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Evelyn Hugo: The Star Who Broke All the Rules

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a powerful commentary on the ways in which identity is shaped by external forces like gender and media. It shows how women in male-dominated spaces, especially public ones like Hollywood, must constantly renegotiate their place within a system that seeks to define them by narrow, often harmful, terms.

The book delivers a powerful message about how gender roles and societal expectations can confine individuals. Throughout the novel, Evelyn faces intense pressure to look a certain way, behave according to societal expectations, and, above all, be perfect in the public eye. Her seven marriages are often more about public image than real love, and this reflects how women, even today, are often judged by their relationships rather than their abilities.

Evelyn challenges these norms by making decisions that serve her goals, even if they’re unconventional. The book resonates with young girls like me for many reasons.


Something that stuck with me is that you don’t have to fit into society’s narrow definitions of who you should be. The book encourages young people to break free from these stereotypes and define success and happiness on their own terms.

The role of media in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a powerful critique that is very relatable. In today’s world, social media often dictates how we see ourselves and others. In the book, the media portrays Evelyn based on gossip and scandal, reducing her to a series of headlines about her marriages rather than recognizing her talent and hard work. This is still true for many women in the public eye today, who are often judged more for their personal lives than their achievements.

For young people who live in an age where social media dominates so much of their lives, Evelyn’s story serves as a reminder to think critically about the images and narratives the media pushes. It highlights the importance of not letting others define your worth based on curated versions of your life, teaching young audiences to be mindful of how much power the media holds over shaping public opinion.

Evelyn's final act of reclaiming her story is a radical act of education in itself—teaching the world a lesson about the complexities of female identity that it so often ignores. By telling her story on her own terms, Evelyn disrupts the narrative that the media and society have long imposed on her, offering a more authentic reflection of the struggles and strength women face in the pursuit of both personal and professional autonomy.

At its heart, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is about owning your story.


For a generation constantly bombarded with social media perfection and public pressure, Evelyn’s unapologetic reclaiming of her life is empowering. Young readers can learn from Evelyn’s mistakes and her triumphs, seeing that while the world may judge you for how you look or who you love, only you have the power to define your own identity.

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2024年11月25日

I think this can also connect with Foucault's theory where he mentions the link between power, knowledge. Where the group that holds power places individuals in a certain threshold and position which then defines their center and margins. I think you have given a really good example in regards to the placement of power and how everyone else are assigned places within a society. The need for these women to navigate within these margins becomes an interesting casestudy to further understand this aspect


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Shahryar Nagi
2024年11月01日

Your blog provides a thought-provoking analysis on a subject matter which many might dismiss as something unimportant but actually mirrors the treatment of women in media. Celebrities facing media scrutiny might be considered by many as "part of the package" but your blog effectively portrays the large-scale implications of Evelyn Hugo's treatment in the media. After all, there are people behind those media companies who decide to cover a celebrity in a certain manner. As we discussed in class as well, the media that is produced is, to an extent, a reflection of what is actually what is going on in society. Thus, Evelyn's treatment by the media can be related to how women are treated in society on a…


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Mishaal Usman 26100247
2024年10月31日

This blog offers a thoughtful analysis of the book by mentioning ideas of identity, gender and media influence. It analyzes the layers and depth given to Evelyn Hugo by developing her character and storyline throughout the book. By focusing on how the public's perception of her was on the fact that she had 7 husbands, it focuses on her story and her reasons behind all of her marriages. The book showcases how the character did everything in her life based on what the public thinks about her and not her personal goals and fullfilment and the blog highlights this elaborating on the societal pressures that women face to conform to these. The mention of how Evelyn's story resonates with young…

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Romaisa Rehab Khan
Romaisa Rehab Khan
2024年10月28日

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo offers a compelling critique of the way the media portrays women, particularly female celebrities, by highlighting the objectification, manipulation, and unfair treatment Evelyn experiences over the course of her career. This can be seen as representative of media’s treatment of female celebrities today. Evelyn's beauty is both her advantage and a burden, as the media reduces her to her appearance and relationships, compelling her to sacrifice her true self for fame. This mirrors how real-life female celebrities, like Marilyn Monroe, are often valued more for their looks than their talents, overshadowing their capabilities. PR relationships are very popular in today’s day. Evelyn's marriages are staged to increase her notoriety; her relationships are a public…


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