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 up a couple of years into her marriage to Rex. Evelyn is nominated for Best Actress for her latest film with Rex; Celia is nominated in the same category. Evelyn attends the ceremony with Harry in a dress with a slit up to each thigh—a dress that will end up in every career retrospective. She admires Celia and John until Harry tells her to stop staring. He asks her if, in the event that she wins, she’ll talk to Celia; she agrees begrudgingly. The Oscar goes to Ruby. Evelyn goes to the bathroom and cries in a stall. Soon, she hears Celia calling her name. When she opens the stall door, she can tell that Celia still loves her.
Evelyn’s dress confirms that she knows how to attract attention by tempting onlookers with her body. Harry knows Evelyn would be happier if she talked to Celia—he knows her well enough to understand when she’s holding a grudge. Evelyn and Celia’s response to losing brings them together—they’re used to weathering storms together.
Themes
Celia says they shouldn’t stay in the bathroom together for long, suggesting that Evelyn would hate for people to become suspicious. Evelyn rises to the challenge, asking Celia whether she’d rather not be seen with a “whore.” Celia admits she was wrong to call Evelyn that, but she said it to hurt Evelyn as much as Evelyn hurt her by trying to conceal their relationship. Though neither of their marriages were genuine, both admit to having had sex with other people since breaking up with each other. Finally, they agree they shouldn’t have left each other. Evelyn and Celia kiss passionately until two other women enter the bathroom. They break apart, but after the women leave, they begin to kiss again. If someone walked in and saw them, they’d lose their careers, and the risk they take in this moment allows them to forgive each other.
Celia and Evelyn have clearly kept their final argument fresh in their minds. Neither of them has found peace in their separation, and there are still things they want to work out. Here, Celia comes down from her moral high ground, and Evelyn accepts her mistakes. It’s this shared vulnerability—emphasized further by their willingness to kiss each other in a rather public place—that allows them to reconcile.
Themes
An article in Photomoment announces Harry and Evelyn’s wedding after a long engagement—it will be Evelyn’s fifth marriage. It goes on to report that Celia was the maid of honor and John was the best man.
Because Harry and Evelyn treat their marriage like an administrative task, they can approach their wedding without urgency.
Themes
