A mentally challenged gardener who works at Manderley. Like Manderley itself, Ben is a mysterious force in the novel: although he’s dim-witted, he has a good memory, and recalls serving Rebecca de Winter. The fact that Ben—who’s far below the narrator on the social totem pole—has power over the narrator insofar as he knows about Rebecca, is a powerful reminder of Rebecca’s massive influence on life at Manderley.
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Ben Character Timeline in Rebecca
The timeline below shows where the character Ben appears in Rebecca. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 10
...and Jasper walk back to Maxim. Maxim tells the narrator that the man is named Ben. Maxim also noticed that the narrator entered the cottage. Feeling uncomfortable, the narrator bursts out...
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Chapter 11
The narrator asks Frank about Ben, the mentally challenged man who was working on the Manderley grounds. The narrator mentions the...
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Chapter 13
...and he runs toward the cottage nearby. As the narrator approaches the cottage, she notices Ben, who’s hiding behind a wall. Ben sheepishly emerges, and the narrator notices that Ben is...
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Ben tells the narrator, “you’re not like the other one.” He explains that “the other one”...
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Chapter 19
The narrator sees Ben approaching her. The narrator tells Ben that there must be a hole in the bottom...
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Chapter 24
...Favell and Colonel Julyan argue, she realizes that there is a witness to Rebecca’s murder: Ben. She remembers what Ben told her: “The fishes have eaten her, haven’t they?” Clearly, he...
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While Frank, Favell, Julyan, Maxim, and the narrator wait for Robert to find Ben, Favell insults Frank. He says that Frank didn’t have much success with Rebecca, but that...
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Robert returns to Manderley with Ben. Inside, Favell greets Ben and asks Ben if he remembers who he is. Before Ben...
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