In the novel Rebecca by Daphné du Maurier, the character of Mrs. Danvers is presented as a foil to the narrator: a character who contrasts with the narrator in order to highlight highlight its attributes. Mrs. Danvers is Mannerly's housekeeper and has cared for the main character, Rebecca, since Rebecca's youth; she then moved to Manderley after marriage to Maxim de Winter. Mrs. Danvers was devoted to Rebecca and despises the narrator, as she does not want her to replace Rebecca. She therefore takes great pleasure in undermining the narrator and making him feel inferior to Rebecca. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayOne of the most obvious contrasts between Mrs. Danvers and the narrator is their physical appearance. When the narrator first lays eyes on Mrs. Danvers upon her arrival at Manderley, she describes her as: "Tall and thin, dressed in deep black, whose high cheekbones and large hollow eyes gave her a face of skull, white parchment, placed on the frame of a skeleton. By showing the face of her skull and comparing her to a skeleton, things associated with death and decay, the reader is made to believe that Mrs. Danvers is someone to be afraid of. It's as if she was so tied to Rebecca that she died with her; the only time she really seems to come alive is when she remembers Rebecca to the narrator. On the other hand, the narrator is young and naive, she does not have much experience in the world. As she says in chapter two, thinking back on the events at Manderley, "I see myself now...with my hair cut off and my face young and powerless...like a shy, worried foal." She also later states "how young and inexperienced I must have looked." There are also considerable contrasts in the personalities of Mrs. Danvers and the narrator. Mrs. Danvers is very intimidating, and her manipulative and devious behavior is first apparent when she suggests that the narrator dress as Caroline de Winter for the famous costume ball. She knows that by doing this it will humiliate the narrator, because it is the same costume that the late Rebecca wore to the last costume ball. Although he has no reason to trust Mrs. Danvers following her previous hostile behavior toward him, the narrator agrees to wear the costume, believing that it will gain her approval. This shows how the narrator is insecure and self-conscious because she doesn't even question Mrs. Danvers' motives because she is so desperate to please. Despite this, Mrs. Danvers and the narrator have some things in common. For example, they are both very loyal characters: Mrs. Danvers is devoted to Rebecca and the narrator is devoted to Mr. de Winter. Mrs. Danvers often speaks of Rebecca lovingly, even though she knows her perversely malicious and cruel nature. Through her actions, Mrs. Danvers could even be seen as playing the role of Rebecca after her death. This unconditional devotion of Mrs. Danvers to Rebecca is similar to the narrator's devotion to Maxim, even after she discovers the truth that he killed the former Mrs. de Winter. She swears to “fight for Maxim”, she would “lie, perjure and swear” for him. This shows how similar the characters of Mrs. Danvers and the narrator are: they are quite selfless and would do almost anything for the people they love. Although Mrs. Danvers is a good representation of a foil for the narrator, a better example of a foil for the narrator is Rebecca. As Maxim's wives, these two characters are.