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
Monique sits on the couch for a long time, revising memories of her father in the light of what she just learned. After a while, she can’t sit still, so she goes to find Evelyn. When she does, she asks her if the letter is the reason she’s here. Evelyn says that Monique’s job at Vivant provided the pretense for meeting her, but once she looked into her, she realized she was a talented writer, and she was especially impressed with Monique’s right-to-die piece. She wanted both to give Monique the letter and to have her write her life story.
Evelyn’s story is important to her. Though she wanted to give Monique the letter, ultimately, she only chose Monique because she was also a fine writer. This emphasizes that Evelyn sees Monique as not just a small part of her own life story, but also as an ambitious and admirable woman in her own right.
Themes
Monique accuses Evelyn of being self-interested: even when seeking redemption, her actions are self-centered. Evelyn reminds Monique that she’s benefitting from this, too, and she challenges her to burn her notes and recordings if she feels so cheated by the situation. Monique says the story is the least she deserves, but Evelyn tells her nobody deserves anything—you get what you’re willing to take. Monique says she hates Evelyn, and Evelyn tells her that everything is more complicated than that, including Monique’s father.
Evelyn feels somewhat protected by what she’s offered Monique. It’s not as though her generosity can reverse what she did to Monique’s father, but giving her life story to Monique is a way of making up for her own secretive selfishness. She trusts that Monique will understand the complicated decision she had to make on the night of the car crash, and this shows that she respects Monique’s intelligence and her ability to understand human nature.
Themes
Evelyn says she wanted Monique to know how much her father loved her—that he was willing to turn down romantic love so that he could stay with her. Monique feels confused by Evelyn; she hates her for moving her father’s body to the driver’s seat, but she appreciates that she held onto the letter for decades so that she could show Monique that her father loved her. She decides that Evelyn is neither good nor bad but “somewhere in the middle.”
Monique asks Evelyn to tell her specifically when she can release the book. Evelyn reveals that she has late-stage breast cancer and has been putting her affairs in order, including the gown auction and the book. Monique tells her she has to leave—she can’t work anymore today—and when Evelyn says she’ll see her tomorrow for the photo shoot, Monique says she’s not sure if she’ll come.
Monique and Evelyn are now able to be brutally honest with each other; the walls of politeness have completely crumbled. Evelyn’s final affairs involve arranging a charity auction and ensuring that the public will understand her life story. It’s clear that at the end of her life, Evelyn’s priorities are honesty and generosity.
Themes
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