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 arrives at the restaurant in LA to find Celia at the table already. Evelyn can see that Celia’s skin and hair are aging just as hers are. Evelyn orders wine, but Celia orders soda, saying wine no longer agrees with her. When Evelyn offers to pour her wine out, Celia says her low tolerance doesn’t need to be Evelyn’s problem, and when Evelyn says she wants everything about Celia to be her problem, Celia tells Evelyn it took her years to get over her, both times they broke up. She still hates Evelyn a bit, and Evelyn says she feels the same way, but she still wants to be with her.
Evelyn is willing to enter a relationship with Celia again, no matter how difficult or unglamorous that relationship might be—and this isn’t a decision Celia takes lightly. The women’s attitudes toward their relationship are similarly realistic: nothing will be perfect or perfectly happy, but their love for each other means these considerations are secondary to their desire to be together.
Themes
Celia says she’s surprised that Evelyn didn’t call her to gloat when she won her Oscar. Evelyn tells her she was referring to her in the acceptance speech, and Celia says she thought there might’ve been another “she” that Evelyn was talking about. Evelyn tells Celia she’s the only one she’s loved, despite the men she’s been with since they broke up. She says she’s getting a divorce from Max, no matter what he says about her: she has her fame and Harry’s support, and she no longer cares what anyone thinks. She’s signed on for one last movie and then she’ll stop making them.
Evelyn’s refusal to let Max control her and her decision to stop making movies are signs that she’s beginning to care less about maintaining her celebrity status. As long as her family is safe, she doesn’t need to worry.
Themes
Celia doubts Evelyn’s sincerity, but Evelyn reassures her she means everything she’s just said. Celia hesitates before telling Evelyn she has a pulmonary disease and probably won’t live past 60. Evelyn doesn’t believe her at first. Celia tells her to do her final movie before moving to the coast of Spain with her, bringing Harry, Connor, and Celia’s brother Robert with them. Evelyn asks about the disease, and Celia explains that it’s from smoking; she can live a normal life for a while, but eventually it’ll become difficult to breathe. Evelyn starts to cry, and when she can’t calm down, Celia takes her home and sits her on the sofa.
Celia’s decision to tell Evelyn about her condition is her way of allowing Evelyn back into her life: she trusts Evelyn enough to tell her the hard truths. Though Celia has clearly known about her condition long enough to come to terms with it, Evelyn’s shock highlights this moment as one in which she realizes she can’t have everything she wants—there’s simply not enough time.
Themes
Celia tells Evelyn that if she can handle losing her again, they can spend the rest of their lives together. Evelyn says that she can’t handle it, but she’d rather go through the pain of losing Celia than never feel it. Celia and Evelyn cry together, then have sex. In the morning, Celia describes her plan. Evelyn will leave Max and appear in public with Celia’s friend, a politician. People will be shocked to see Evelyn dating someone so young, so when Max tries to spread information about Evelyn’s relationship with Celia, it’ll seem like he’s spreading bitter rumors. Eventually, Evelyn will marry Celia’s brother, Robert, so that when Celia dies, she can inherit everything.
For Celia and Evelyn, intimacy means sharing pain as well as pleasure, sometimes in quick succession. Celia’s complex interpersonal arrangement is the kind of plan Evelyn is used to drawing up, which shows that Celia has learned from Evelyn’s strategic behavior even while she was criticizing it. Now, she understands the value of manipulating the media to protect the people she loves. Celia’s acceptance of strategic behavior suggests that her serious medical condition has forced her to adopt a more realistic attitude.
Themes
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Evelyn asks Celia whether they need to do all this just to hide the truth. Celia reminds her of the people afflicted with AIDS who were attacked by the media, and Evelyn thinks of Harry crying over the loss of so many of his friends. Celia says that while things have changed since the 1960s, they haven’t changed dramatically, and they need to protect each other. Evelyn says she’ll talk to Harry, but she tells Celia she’s made a good plan.
Evelyn is still adjusting to Celia’s new attitude, and she’s still processing her medical news, so she’s not as quick to immerse herself in strategy as she usually is. Evelyn knows that Harry needs to be involved and consulted, which shows that although her relationship with Harry is unconventional, it’s still of vital importance to her.
Themes
An article in Now This reports that Evelyn, who has been seen out with a young Democrat, is filing for divorce from Max, who has been spreading rumors that Evelyn’s a lesbian and a cheater. The author writes that, while Evelyn doesn’t have a “great track record” with marriage, Max’s comments “sound like sour grapes.”
Even though Max’s rumors are partially true, in Hollywood, clout and fame are more important than the facts—and those are things Evelyn has more of than he does, so this time, the media is on her side.
Themes
