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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.
Evelyn’s Blond Hair Quotes in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo quotes below all refer to the symbol of Evelyn’s Blond Hair. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 11
Quotes
I had made my way three thousand miles from where I was born. I had found a way to be in the right place at the right time. I’d changed my name. Changed my hair. Changed my teeth and my body. I’d learned how to act. I’d made the right friends. I’d married into a famous family. Most of America knew my name.
And yet…
And yet.
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Chapter 57
Quotes
With her blond hair and her face thinning out, I was starting to fear that she looked more like me than Harry. Sure, conventionally speaking, she would be more attractive if she looked like me. But she should look like Harry. The world should give us that.
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Evelyn’s Blond Hair Symbol Timeline in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The timeline below shows where the symbol Evelyn’s Blond Hair appears in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Evelyn Hugo to Auction Off Gowns
...and her transformation from Evelyn Herrera, the daughter of Cuban immigrants in Hell’s Kitchen, to blond, Hollywood-dwelling Evelyn Hugo.
(full context)
Chapter 3
...has seen of her. Though she’s certainly had cosmetic surgery done and has had her hair treated, she gives off the impression of someone aging gracefully. Instead of shoes, she’s wearing...
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Chapter 6
...movie, won’t approve her for the part because of her race: he needs “a nice blond girl.” Though Evelyn pushes Harry, suggesting she get a part in a different film, he...
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...her on a more ambitious career path. Evelyn meets with a stylist who bleaches her hair and shapes her eyebrows, a nutritionist who prescribes cabbage soup and smoking for weight loss,...
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Chapter 8
...picks back up as she continues to transform her identity. Right after Evelyn dyes her hair, the studio places her in several inconsequential comedy films, the first of which is Father...
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Chapter 68
...amidst an array of lights, wires, and cameras. There’s a wind machine blowing her graying blond hair, and the sun is shining behind her: she looks completely relaxed. Monique wonders if...
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