Sospel is significant to Rebecca because it is a crossroads town. This town was popular with cyclists and drivers as it had scenic views and twisting roads. These beautiful roads are junctions to various places within France, Italy, and even Monte Carlo in Monaco. This information comes from the website, Provence & Beyond, that explores various places within France. This location illustrates the unnamed narrator and the erasure of her identity as Sospel is a hardly mentioned place that is only used for convenience. On page eighteen, Maxim says in response to Mrs. Van Hopper's request for him to join them tomorrow, "I am probably driving back to Sospel", this is an excuse (Du Maurier, 18). The excuse is revealed later on when the narrator finds him, which she thought was weird, as he should have already left for Sospel (Du Maurier, 22). Sospel being a crossroads town adds to the believability of the excuse. Like Sospel, the narrator is also used for convenience in this book while Maxim says he loves her later, she could simply be the first woman who approached him after Rebecca's death. Neither the narrator nor Sospel are truly respected in this part of the book. Mapping this location on COVE reveals the distance from this location to other locations in the book, such as Monte Carlo. Sospel is in the southeast of France near the border of Italy, in comparison, Monte Carlo is in Monaco along the French Riviera. While the drive is only 42 minutes in today's standards, it would certainly have been longer when the time this book was written, as roads were not nearly as modern as today.
