Rhetorical Essay

Emma McIntyre

Composition II

Professor Hammett

Rhetorical Analysis

25 April 2025

Word Count 1006

Du Maurier on Depression in Teenagers

                 Daphne Du Maurier is a mother, wife, and daughter. She would have understood the weight of taking care of her children’s mental health. Du Maurier was very in-tune with her emotions and often conveyed them through her writing. In Du Maurier’s writing The Birds follows the story of a man trying to keep his family safe through an onslaught of birds attacking, and his main focus through it is to keep the children happy by distracting them from the chaos. She was also extremely close with her father and bonded with him over their mutual love for writing and the arts. Du Maurier would have believed in helping teens find resources for their mental health. 

                 Daphne Du Maurier grew up in a creative and supportive environment. Her father and grandfather were both into writing and acting work, and they both helped nurture Du Maurier’s creative spark. In an academic article written by Avril Horner, Professor of English at Kingston University, and Sue Zlosnik, Professor of Gothic Literature at Manchester Metropolitan University, they discuss Du Maurier's relationship with her father and grandfather; it was said that, “Angela, Daphne’s older sister… [said] that ‘there was a very special affinity between our father and Daphne’” (Zlosnik and Horner 2). Because she had so much attention from her own father, it must have made Du Maurier feel the need to give that same attention to her own kids. She passed on her creativeness and love the same way her father and grandfather did; they were remembered as “vital, creative, energetic men” (1). It is the most important thing in teenage depression for a teen to have a parent that is willing to love and support them no matter what they are going through. It is clear that Du Maurier’s father loved and supported her; she was able to confide and trust his judgement on new experiences she might be having. This is exactly why she would be an advocate for teenagers asking for help about their depression from their parents. 

                 In an article written by the University of Exeter, they explain how Du Maurier was the mother to three children, Tessa, Flavia, and Christian (Forster et al. 1). At the end of her short story, The Birds, the main character Nat has just finished boarding up their windows, doors, and chimney to help protect them from the non-stop attacks on the birds outside (Du Maurier 30). Nat then thinks to himself, “still, as long as the wife slept, and the kids, that was the main thing” (30). This was a very common theme throughout the whole story; Nat fought off many birds big and small to protect his daughter when walking her home from school, and fought off the flock of birds that broke into his son and daughter's room (3). This kind of writing shows the connection the Du Maurier had with her children. The way that Du Maurier writes this story reveals the protectiveness she feels over her kids. As well as Du Mauier following in the footsteps of her father, her son Christian also participated in the arts. This was probably the best way for Du Maurier to connect with her son. 

                 Du Maurier consistently used her writing as an escape from her current situations. One of her biggest stories, Rebecca, was written when she was living in Egypt with her military husband and longed for her hometown (Forster et al. 1). Du Maurier often used her writing as a form of therapy. In an article written by Nemours KidsHealth, they describe how therapy gives teenagers a safe space to discuss the issues that might be bothering them and help them cope with their depression (Depression in Teens: How Parents Can Help (for Parents) 1). Just like her shared love for writing as her father and grandfather, Du Maurier shared this with her son and daughters. The DeVere Society wrote an article about Daphne Du Maurier and wrote about how “she found solace in writing and immersed herself in a world of imagination” (De Vere Society 1). It is clear how much writing kept Du Maurier at peace in her life, so she would greatly recommend her children and other teenagers to find a way to cope with their depression. It would be easy to debate that because Du Maurier was described as “recluse” and “private” that she would not want to open up about her emotions (1). Despite her being private with her personal life, Du Maurier used her writing as an escape rather than a therapist to talk to. 

                 Du Maurier is best known for her complex, psychological, and thrilling stories (1). She often drew from her own experiences and usually wrote about her hometown Cornwall (1). Du Maurier “had a unique talent for capturing the nuances of human relationships and exploring the darker aspects of the human psyche” (1). It is consistent for Du Maurier to have a deep understanding of how her mind and how others’ minds would react in different circumstances. Du Maurier would understand the complexities of depression, and be able to sympathize with her children even if she did not have depression herself. 

                 Because of her loving relationship with her father, Du Maurier was able to tap into her creative side and become attuned with her emotional side. When she had kids of her own, Du Maurier realized that she would do just about anything to keep her children safe, and her writing reflected that. Her writing was also a direct reflection of her emotional intelligence and reinforced the idea that she would be welcoming and understanding if one or more of her kids came to her asking for help with their depression. And though she did not often leave her house and was very private about her personal life, Du Maurier would have still encouraged her kids to reach out and ask for help if they needed it. Du Maurier would be an advocate for teenagers struggling with depression to reach out to their parents and ask for help. 






 

Works Cited

Depression in Teens: How Parents Can Help (for Parents). kidshealth.org/en/parents/teen-                                  depression.html.

De Vere Society. “Daphne Du Maurier - De Vere Society.” De Vere Society - Promoting the Life of                         Edward De Vere, 15 June 2023, deveresociety.co.uk/portfolio/daphne-du-maurier.

Forster, Margaret, et al. Dame Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989). 2004,                                         www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/universityofexeter/collegeofhumanities/english/researchcentres/centreforliteratureandarchives/dumaurier.pdf.

Zlosnik, Sue, and Avril Horner. “Myself When Others: Daphne Du Maurier and the Double Dialogue                  With ‘D.’” Women a Cultural Review, vol. 20, no. 1, Mar. 2009, pp. 9–24.                                                                https://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/id/eprint/5375/1/Horner-A-5375.pdf.