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
Evelyn’s biography picks back up as she proposes the idea of marriage to Rex, an extremely handsome Icelandic man who, like Evelyn, changed his name and had sex with several people in order to make it in Hollywood, he asks whether they’ll ever have sex with each other. She says she can’t guarantee she won’t because he’s so handsome. They agree that she’ll move into his house as long as she can bring her maid Luisa, whom she hired after firing Paula.
It’s possible that Evelyn finds the prospect of marrying Rex so appealing because they share so many qualities—particularly their ambitious streaks. Rex, having sacrificed his original identity in order to succeed in Hollywood, is likely to understand the decisions Evelyn makes in her own life in order to do the same.
Themes
Shortly after Evelyn hired Luisa, she heard her on the phone to her mother, calling Evelyn “crazy” in Spanish. She told Luisa in Spanish that she could understand her, and Luisa apologized and explained that Evelyn didn’t look Cuban. Though Evelyn’s offended at first, she realizes that there are no clues in her appearance or the house where she lives that she’s Latin American: she made the choice to distance herself from her heritage. She could tell Luisa felt uncomfortable after the phone call, so she made sure to tell her she was excited to see her the next day.
Evelyn uses Spanish with Luisa to mark her territory, but she soon realizes that Luisa had no reason to think she could speak Spanish—Luisa could easily perceive Evelyn’s behavior, her identity, and her belongings as those of a white woman. Her surprise demonstrates how much distance Evelyn has put between herself and her heritage—a distance Evelyn doesn’t always feel within herself.
Themes
Evelyn is too insecure to speak Spanish to Luisa, but she admires how comfortable she is as a Latin American woman. She’s the first employee Evelyn cares about. Rex agrees that Luisa will move with Evelyn, and they decide they don’t need to sleep in the same bed as long as they make it seem like they do when they host parties. Evelyn tells Rex he can have sex with whomever he wants, as long as he doesn’t get caught; he reassures her he wouldn’t do anything to embarrass her. They shake hands on their agreement. Before Rex leaves to go on a date, they agree that Rex will propose two weeks before the film is released. Evelyn says the latest edit is looking great, but if they want people to pay to see the three-hour-long film, they have to cause a stir.
Luisa becomes Evelyn’s connection to her ethnic heritage, and through this, she seems to win Evelyn’s trust. Evelyn and Rex are on the same page about their marriage: they’ll do what they need to do to keep up appearances, but otherwise, they’re free to live their separate lives. Their handshake emphasizes the pragmatic nature of their marriage—there’s no romance here at all, just a shared desire to succeed professionally.
Themes
An article in Photomoment announces Evelyn and Rex’s engagement, reporting they fell in love “instantly” during rehearsals for Anna Karenina. The author goes on to mention that Don is separating from Ruby. Two weeks later, an article in Photomoment announces that Celia St. James is engaged to John Braverman, a New York Giants quarterback, amidst a streak of successful film releases. A week after that, a Hollywood Digest article reports that Anna Karenina has opened to excellent reviews, and there are rumors that both Evelyn and Rex will win Oscars.
The brief mention of Don in the Photomoment article shows that Evelyn can’t escape her connection to him, despite them having divorced many years ago. The baggage of her relationships travels with her everywhere. Though Evelyn’s career is flourishing, she’ll also never be allowed to ignore what Celia’s up to: fame means they’ll be aware of each other’s whereabouts and life events no matter how emotionally distant they are from each other.
Themes
Get the entire The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo LitChart as a printable PDF.
