Social Structure of the 1930’s - Daphne Du Maurier

Social Structure of the 1930’s

Daphne Du Maurier uses her own reflections in Rebecca to criticize the social structure of the 1930’s. The settings throughout the book are taken directly from Daphne’s memories as a young child and adult portraying the high social class environment. Important characters and their actions can easily relate back to Daphne’s relationship with certain individuals in her life. The characters everyday routines show Daphne’s social views on the stereotyped British civilian. There are also many significant events in the novel resembling important moments throughout Daphne’s life. Rebecca is, overly, very autobiographical of Daphne Du Maurier’s life.

The elaborate atmosphere displayed throughout Rebecca can closely be related to the surroundings seen throughout Daphne’s life. These characteristics establish the wealthy social class Daphne wanted to portray. As a young child, Daphne stayed at the Milton, which was an exquisite mansion, built for a superior family. The house, called Manderly, described in the novel demonstrates extremely similar features suggesting a relation between the two. Both houses illustrate a massive entrance hall with countless rooms, ran by an authoritative housekeeper. Daphne used more than just use these early memories to create the imaginative setting within Rebecca. She used many attributes from a small town called Menabilly to generate the ambiance of Manderly. Not only are their overall names quite similar, but also the set-up of the two areas. Menabilly was the home of the Rashleigh family, which is just outside Fowey in Cornwall. It’s mansion is hidden from the long driveway with immense forestry toped off with the pathway that leads towards a small cottage beside the sea with two beaches secluded in a small cove. Daphne often visited Menabilly, but only as a trespasser. She undoubtedly cherished this place so much that she ended up living there for many years. Here, she created some of her greatest literature. These unexplainable sceneries Daphne remembered throughout her life helped create the imaginary setting and high-class feeling shown in Rebecca.

The different individuals in Daphne’s life shape many of the characters throughout Rebecca. These characters reflect Daphne’s conservative social views about the stereotyped average high-class British citizen. As insignificant as each maid and butler truly are, they were created through the memories of Daphne’s childhood in order for the reader to feel the upper class society tone. At the Milton, where Daphne was settled, there were numerous butlers and maids waiting at hand and on foot for anyone staying there. The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, was made with similar traits from one of the head maids Daphne remembered from one of the amazing mansions her family visited as a kid. The intimidating housekeepers both wore long black dresses that touched the ground, and had a pale, skeletal face. These characters enforced the strict rules about the behavior of each sex, and about having tea at exactly four-thirty every day. Individuals in Rebecca such as the first and second Mrs. De Winter, and Maxim de Winter, are also creations made from different people in Daphne’s life. These three main characters show a similar relationship Daphne had in her life between herself, her husband Tommy, and his prior fiancй. Daphne’s husband was to be married to a beautiful, confident woman before he even knew Daphne. Although the relationship was completely broken off, Daphne had doubts that Tommy could ever love her as much as he did the other woman. The triangular connection seen between these three characters parallels with the second Mrs. De Winter feelings about Maxim