Beatrice Lacy Character Analysis in Rebecca

Maxim de Winter’s energetic, talkative sister, Beatrice Lacy is an important foil to the narrator. She’s entirely comfortable among wealthy, aristocratic people, and she’s never shy about expressing her opinion. Surprisingly, Beatrice is often a loyal friend to the narrator, ensuring that she’s not completely humiliated at the summer costume party. In the end, Beatrice is perhaps the most enviable character in the novel. She has all the advantages of a wealthy lifestyle (money, power, luxury) without any of the emotional baggage and scandal that accompanies the other wealthy characters, like her brother.

Beatrice Lacy Quotes in Rebecca

The Rebecca quotes below are all either spoken by Beatrice Lacy or refer to Beatrice Lacy. 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:

“You see,” she said, snapping the top, and walking down the stairs, “you are so very different from Rebecca.”

Related Characters: Beatrice Lacy (speaker), The narrator, Rebecca de Winter

Page Number and Citation: 107

Explanation and Analysis:

That was why I had come down last night in my blue dress and had not stayed hidden in my room. There was nothing brave or fine about it, it was a wretched tribute to convention. I had not come down for Maxim's sake, or Beatrice's, for the sake of Manderley. I had come down because I did not want the people at the ball to think I had quarreled with Maxim. I didn't want them to go home and say, “Of course you know they don't get on. I hear he's not at all happy.” I had come for my own sake, my own poor personal pride.

Related Characters: The narrator (speaker), Beatrice Lacy, Maximilian de Winter

Related Symbols: The White Dress

Page Number and Citation: 235

Explanation and Analysis:

Beatrice Lacy Character Timeline in Rebecca

The timeline below shows where the character Beatrice Lacy appears in Rebecca. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...her first morning at Manderley, Maxim tells the narrator that his grandmother and his sister, Beatrice, will want to visit them immediately. (full context)

...Danvers leads the narrator back to her room, and tells her that Major Giles and Beatrice Lacy—Maxim’s sister and brother-in-law—are waiting for her downstairs, along with Frank Crawley, the Manderley “agent”... (full context)

Giles and Beatrice tease Maxim about his health—they suggest that he’s lost weight lately, probably because of marrying... (full context)

Beatrice and the narrator take a walk around Manderley. Beatrice asks the narrator how she’s been... (full context)

The narrator and Beatrice meet up with Giles and Maxim outside on a lawn. Maxim invites Giles, Beatrice, and... (full context)

Giles and Beatrice say goodbye, inviting the narrator to visit them anytime. As Beatrice goes, she apologizes to... (full context)

...Manderley called the Happy Valley. As they walk, the narrator can’t help but think about Beatrice. Beatrice and Maxim seem barely to know one another—the narrator can’t wrap her head around... (full context)

...coming days, and she senses that Danvers is making herself scarce. The narrator remembers what Beatrice said—that Danvers adored Rebecca—and finds herself feeling sorry for Mrs. Danvers: she’s devoted to a... (full context)

The narrator receives a wedding present from Beatrice—a large multi-volume text called A History of Painting. There’s a note with the book, “I... (full context)

...to return in the late evening. In the morning, the narrator receives a call from Beatrice. Over the phone, Beatrice asks the narrator if she’d like to meet Maxim’s grandmother that... (full context)

At 3:30, Beatrice arrives at Manderley. She drives the narrator to see “Gran,” noting in the car that... (full context)

In the car, the narrator asks Beatrice if she’s ever heard of Jack Favell, and explains that he came to Manderley yesterday.... (full context)

Beatrice and the narrator arrive at the house of Beatrice and Maxim’s mother. Inside, the narrator... (full context)

Beatrice tells Gran that the narrator is a talented artist, and the narrator modestly denies this.... (full context)

Outside Gran’s house, Beatrice apologizes profusely to the narrator for Gran’s behavior, but the narrator insists that there’s no... (full context)

As Beatrice and the narrator drive back to Manderley, the narrator imagines Gran as a younger woman,... (full context)

The narrator thanks Beatrice and says goodbye. As she walks into Manderley, she hears Maxim arguing with Mrs. Danvers,... (full context)

...of an appropriate costume. She goes through the books on the history of painting that Beatrice bought her, hoping to find inspiration. Dissatisfied, she makes sketches of gowns from paintings by... (full context)

...afternoon of the ball. The narrator is very nervous—so nervous that she can’t eat anything. Beatrice and Giles show up early, before the narrator has put on her costume. They embrace... (full context)

Suddenly, Beatrice walks into the narrator’s bedroom, wearing an “Eastern” gown. Beatrice explains the truth to the... (full context)

...says goodbye to them with the same meaningless words, “I’m so glad you could come.” Beatrice, one of the last guests remaining at the end of the night, tells the narrator... (full context)

...enter the ball wearing her blue dress. She didn’t do it for Maxim or for Beatrice—she did it because of her own pride. (full context)

...narrator walks to her door, she sees a note scribbled in pencil. The note, from Beatrice, thanks the narrator for a lovely evening, and tells her not to think any further... (full context)

...to seduce him. After Rebecca realized she could never control Frank, she started on Giles, Beatrice’s husband. Giles was practically in love with Rebecca, though Beatrice, Maxim noticed, disliked Rebecca. (full context)

It’s now almost 10 pm. The phone rings, and the narrator answers—it’s Beatrice. Beatrice asks about the suicide verdict, which has just been publicly announced. The narrator doesn’t... (full context)

The narrator abruptly hangs up the phone and turns to Maxim. Beatrice calls again, but neither she nor Maxim answer. The narrator and Maxim kiss, feverishly, as... (full context)

Rebecca

Beatrice Lacy Character Analysis

Beatrice Lacy Quotes in Rebecca

Chapter 9 Quotes

Chapter 18 Quotes

Beatrice Lacy Character Timeline in Rebecca