Evelyn’s Blond Hair Symbol Analysis

Evelyn’s hair, which she dyes blond very early in her career, symbolizes the personal sacrifices she makes to achieve success and stardom. When Evelyn meets with Harry in her early days at Sunset Studios, they discuss the changes the production team thinks will transform Evelyn into a star. Her hair, which is natural dark brown, is only one of these changes. In addition, Evelyn changes her name from “Herrera” to “Hugo” to conceal her Cuban heritage and pass as white, and she’s also not allowed to speak Spanish. Evelyn’s blond hair, however, becomes one of the signature elements of her physical appearance, made even more striking by its contrast with her dark eyebrows. Throughout the book, Evelyn repeatedly sacrifices her personal morals and her loyalty to her loved ones to achieve fame and success, and her blond hair is a constant outward reminder of these sacrifices—and all the pain and suffering Evelyn has inflicted on herself and her loved ones in the process. But Evelyn’s dark eyebrows, which alert people that her blond hair isn’t natural, is a small but vital sign that, though she’s willing to change on the surface, she’ll never completely lose her true self.