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Maximilian de Winter
Perhaps the most ambiguous character in the novel, Mrs. Danvers is the elderly caretaker and chief servant at Manderley. Danvers remains utterly devoted to Rebecca—it’s never clear if this is because she doesn’t understand that Rebecca is really a wicked woman, or because she knows and approves of Rebecca’s wickedness (or Rebecca wasn’t wicked at all, and it’s only Maxim who says so). In either case, Danvers uses her influential position at Manderley to intimidate and manipulate the narrator, who, in spite of her superior rank, is terrified of Mrs. Danvers. Danvers is at her most diabolical during the summer costume party, during which she humiliates the narrator by convincing her to wear the same white dress that Rebecca wore years before. And yet Danvers is a sympathetic and even pathetic character, in addition to being a frightening one. She’s utterly devoted to a woman who’s dead, and who may never have cared about her in the first place.
Mrs. Danvers Quotes in Rebecca
The Rebecca quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Danvers or refer to Mrs. Danvers. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2
Quotes
But I never dared ask Mrs. Danvers what she did about it. She would have looked at me in scorn, smiling that freezing, superior smile of hers, and I can imagine her saying: “There were never any complaints when Mrs. de Winter was alive.”
Mrs. Danvers. I wonder what she is doing now.
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Chapter 8
Quotes
“Who is it?” I said, “who do you want?”
There was a strange buzzing at the end of the line, and then a voice came, low and rather harsh, whether that of a woman or a man I could not tell, and “Mrs. de Winter?” it said, “Mrs. de Winter?”
“I'm afraid you have made a mistake,” I said; “Mrs. de Winter has been dead for over a year.” I sat there, waiting, staring stupidly into the mouthpiece, and it was not until the name was repeated again, the voice incredulous, slightly raised, that I became aware, with a rush of color to my face, that I had blundered irretrievably, and could not take back my words.
“It's Mrs. Danvers, Madam,” said the voice. “I'm speaking to you on the house telephone.”
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Chapter 18
Quotes
“I thought I hated you but I don't now,” she said; “it seems to have spent itself, all the feeling I had.”
“Why should you hate me?” I asked; “what have I ever done to you that you should hate me?”
“You tried to take Mrs. de Winter's place,” she said.
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Chapter 21
Quotes
“I will give the orders about the lunch,” she said. She waited a moment. I did not say anything. Then she went out of the room. She can't frighten me any more, I thought. She has lost her power with Rebecca.
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Mrs. Danvers Quotes in Rebecca
The Rebecca quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Danvers or refer to Mrs. Danvers. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2
Quotes
But I never dared ask Mrs. Danvers what she did about it. She would have looked at me in scorn, smiling that freezing, superior smile of hers, and I can imagine her saying: “There were never any complaints when Mrs. de Winter was alive.”
Mrs. Danvers. I wonder what she is doing now.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8
Quotes
“Who is it?” I said, “who do you want?”
There was a strange buzzing at the end of the line, and then a voice came, low and rather harsh, whether that of a woman or a man I could not tell, and “Mrs. de Winter?” it said, “Mrs. de Winter?”
“I'm afraid you have made a mistake,” I said; “Mrs. de Winter has been dead for over a year.” I sat there, waiting, staring stupidly into the mouthpiece, and it was not until the name was repeated again, the voice incredulous, slightly raised, that I became aware, with a rush of color to my face, that I had blundered irretrievably, and could not take back my words.
“It's Mrs. Danvers, Madam,” said the voice. “I'm speaking to you on the house telephone.”
Related Characters:
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Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18
Quotes
“I thought I hated you but I don't now,” she said; “it seems to have spent itself, all the feeling I had.”
“Why should you hate me?” I asked; “what have I ever done to you that you should hate me?”
“You tried to take Mrs. de Winter's place,” she said.
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Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21
Quotes
“I will give the orders about the lunch,” she said. She waited a moment. I did not say anything. Then she went out of the room. She can't frighten me any more, I thought. She has lost her power with Rebecca.
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