My Cousin Rachel

by

Daphne du Maurier

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on My Cousin Rachel makes teaching easy.
Nick Kendall is Philip’s godfather and legal guardian, an old friend of Ambrose’s, and the father of Louise. Kendall is practical and level-headed; he finds both Philip’s original hatred of Rachel and his later rapturous love of her to be alarming. Throughout the novel, Kendall tries his best to counsel Philip and help him moderate his behavior. However, Philip soon becomes resentful of Kendall’s advice, and the fact that Ambrose’s will designates Kendall guardian of Philip and of the Ashley property until Philip’s twenty-fifth birthday. Many of the impetuous actions Philip takes throughout the novel, including removing the pearl collar from the bank and gifting it to Rachel, are partially motivated by a desire to spite his godfather.

Nick Kendall Quotes in My Cousin Rachel

The My Cousin Rachel quotes below are all either spoken by Nick Kendall or refer to Nick Kendall. 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:
Guilt Theme Icon
).
Chapter 7 Quotes

I don’t know what I thought to see. Something bold, perhaps, with loops and flourishes; or its reverse, darkly scrawled and mean. This was just handwriting, much like any other, except that the ends of the words tailed off in little dashes, making the words themselves not altogether easy to decipher.

Related Characters: Philip Ashley (speaker), Rachel Ashley, Nick Kendall
Related Symbols: Letters
Page Number: 73
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 23 Quotes

I could not believe it possible that a girl I knew and trusted could have so damnable a mind, and speak—that was the greatest hell—with so much logic and plain common sense, to tear apart another woman like herself.

“Is it your father’s legal mind speaking in you, or you yourself?” I said to her.

“Not my father,” she said; “you know his reserve. He has said little to me. I have a judgement [sic] of my own.”

Related Characters: Philip Ashley (speaker), Louise Kendall (speaker), Rachel Ashley, Nick Kendall
Page Number: 321
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26 Quotes

Her head was turned to him as she listened, so that from the head of the table, where I sat, I looked on her in profile. She was always a stranger, thus. Those neat clipped features on a coin. Dark and withdrawn, a foreign woman standing in a doorway, a shawl about her head, her hand outstretched. But full-face, when she smiled, a stranger never. The Rachel that I knew, that I had loved.

Related Characters: Philip Ashley (speaker), Rachel Ashley, Nick Kendall
Related Symbols: Eyes
Page Number: 378
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire My Cousin Rachel LitChart as a printable PDF.
My Cousin Rachel PDF

Nick Kendall Quotes in My Cousin Rachel

The My Cousin Rachel quotes below are all either spoken by Nick Kendall or refer to Nick Kendall. 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:
Guilt Theme Icon
).
Chapter 7 Quotes

I don’t know what I thought to see. Something bold, perhaps, with loops and flourishes; or its reverse, darkly scrawled and mean. This was just handwriting, much like any other, except that the ends of the words tailed off in little dashes, making the words themselves not altogether easy to decipher.

Related Characters: Philip Ashley (speaker), Rachel Ashley, Nick Kendall
Related Symbols: Letters
Page Number: 73
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 23 Quotes

I could not believe it possible that a girl I knew and trusted could have so damnable a mind, and speak—that was the greatest hell—with so much logic and plain common sense, to tear apart another woman like herself.

“Is it your father’s legal mind speaking in you, or you yourself?” I said to her.

“Not my father,” she said; “you know his reserve. He has said little to me. I have a judgement [sic] of my own.”

Related Characters: Philip Ashley (speaker), Louise Kendall (speaker), Rachel Ashley, Nick Kendall
Page Number: 321
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26 Quotes

Her head was turned to him as she listened, so that from the head of the table, where I sat, I looked on her in profile. She was always a stranger, thus. Those neat clipped features on a coin. Dark and withdrawn, a foreign woman standing in a doorway, a shawl about her head, her hand outstretched. But full-face, when she smiled, a stranger never. The Rachel that I knew, that I had loved.

Related Characters: Philip Ashley (speaker), Rachel Ashley, Nick Kendall
Related Symbols: Eyes
Page Number: 378
Explanation and Analysis: