, with a ‘short body...small pig eyes…fat bejewelled fingers.’ Du
Maurier uses imagery to create the impression that she is a person who lacks class
and finesse, but embodies the feeling of greed, for example ‘the sauce (ran) down her
chin’ and entitlement, treating the narrator as if she is inferior: ‘waved a vague hand
in my direction and mumbled my name.’ The word ‘vague’ suggests that Mrs Van
Hopper treats the narrator as somebody of little importance, as she does not see her
as an equal; she is very dismissive of her. The fact that Mrs Van Hopper ‘mumbled’
the narrator’s name, emphasises further that she is unworthy of recognition. This
makes the narrator irrelevant as Mrs Van Hopper has treated her as if she is a non-
person; this is particularly striking as Du Maurier never tells us the narrator’s name
at any point in the novel. It is highly significant that this lack of acknowledgement
affects the narrator’s belief that she is inferior. Du Maurier emphasises her lack of
self-respect; if she cannot respect herself, the narrator believes that others cannot
respect her. She hopes that it will change when she marries Maxim as she believes by
changing her social class she will automatically become accepted by society. Du
Maurier, however, makes it clear that the narrator’s insecurities are so deep rooted
that her sense of inferiority is an essential part of who she is. Through Mrs Van
Hopper telling her that she is ‘making a big mistake,’ Du Maurier shows that society
is not so accepting as the narrator hopes it will be.
Upon the narrator’s arrival at Manderley, she feels ‘uncomfortable’; here, Du Maurier
presents her as an outsider, unable to fit in and unfamiliar with the social
conventions of the upper class. She thinks: ‘I wished I knew what to say, what to do,’
revealing her desire to fit in; however, her belief that, in reality, she ‘behaved like a
visitor too,’ distances her from upper class status. She feels too frightened to
wealth in Rebecca.
Daphne Du Maurier’s novel, Rebecca (1938), presents social class and wealth as an
unjustifiable way to oppress people. Written in a period of social upheaval following
WW1, Du Maurier critiques the injustice of the void between the working and upper
classes, for example, through entitled characters such as Mrs Van Hopper who is
overbearing and cruel towards the narrator. In comparison, although not having the
level of class and wealth of the narrator, Mrs Danvers is also able to use her
experience of serving a proper lady to taunt the new Mrs de Winter, who has come
from a lower class and struggles to fit into her new life in Manderley.
Before the narrator enters upper class society, Mrs Van Hopper is a prominent figure
in her life, influencing her attitudes and ideas. Mrs Van Hopper is a brash and
wealthy person, with a ‘short body...small pig eyes…fat bejewelled fingers.’ Du
Maurier uses imagery to create the impression that she is a person who lacks class
and finesse, but embodies the feeling of greed, for example ‘the sauce (ran) down her
chin’ and entitlement, treating the narrator as if she is inferior: ‘waved a vague hand
in my direction and mumbled my name.’ The word ‘vague’ suggests that Mrs Van
Hopper treats the narrator as somebody of little importance, as she does not see her
as an equal; she is very dismissive of her. The fact that Mrs Van Hopper ‘mumbled’
the narrator’s name, emphasises further that she is unworthy of recognition. This
makes the narrator irrelevant as Mrs Van Hopper has treated her as if she is a non-
person; this is particularly striking as Du Maurier never tells us the narrator’s name
at any point in the novel. It is highly significant that this lack of acknowledgement
affects the narrator’s belief that she is inferior. Du Maurier emphasises her lack of
self-respect; if she cannot respect herself, the narrator believes that others cannot
respect her. She hopes that it will change when she marries Maxim as she believes by
changing her social class she will automatically become accepted by society. Du
Maurier, however, makes it clear that the narrator’s insecurities are so deep rooted
that her sense of inferiority is an essential part of who she is. Through Mrs Van
Hopper telling her that she is ‘making a big mistake,’ Du Maurier shows that society
is not so accepting as the narrator hopes it will be.
Upon the narrator’s arrival at Manderley, she feels ‘uncomfortable’; here, Du Maurier
presents her as an outsider, unable to fit in and unfamiliar with the social
conventions of the upper class. She thinks: ‘I wished I knew what to say, what to do,’
revealing her desire to fit in; however, her belief that, in reality, she ‘behaved like a
visitor too,’ distances her from upper class status. She feels too frightened to
