Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Ambition vs. Morality
Femininity, Sexuality, and Power
Truth and Identity
Family
Summary
Analysis
Celia goes away for a film shoot and Evelyn considers it too risky to visit her on set or to have her come home on the weekends, so she takes the opportunity to go to Paris. Harry organizes meetings for her with his connections, most of which lead nowhere. But then Evelyn meets with a New Wave director, Max Girard, who knows nothing about her but is stunned by her beauty. He asks if she’s willing to test for a part. She tries to keep her excitement secret as she agrees. She goes back to the hotel and writes a letter to Celia, signing off as “Edward.”
Evelyn is perpetually aware of the risks of publicizing her same-sex relationship. Here, she shifts her focus back to her career for the first time since moving in with Celia. When she meets Max, it’s almost as though she’s starting her career from the beginning again, with nothing to lose and much to prove. Meanwhile, her letter sign-off disguises her as a man, which shows she worries about being outed even by her mail correspondence.
Themes
In the middle of the night, Max calls Evelyn to ask if she’s free to shoot a movie with him in France in two weeks. The movie is called Boute-en-Train, which Max translates for her as “the life of the party.” Evelyn’s role has already been cast, but Max says he’ll fire the original actor if Evelyn will agree to do it. She says she’ll sleep on it. Max asks if Evelyn has done nudity before—he thinks the movie should include a topless scene—and presses her to decide by the morning, because the original actress is sure to agree to nudity.
Evelyn loves to be prioritized over others, so it’s likely that Max wins her over when he mentions he’ll fire the other actor. But his flattery is also manipulative, and he puts Evelyn under a lot of pressure to decide to film nude within a matter of hours. While he admires her, he still holds the cards—and once again, Evelyn’s body is, to some degree, under the control of a man.
Themes
Two weeks later, Evelyn is on the set of Boute-en-Train. During the shoot, it’s obvious that Max is attracted to her. On the penultimate day of filming, he tells her it’s time to shoot the topless scene. She proposes that instead of showing the full shot of her breasts, the movie cuts to black a millisecond before they’re revealed. She knows that people will enjoy being teased, whether they’re attracted to women or not. Six months after the shoot ends, Evelyn is an international sensation.
Even though it’s implied that Evelyn won this role because of her physical appearance, her suggestion proves her artistic talent and her knowledge of what audiences want. She’s knowledgeable about the male gaze, and she knows temptation is a more powerful tool than satisfaction.
Themes
An article in Photomoment reports that Mick Riva, a famous singer, is interested in Evelyn Hugo. Evelyn has become a sensation thanks to Boute-en-Train, which has sold out all over Europe and is now showing in the U.S. The article quotes Mick saying he'd like to marry her.
From Mick’s statement, it’s clear he has a lot of confidence and assumes he’d have a chance at a relationship with Evelyn. The article is an abrupt piece of foreshadowing, leading the reader to wonder why the novel has introduced this new character.
Themes
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An article in Hollywood Digest reports that Evelyn has signed on to play the title role in Anna Karenina, which Harry Cameron will produce. According to the article, Harry left Sunset Studios due to a disagreement with Ari Sullivan. The article concludes by saying that if Evelyn shows any bare skin in this movie, audiences will flock to see it.
Evelyn’s success has clearly won her enough favor with American audiences for a title role like this to be a viable financial investment for Harry. Evelyn’s career continues to rely on her physical appearance, which confirms her suggestion that audiences thrive on temptation.
Themes
An article in Sub Rosa reports that Don Adler and Ruby Reilly are engaged, two years after Evelyn and Don’s divorce. The article ponders how Don must feel about Evelyn’s recent return to public favor.
The tabloids were quick to pin Evelyn and Don’s divorce on Evelyn’s jealousy, but this article suggests that Don might now be the jealous one—another reminder of how fickle media representation can be.
Themes
