In Rebecca Chapter 9, France is a significant place because `it was brought up in Mrs.Van Hopper and the narrator conversation about how Mrs. Van Hopper is shocked that Maxim picked someone young and pretty. Mrs. Van Hopper says, "When Maxim wrote and told me, 'She went on, taking my arm, 'and said he had discovered you in the south of France, and you were very young, very pretty, I must admit it gave me a bit of a shock." This quote also shows not being sure about their relationship because of the age difference between them two. It also shows how quick Maxim decided to get intimate with the narrator. The South of France is where Maxim and the narrator first met. France represents a time in the narrator's life where her life was different because was living a normal life versus her life when she became Maxim's wife. This emphasizes how her life was different after she had met Maxim and married him, and she later became a part of Manderley.
Another significance about France shows up in Chapter 18 also when the narrator is speaking to Mrs. Danvers and said, “It's not true,' I said. 'It's not true. He was happy when we were in France together; he was younger, much younger, and laughing and gay.” This quote shows that the narrator is trying to make herself believe that Maxim was happy with her before they got to Manderley. He might seem like he’s happy with life while he is in France with the narrator but, really Maxim is grieving because Manderley makes him think of Rebecca and all the memories that makes him think about Rebecca’s death. The narrator talks about the time they spent together in France to be a time in life where Maxim was young and at one of the happiest times of his life. Mrs. Danvers ignores the narrators feeling by reminding the narrator that Maxim is a man and that’s why the narrator doesn't understand why he’s sad while he's at Manderley. This location helps show how some other locations can change characters emotions.