What happens in Chapter 15 – Favell's Blackmail of Rebecca?
Chapter 15 begins after the inquest into Rebecca's death, which has officially concluded with a verdict of suicide by drowning. While there’s a sense of relief at Manderley, it feels somewhat fragile. Jack Favell, Rebecca's reckless cousin and secret lover, arrives unannounced while Maxim is away. He has a charming yet dangerous aura that immediately puts the narrator on edge. Favell makes himself comfortable, drinking freely and implying that Rebecca's death carries darker undertones, hinting at a threat. He suggests that the verdict doesn’t reveal the full truth and alludes to the potential for making Maxim's life difficult if he wanted to. Just as he seems ready to exploit the situation, Maxim returns with Colonel Julyan, the local magistrate. Favell, momentarily caught off guard, alters his tone but doesn’t back down—he boldly claims that Rebecca was murdered and that he has proof. The scene escalates into a tense standoff: Favell demands money for his silence, making his blackmail clear. Maxim stands his ground. Colonel Julyan, instead of dismissing the accusation outright, agrees that there’s enough merit in Favell's claims to warrant an investigation, triggering the inquiry that will reveal the novel's central mystery.
Analysis
Du Maurier engineers Chapter 15 as a turning point, transforming the novel's vague psychological unease into a clear, plot-driven threat. Favell acts as a twisted version of the romantic hero: he's handsome, charming, and completely corrupt, serving as a dark reflection of Maxim that shows just how close charm can be to predation. His relaxed behavior at Manderley—helping himself to drinks and lounging in chairs—deliberately crosses boundaries, and du Maurier uses this spatial violation to indicate moral decay.
The narrator's voice reveals a careful anxiety. She notices every detail of Favell's behavior with the keen awareness of someone who knows that appearances can be misleading, yet she still struggles to fully understand him—a constraint du Maurier maintains to keep the suspense alive. The chapter shifts from a sense of relief after the inquest to a renewed sense of threat, conveyed through the rhythm of dialogue: Favell's remarks are casual and conversational until they suddenly become sharp with accusation, echoing the snap of a trap.
The term "blackmail" comes in late and bluntly, and that straightforwardness is crucial—du Maurier removes the Gothic atmosphere at the peak of danger, anchoring the scene in the harsh reality of coercion. Colonel Julyan's calm response brings institutional authority into what has been a domestic drama, expanding the moral landscape of the novel. Rebecca, still absent and dead, still influences the scene: her name is the tool Favell employs, and her mystery continues to be the source of both power and vulnerability for everyone involved.
Key quotes from Chapter 15 – Favell's Blackmail
“I suppose you know you're living on top of a volcano, the whole lot of you.”
Favell delivers this line to the narrator with casual menace before Maxim's return, framing Manderley's apparent stability as a catastrophe waiting to erupt.
“Rebecca was not the sort of woman who would kill herself. She had too much to live for.”
Favell makes his central counter-argument to the inquest verdict, insisting Rebecca's character contradicts suicide and implicitly pointing toward murder.
“I'm not going to be bought off. I want justice for what was done to Rebecca.”
Favell reframes his blackmail as moral principle when confronted by Maxim and Colonel Julyan, revealing the self-serving theatricality beneath his grievance.
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Create an accountSign inVocabulary in Chapter 15 – Favell's Blackmail
- blackmail
- The act of demanding money or favours from someone by threatening to reveal damaging information about them; Favell's attempt to extort Maxim using knowledge of Rebecca's death.