Breakfast at Tiffany’s Summary & Analysis

At the very outset of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Capote’s respective interests in privacy, wealth, and independence emerge, as the narrator notes that his apartment—though unglamorous and cheap—gave him a sense of artistic and intellectual freedom when he first moved to New York. To that end, having a space to himself allows him to feel like a legitimate writer, somebody who will be able to focus on his craft without any interruptions. It doesn’t matter to him that he doesn’t have a fancy, expensive apartment. All that matters, it seems, is that he has a place to grow into himself—a place he belongs. 

It’s not yet clear why the narrator and Joe Bell are so interested in Holly and her whereabouts. The only thing readers can piece together at this point is that neither of them have been in touch with Holly herself, despite the fact that they’re evidently so concerned about her. This, in turn, hints at the unyielding fascination in Holly’s life that seemingly all of the characters in the novella adopt, demonstrating even at this early stage that people tend to obsess over the details of her private life.

As the narrator and Joe speculate about Holly’s whereabouts, it becomes increasingly obvious that they are rather obsessed with her. Furthermore, it’s also clear that Holly is a mysterious, elusive figure, the kind of person who attracts attention but manages to confound the people who want to know the details of her life. As a result, people don’t know what to think of Holly, assuming that she must be “crazy” simply because she wants to preserve her independence. At the same time, though, it’s worth noting that readers don’t know what, exactly, has happened to make Holly disappear, thereby endowing her with an even greater sense of mystery that effectively puts readers in the same position as people like the narrator and Joe Bell, who are so eager to find out what has happened to her.

The fact that Joe Bell loves Holly and fantasizes about her in a sexual manner suggests that the obsessions men develop about her often have to do with romance and lust. This, it seems, is largely why Joe is so interested in what has happened to her. However, it’s notable that the narrator himself doesn’t mention any kind of romantic interest in Holly—a sign that their relationship wasn’t defined by attraction or desire.

That Holly adds the word “traveling” on her card presents her as the kind of person who doesn’t like to settle down. Although she is living full-time in the brownstone, she presents herself as if she’s always on the move, perhaps because she doesn’t feel like she has truly settled down. On another note, the fact that Holly quells Mr. Yunioshi’s anger by promising to pose nude for him indicates that she knows how to use her sexuality to her own advantage, well aware that she can lord her beauty over men in order to make her own life better.

In this scene, readers see that Holly is quite capable of using her sex appeal to her own benefit. By fraternizing with this man, Holly manages to eat a free meal. More importantly, she doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to do, ultimately refusing to have sex with the man regardless of what he thinks he “deserves.” In turn, Holly demonstrates her power and independence without making any sacrifices. On another note, it’s worth keeping in mind that the narrator watches this entire scene play out without Holly’s knowledge. This is yet another indication that the people surrounding her are so drawn to her that they obsess over—and encroach upon—her private life. 

When the narrator starts letting Holly in at night, he becomes part of her life in a small, fleeting way. Although they have yet to meet, Holly now depends upon the narrator in a certain regard, counting on the fact that he’ll let her into the building. That she never questions whether or not the narrator will do this is a testament to her ability to convince people to do things for her—a skill that seemingly comes quite easily to her, considering that she doesn’t even do anything to persuade the narrator to help her in this way. What’s more, the narrator’s interest in the birdcage shows readers that there are certain monetary limitations that keep him from living the life he’d like to have, though he otherwise seems unbothered by his lack of money.

Simply put, the narrator apparently has no problem violating Holly’s privacy. This is because he has developed something of an obsession, wanting nothing more than to know about her and the way she lives her life. This is perhaps because he himself is a rather lonely man, though it might also have something to do with the fact that Holly is a very magnetic, fascinating person. In all likelihood, the narrator’s fixation on her is a combination of both these things.

The beginning of Holly and the narrator’s official friendship is quite strange, though it completely fits with Holly’s personality and, for that matter, the narrator’s passive nature. Because he’s so interested in her, he hardly minds that she has just climbed through his window in the middle of the night. Instead of getting upset, he’s enthralled by her vibrant spirit, clearly relishing her presence. When the narrator lets Holly choose a name for him, readers see how willing he is to give up his own agency in order to please Holly. He will, it seems, do whatever she wants.

Holly’s assertion that anyone who gets used to things “might as well be dead” underscores her overall restlessness. For the same reason that she adds the word “traveling” to the card on her mailbox, she abhors the idea of becoming accustomed to a certain way of life. This suggests that Holly wants to be in a state of constant motion, preferring change over consistency.

Homosexuality plays an interesting role in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Capote never identifies any of the characters as gay, but the topic arises frequently throughout the novella, as if homosexuality is almost constantly on their minds. Of course, Capote himself was gay, and many readers see the unnamed narrator as something of a stand-in for the author. As such, it makes sense that the narrator might write a story about homosexuality, though this argument is flawed, since anybody—regardless of their sexual orientation—might write a story like the narrator’s. All the same, these fleeting mentions of homosexuality are worth tracking as the novella progresses, since sexuality in general is one of the book’s primary concerns, as is the interestingly unromantic but fiercely close nature of Holly and the narrator’s relationship.

It’s important to note that the narrator is very sensitive about his writing. In his eyes, Holly can seemingly do no wrong, considering that he has no problem with the fact that she climbed into his apartment unannounced in the middle of the night. However, Holly manages to upset the narrator by insulting his story. And yet, the narrator can’t stay mad at her because he’s too interested in her life to focus on his own feelings. This, in turn, demonstrates just how unable he is to resist Holly’s allure. 

What Holly says about not doing “tricks” (meaning that she’s not a prostitute) is interesting, since she goes on to say that she makes money by going out with rich men. Of course, readers have already seen that she doesn’t sleep with men in whom she has no interest, based on the fact that she turned away a disgruntled man after he walked her home. Still, Holly reveals in this moment that she makes her livelihood by dating men in exchange for money. Whether or not this sometimes includes having sex remains unclear, especially because she uses very specific, decent language when talking about her profession, ultimately implying that the men give her cash simply so she can tip the restroom attendants when she goes to the “powder room.” Either way, it seems that visiting Sally Tomato in prison for $100 per week isn’t all that different from the way she normally makes money, as this too is a form of companionship.

Once again, the narrator reveals his fascination with Holly’s private life, this time listening to what she says when she talks in her sleep. And though Holly is quite willing to speak openly about many aspects of her life, she demonstrates in this moment that there are certain things she doesn’t want people to know about—including, it seems, the traumatic memories about her past that are capable of making her cry in her sleep.

Already, the idea of Holly has fully taken hold of the narrator. Even though they’ve only spent one night talking to each other, he can’t stop thinking about her, as if they’ve been close for a long, long time. At this point, though, it’s unclear if this is because they have a special bond or because everyone is naturally drawn to Holly. Indeed, it seems that people flock to her, a notion that O.J. Berman confirms when he says that men are always coming to Holly’s apartment uninvited.

The secrecy surrounding Holly’s past aligns with the idea that she doesn’t want anyone to know her personal history. This clashes with her otherwise open, unguarded persona, thereby intimating that her way of moving through the world is somewhat calculated. Indeed, she presents herself as someone willing to volunteer information about herself, and this attitude helps her keep secrets, since it makes people think they know her when, in reality, they don’t. Furthermore, Holly’s decision to move to New York on a whim aligns with her overall restlessness, as if she can’t quite find a place that gives her a sense of belonging.

Not only has it become clear that Holly doesn’t know where she belongs, it’s also evident that she doesn’t quite know what she wants in life. This, however, doesn’t seem to bother her, as she confidently admits that she doesn’t know what she wants. This attitude confounds someone like O.J., who clearly cares first and foremost about wealth. To him, it’s unfathomable that Holly would rather live a bohemian life and make her money by going out with rich men. But this is because he doesn’t understand Holly or know much about her life—nor, for that matter, does the narrator, who is still slowly piecing together an image of the elusive Holly Golightly.

Holly doesn’t take offense at the fact that O.J. is telling the narrator she’s crazy because she’s used to having people talk about her. In fact, it’s likely that she’s comfortable with this kind of gossip because she knows that such talk helps spread intrigue about her, ensuring that everyone in her social circles remains fascinated by her. After all, Holly clearly has many admirers, as evidenced by the many men who come to her apartment hoping to spend time alone with her. 

Because the narrator is intrigued by Holly’s life, he’s naturally interested in the men who arrive in large numbers to attend her party. Moreover, he takes a particular interest in Rusty, since O.J. suggested earlier that Holly might marry him. At the same time, though, the narrator also studies the men in the room simply because he has nothing else to do. A shy person who keeps to himself, the narrator would rather watch others than interact with them.

In many ways, Holly and Rusty are similar. After all, both of them attract quite a bit of attention, as people desperately try to gain insight into their personal lives. Whereas everyone knows the details of Rusty’s past, though, nobody knows about Holly’s personal history. In this regard, then, they are opposites. Forced to lead a life under the public eye, Rusty doesn’t hide anything from other people. Holly, on the other hand, is very secretive, as evidenced by her unwillingness to talk to the narrator in this moment about her most recent visit to Sally Tomato.

Once again, Holly confidently admits that she doesn’t know what she wants in life. This time, she adds to this sentiment by saying that fame might interfere with her ability to fully come into herself and settle into her own life. This is a fairly wise thing to say—a notion that suggests that, though Holly doesn’t know what she wants, she’s perfectly aware of what she doesn’t want. In keeping with this, she doesn’t want to do anything that might make it even harder for her to gain a sense of belonging or self-assurance. Looking at this another way, though, one could argue that Holly abandoned O.J. and a movie career because she didn’t want to commit to a certain lifestyle. After all, it’s clear that she appreciates independence and freedom, which is why she emphasizes the fact that she and her cat don’t belong to each other.

Beneath the surface of Holly’s affable charm, she experiences quite a bit of sadness—so much, in fact, that she has given this discontent its own name: “the mean reds.” The fact that she goes to Tiffany’s jewelry store when she feels this way implies that she wants to find a sense of belonging even though she’s unable to. After all, if she were able to settle down, she could finally be the kind of person who shops at Tiffany’s and furnishes her apartment and names her cat—in other words, someone who is invested in and emotionally attached to her own life. Unfortunately for Holly, though, she hasn’t yet found a way to always feel the way she feels at Tiffany’s, so she hasn’t let herself fully commit to her current circumstances. On another note, when Holly abruptly stops talking about what she and her brother will do when the war ends, she once again confirms that she wants to keep certain aspects of her life private.

Once again, homosexuality surfaces in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, though only as an implication. Indeed, Holly only hints that Rusty is gay, thereby inviting readers to speculate alongside everyone else whether or not he’s secretly attracted to men. This kind of speculation is important to note, since it puts readers in a certain headspace, one in which they’re encouraged to interrogate the characters’ sexual orientations. Since the narrator is so taken by Holly but appears to have no romantic feelings for her, the idea that certain characters might be withholding the true nature of their sexual preferences is especially significant, ultimately supporting the idea that the narrator himself is a closeted gay man.

Mag’s presence irks Holly because Mag draws attention away from her. This suggests that Holly likes being in the spotlight, but there is also another—more practical—reason that she doesn’t want Mag to distract the men: Holly’s livelihood depends upon her ability to entice these wealthy men. If Mag interferes too much, then, Holly won’t be able to sustain herself. This is why she spreads a nasty rumor about Mag, effectively neutralizing the threat that Mag poses to Holly’s independence and self-sufficiency.

Even after the narrator and Holly become friends, he still finds himself feeling like an outsider, desperately trying to gain information about her life. Forever an observer, he watches from afar as Holly’s life unfolds. Once again, then, readers see just how little privacy Holly has, though it remains the case that hardly anyone knows about her past.

Holly’s assessment of the narrator is quite accurate, since he wants so badly to be part of her life. As it stands, though, he’s an outsider forced to simply observe what goes on in the brownstone. Furthermore, it’s worth noting that Holly dreams of leaving the United States. This is a sign that she feels restless in her current existence, yearning to leave everything behind for a new life.

Although Holly is sometimes guarded about certain elements of her personal life, she has no problem talking about sex and intimacy. Mag, for her part, tries to shame Holly by suggesting that her open-minded approach to these matters is irregular and strange, but this doesn’t bother Holly, who makes a distinction between what’s “normal” and what’s “natural.” This point illustrates how little Holly cares about following societal rules. Indeed, she can’t be bothered to police herself according to arbitrary conventions. Rather, Holly wants to live an unencumbered life, one in which she can let herself be whomever and however she wants.

Holly doesn’t mind the idea of uprooting her life, even if it would mean living somewhere completely different than the United States. This once again underlines Holly’s somewhat restless spirit, as she yearns for change in a way that Mag can’t embrace for herself, even though she’s the one in a relationship with José.

It’s worth remembering that Holly promised to help the narrator with his writing career. Now, though, his first success has nothing to do with her, and she even tells him not to go through with it. This is perhaps because Holly is trying to advocate for the narrator, thinking he deserves money, but it also indicates that she doesn’t quite understand that getting published—even without payment—is a big deal for him, This frames Holly as somewhat callous and insensitive—an interpretation that seems even more appropriate when she says she wouldn’t mind sticking Mag with the lease if she ever needed to. At the same time, though, Holly also sees that she’s hurt the narrator’s feelings, and she immediately tries to make up for it by taking him to lunch, thereby demonstrating that, though she is perhaps preoccupied by her own life, she still cares about the narrator.

Holly’s aversion to seeing animals in cages aligns with her overall approach to life. Indeed, she hates the idea of confinement, prizing independence and freedom above all else. However, why this means so much to her remains unclear, since she’s so hesitant to speak honestly about her past.

Again, the narrator finds himself wondering about Holly’s life as if he doesn’t even know her. No matter what he does, it seems, she remains something of a mystery to him. This confirms Holly’s idea that the narrator wants to be “on the inside staring out,” since he currently feels like an outsider. And yet, the narrator has good reason to wonder about Holly, since her actions are rather inscrutable. When it becomes clear that she’s been reading about Brazil, for instance, readers are invited to question why, exactly, she has taken such an interest in José.

Although the narrator doesn’t feel like he knows all that much about Holly’s private life, there’s no denying that they’ve developed a close—and rather touching—relationship. In this moment, they both give each other thoughtful gifts, proving that they’re both attentive to what the other wants. For Holly, this means receiving something—anything—from Tiffany’s, helping her feel that much closer to finding the kind of life she wants to lead. And even though Holly gives the narrator the birdcage, she can’t keep herself from expressing how uncomfortable she is with the fact that it is something designed to keep a living thing from flying free. This, in turn, is a reflection of Holly’s overall discomfort with anything that might curtail her independence or freedom. 

Holly’s interest in José takes on new meaning when she tells the narrator this story about their shared vacation. At this point, it becomes rather clear that Holly and José are romantically drawn to each other, though Holly has yet to fully admit this. In fact, she denies Mag’s allegations that she and José are having an affair by saying that she’s a lesbian, once more bringing up homosexuality in a fleeting way. In this regard, readers are invited to continue questioning the sexual preferences of the novella’s characters—an important aspect of the book, since the narrator himself provides no insight into his own orientation.

Again, Holly offends the narrator by speaking critically about his writing. Although they’re close, he’s unwilling to listen to her opinions about his own work. This, it seems, is the one way that the narrator isn’t passive, considering that he’s willing to stand up for himself when she speaks disparagingly about his stories. In all other scenarios, he’s willing to go along with whatever Holly says or does. When it comes to the narrator’s writing, though, his vanity kicks in and he stands up for himself. This, in turn, throws his relationship with Holly out of balance, since she’s used to his otherwise flexible, easygoing manner.

It’s somewhat hypocritical that Holly criticizes the narrator for not knowing what he wants, since she has admitted multiple times that she has the same problem. Now, though, Holly scolds the narrator for his passive, unintentional way of being, which she claims manifests itself in his writing. Interestingly enough, the narrator ultimately subverts this criticism by standing up to Holly, showing her that he isn’t quite as passive as she might think—and this, it seems, is what bothers Holly in the first place. In this moment, then, readers see that Holly and the narrator have a complex relationship that is predicated on Holly’s dominance and the narrator’s willingness to yield to her.

Holly and the narrator’s argument comes to a breaking point when he acknowledges that she makes her money by dating rich men she doesn’t even like. Of course, Holly was already aware that the narrator knew this detail about her life, but he has never weaponized the truth against her like this. Consequently, she reacts harshly. In addition, it’s worth noting that Holly makes no effort to cover her breasts when she sits up. This indicates that she has been topless throughout the entire scene, even though the narrator hasn’t mentioned it. The lack of sexual attraction between them therefore comes to the forefront of the novella, as readers see once and for all that, though they’re close to each other, there is clearly nothing romantic about their bond.

The appearance of this strange man serves as a reminder that there is still quite a lot the narrator doesn’t know about Holly’s life. To compound this lack of knowledge, he once again finds himself in the position of an outsider, since he and Holly are no longer interacting with one another. Once more, then, the narrator is left to piece together what, exactly, is going on in Holly’s life. And though their relationship might be on hiatus, it’s clear that the narrator’s obsessive fascination with Holly continues.

In this moment, readers—and, of course, the narrator—grasp the extent to which Holly has kept her past a secret. Not only has the narrator just heard for the first time that Holly used to live in Texas, but he learns that she was (or perhaps is) married to a much older man. Simply put, Holly has an entire history that has remained a secret until the narrator’s conversation with Doc Golightly.

That Doc Golightly believes Holly was mature enough to get married when she was only 14 is obviously problematic and predatory. However, it suggests that Holly has always presented herself in a confident, impressive way, though it’s clear that no 14-year-old is old enough to get married, regardless of how adult she seems. To make matters worse, Doc appears unwilling to see that his marriage to Holly curtailed her freedom, finding it mystifying that she would ever want to run away. Instead of recognizing why Holly would want to establish a life of her own once she was old enough to begin an adult life, Doc gets hung up on the fact that she never had to work while living with him—a detail that obviously had nothing to do with why she wanted to leave, since she was likely focused on establishing her own independence, not on whether or not she had to do chores. 

When Doc tells the narrator why Holly came to his farm in the first place, readers see that their relationship ultimately helped her ensure that she and Fred would be able to survive. In this sense, then, Holly’s marriage to Doc is similar to the relationships she has with wealthy men in New York, in that she utilizes her sex appeal as a way of establishing self-sufficiency and fending for herself. 

It’s easy to see that Doc’s confidence that Holly will return to Texas is unwarranted, since Holly will obviously not want to give up her life in New York. After all, she has created a life of independence and freedom in the city, making it highly unlikely that she’d ever want to go back to depending upon Doc for money, food, and shelter.

It’s rather surprising that Holly is happy to see Doc. One might think she wouldn’t want to see him, considering that she ran away from him in the first place. The fact that she’s glad to reunite with him in this moment therefore suggests that she never disliked him or felt any kind of ill will toward him. Instead, she simply wanted to make her own life, yearning for a sense of freedom that a life with Doc simply couldn’t afford her.

When Holly suggests that she “had to” have sex with Doc because he loves her, she makes a rare concession to what other people want (though not a particularly healthy one, considering that she should only engage in sexual activity if she wants to, regardless of how much her partner loves her). Indeed, Holly usually doesn’t yield to what others want, though she does insinuate several times throughout the novella that she sometimes ends up having sex with the men who pay to take her out. The difference is that she sleeps with Doc for emotional reasons, whereas she sleeps with rich men for monetary reasons (though it’s also worth acknowledging that she might actually want to have sex with these men, too). What’s more, Holly’s decision to stay in New York underlines the fact that she wants to maintain her independence, though she also suggests that she still hasn’t found a sense of belonging, since she often feels just as lost as she did when she was 14 and didn’t have much personal freedom. 

When Holly says that the sky is an “empty” place, she intimates that, though freedom and independence are important to her, they don’t necessarily give her a sense of companionship or belonging. Holly is, it seems, still searching for a way to feel settled into her own life without having to sacrifice her autonomy and appetite for change. For now, she has chosen to prioritize independence over all else, but this comes with loneliness and a sense of estrangement from the rest of the world, as if she’s a bird flying into a vast expanse of nothingness.

The narrator acknowledges in this moment that he loves Holly, but the love he feels for her isn’t romantic. This provides insight into the nature of their relationship, which is quite complex even though they aren’t physically attracted to each other. Indeed, what the narrator wants is to be “on the inside staring out,” as Holly puts it, not on outside staring in. For this reason, he hates the idea that Holly would simply go forth and marry Rusty Trawler without the narrator knowing. Doing this, it seems, would undermine Holly and the narrator’s otherwise close and emotionally intimate relationship, which is clearly just as nuanced and delicate as any romantic bond.

That Holly and José both want Mag and Rusty to marry each other once again suggests that they are romantically interested in each other, though José doesn’t fully clarify that they’re in a relationship, thereby leaving the narrator to put the pieces together for himself (once again). Meanwhile, though, Holly is too focused on her brother’s death to care about any of her other relationships. This makes sense, considering that she spoke about Fred quite frequently even when she was trying to keep the details of her past secret. 

Finally, Holly reveals once and for all that she and José are in a romantic relationship. This apparently has a profound effect on her, judging by the fact that she furnishes her apartment—something she said she wouldn’t ever do unless she felt as if she truly belonged to her own life. Now, it seems, she no longer feels restless and eager for change, though she also speaks excitedly about moving to Brazil. This, in turn, suggests that any happiness she has about her current circumstances is fleeting and that, in the long run, she still thirsts for change. On another note, when Holly talks about her lovers, she refutes the idea that she might be considered a prostitute simply because of how many people she has slept with—though this doesn’t necessarily clarify whether or not having sex with men is part of how she financially sustains herself. When she says that she doesn’t “count” the men she had sex with before she was 13, she reveals that men started pursuing her long before it was appropriate to do so—an indication that she was prematurely exposed to sex and adult desire.

Holly’s abrupt announcement that she and José will soon be moving undoubtedly comes as a shock to the narrator. Once again, he finds himself on the outside looking in, trying to make sense of Holly’s life from afar even though they’ve become quite close. Still, Holly clearly feels rather alone in the city and is eager to leave, despite the fact that she has the narrator as a friend and has fallen in love with José. In turn, readers get the sense that, though Holly claims she’s happy with José, what she’s really happy about is the prospect of a new adventure.

The narrator brings up Doc Golightly because he’s angry and disappointed to hear that Holly is about to move. Worse, she has just said that she doesn’t have any friends in New York, thereby insulting the narrator, since he sees himself as one of her closest friends. For this reason, he tries to put a damper on her otherwise high-spirited mood.

When Holly saves the narrator, he forgets his anger and jealousy. Instead of focusing on the fact that Holly is going to leave him behind in New York, he concentrates on how much she means to him as a friend. When he tries to show her affection by expressing how grateful he is to her, though, she only calls him a “damn fool,” as if reciprocating this sentiment would require too much intimacy and effort. With this in mind, readers see how hesitant Holly is to fully let people get close to her—even the narrator.

Unfortunately for Holly, her association with the mobster Sally Tomato has finally caught up to her. It’s not altogether surprising that she has been implicated in this nefarious scandal, since she willingly passed coded messages between Sally and O’Shaughnessy—an obviously suspicious act that she chose to ignore simply because she liked Sally and because O’Shaughnessy gave her $100 each week. Now, though, Holly has not only been arrested, but her reputation in the city has been tarnished, as journalists go out of their way to disrupt her identity as a popular member of New York’s “café society” of socialites.

Holly’s animosity in this moment is in keeping with the fact that she strongly dislikes anything that might curtail her independence and freedom. Needless to say, going to jail would do this, so she doesn’t take kindly to the detectives when they arrive and tell her that she has to come with them. Holly also insults the female detective by calling her a derogatory name and assuming she’s a lesbian, most likely intentionally provoking the detective because Holly is so angry.

Even though Holly has previously claimed that she has no friends, the narrator, Joe Bell, and O.J. prove that this isn’t true. In fact, O.J. starts trying to help Holly before the narrator even asks him to, demonstrating that there are people Holly can depend upon, even if they can’t necessarily depend upon her. (After all, she abandoned O.J. when he got her an audition to be in a movie, effectively jeopardizing his reputation as an agent.) In this way, it becomes clear that Holly isn’t quite as alone in the world as she might feel. 

Unfortunately, José’s choice to abandon Holly in her time of need will undoubtedly confirm her belief that nobody truly cares about her. Of course, this isn’t true, as evidenced by the fact that O.J. has already arranged her bail before anyone even asks him to do so. Nonetheless, though, José’s actions will make Holly feel as if the most important people in her life will always let her down.

Holly’s strange hallucination suggests that she’s under quite a bit of emotional pressure. Indeed, losing her brother has put a significant strain on her, and this strain has only been exacerbated by her arrest and miscarriage. Simply put, Holly is at an extreme low point in her life, and the only person there to help her through it is the narrator and, remotely, O.J. Berman and Joe Bell.

Holly finds no solace in the fact that José’s letter is honest, since this does nothing to change the fact that the man she loves has abandoned her. Although people are constantly drawn to Holly, José has left her at perhaps the most crucial time possible, worrying more about his reputation than about their relationship. In turn, Holly finds it hard to deny her original belief that she has nobody in her life to depend upon.

Holly’s decision to flee the country aligns with her appetite for freedom. Although she will soon be let out on bail, there’s no guaranteeing that she won’t receive an actual prison sentence. Needless to say, this would significantly hinder her ability to live a free and individualistic life. Accordingly, Holly has decided to embark upon a life on the run, an existence that will preserve her freedom but ultimately ensure that she’s never able to fully settle down.

Holly is well aware that her ability to sustain herself is directly linked to whether or not people admire and covet her. If she is no longer seen as a popular woman in New York’s “café society,” then rich men won’t want to go out with her, and she’ll lose her income. Because of this, Holly has resolved to leave the country, apparently planning to continue to date rich men as a way of supporting herself.

Up until the very end of the novella, the narrator does whatever Holly wants him to do, even if he doesn’t want to do it. Indeed, the narrator doesn’t want Holly to leave, but he proves himself essential to Holly’s plan when he agrees to collect her belongings and bring them to her at Joe’s bar. Once again, then, readers see how passively willing the narrator is to make sacrifices for Holly. This, of course, is because he loves her, though not in a romantic way.

Although Holly would like to think that she hasn’t developed attachments to the life she’s about to leave, she realizes in this moment that she truly has cultivated meaningful relationships. This, in turn, will make it that much harder for her to leave the country, though she has already started the process. Still, she suddenly finds herself hesitating to go through with her original plan.

The gravity of what Holly is about to do dawns on her in this moment, as she realizes that she’ll never be able to recover all she’s about to cast away. Like the cat, her life in America will soon be gone, since she won’t be able to return to the country without getting arrested and put in prison. And though this prospect didn’t seem all that daunting at first, it now feels dizzyingly real because it’s accompanied by a sense of finality—or, rather, by the opposite of finality, since Holly realizes that fleeing the country will force her to spend the rest of her life on the run, making it that much harder to find a sense of belonging. However, she is also used to putting the past behind her and transitioning into entirely new lifestyles, which is why she’s able to will herself back into the limo.

When the narrator hears from Holly, it’s evident that Holly isn’t particularly attached to anything. Like she did in New York, she’s supporting herself by dating rich men (in particular, a married man with seven children), but she doesn’t have a permanent address, ultimately indicating that she hasn’t found the sense of belonging that she hopes to find before settling down. Holly is, it seems, still searching for an elusive kind of happiness—one she might never find.

In many ways, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a story about the natural desire to belong. Even animals, Capote intimates, hope to find the contentment that comes along with settling into a pleasant and fulfilling life. As for Holly, it remains unclear whether she will ever manage to attain what her nameless cat now has, ultimately intimating that, though everyone yearns for this kind of fulfillment, such happiness and assurance are still rather rare and elusive things.