My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. It provides a thorough exploration of the novel’s plot, characters and main themes, including sexuality, doubles and gender roles. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 48-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of Daphne du Maurier
• Presentation of My Cousin Rachel
• Summary of My Cousin Rachel
• Character study
  • Rachel Ashley
  • Philip Ashley
  • Ambrose Ashley
  • Nick Kendall
• Analysis of My Cousin Rachel
  • Women and sexuality in My Cousin Rachel
  • Du Maurier’s use of the double in My Cousin Rachel

About My Cousin Rachel

My Cousin Rachel is told from the perspective of Philip Ashley, a young man who develops a complicated relationship with Rachel, his cousin’s widow. Although he had received letters from his cousin Ambrose prior to his death claiming that Rachel was poisoning him, Philip is instantly drawn to her upon meeting her for the first time, and soon falls in love with her. However, as his attachment to her grows more intense, suspicions rekindle in his mind, and he begins to wonder if he will be her next victim…

My Cousin Rachel is a classic of 20^th-century literature, and has been adapted for the screen twice: in 1952, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and in 2017, starring Rachel Weisz in the title role.

About Daphne du Maurier

Daphne du Maurier was the daughter of an actor and the granddaughter of a writer, and had a privileged but unconventional upbringing as a result. She began writing early in life, although it was not until the publication of her fourth novel, Jamaica Inn, that she began to garner critical acclaim. Du Maurier was fascinated by the work of the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung, and often explored related concepts such as doubles and inner conflicts in her own work. She died of heart failure in 1989, and is remembered as one of the most iconic writers of Gothic fiction of the 20^th century.