The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses anti-gay bias, racism, domestic abuse, miscarriage, and suicide.

“I was gorgeous, even at fourteen. Oh, I know the whole world prefers a woman who doesn’t know her power, but I’m sick of all that. I turned heads. Now, I take no pride in this.”

Evelyn’s confidence was hard-fought; being raised in a world that wanted her to deny her beauty, Evelyn’s acknowledgment of it is an act of resistance. This also betrays Evelyn’s understanding of her power deriving primarily from her appearance, a power she grows to resent as it fades.

“When you’re given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The world doesn’t give things, you take things.”

Evelyn achieves everlasting fame because of her willingness to take what she wants. This is also a crucial lesson Monique takes from her time with Evelyn, which she adopts for getting a raise and ending an unhappy marriage.

“Don Adler treated me like a person. There are people who see a beautiful flower and rush over to pick it. They want to hold it in their hands, they want to own it. They want the flower’s beauty to be theirs, to be within their possession, their control. Don wasn’t like that. At least, not at first. Don was happy to be near the flower, to look at the flower, to appreciate the flower simply being.”

Flowers are often used to symbolize femininity and beauty. Here, Evelyn recognizes that this comparison is more about possession than appreciation. This indicates that part of Evelyn’s initial attraction to Don stems from him seeming to react differently to her beauty than others; though, Don proves to be worse in that he values Evelyn’s appearance for how it boosts his own.