Evelyn's Apartment
When Monique first begins to go to Evelyn's apartment to speak with her, she is dazzled by the elegant and luxurious space. Imagery conveys how everything in Evelyn's home is elegant, tasteful, and of the highest quality; Monique observes the various things she can see, smell, taste, and touch in this space. The imagery helps to establish the power dynamic between Monique and Evelyn; Monique is inclined to submit to what Evelyn wants, and to trust her, because she is overwhelmed by Evelyn's luxurious lifestyle. The imagery also creates context for why Monique decides to go along with Evelyn's plan of writing the biography; as a result of seeing Evelyn's surroundings, Monique gets a taste of what her life could be like if she writes the biography and becomes a multimillionaire.
Evelyn's Topless Scene
When Evelyn's career is flagging after her divorce from Don, she revitalizes it by filming a movie with a French director, and agreeing to do a scene in which she appears virtually topless. However, Evelyn proposes a modification to make the scene even more tantalizing, and imagery is used to convey the end result. The imagery of the scene (in which viewers are almost, but not quite, able to see Evelyn's bare breasts) highlights how cunning Evelyn is about sparking desire, but it also reflects the new maturity and self-awareness she has gained from her relationship with Celia. Evelyn explains that she is inspired to modify the scene because of her own experience feeling desire for Celia, and the way she wants to look at her lover's body. The imagery of this scene is also important for highlighting how Jenkins Reid responds to the challenge of representing a visual genre (film) in prose fiction; readers need to have an idea of what the fictional films and scenes are like, but they can't actually watch them. In a sense, readers of the novel have an experience parallel to the fictional viewers of this topless scene: they are teased by the possibility of imagining something, but can't actually see it.
Award Shows, Premieres, and the Red Carpet
Because of Evelyn's fame and success, she often attends award shows such as the annual Academy Awards, as well as premieres for various films. Significant plot events, such as Celia and Evelyn reuniting after their first separation, often align with these events. The imagery of these gala events highlights the glamor and luxury of life in Hollywood, through details such as describing the gowns and jewelry that Celia and Evelyn wore. Because the novel is also a work of historical fiction, the imagery of these scenes provides an immersive effect and helps the reader to imagine that they are present in these moments. The imagery of these events also creates juxtaposition with other moments that are much more ordinary, and yet seem to be where Evelyn finds more genuine and authentic happiness (for example, in casual settings with Celia and Harry).
The Car Accident
When Evelyn and her driver come upon the scene of the fatal car accident, imagery is used to convey her shock and horror. When Evelyn describes this scene to Monique many years later, she is able to vividly convey details such as the blood and the wreckage of the car. The precise and vivid nature of this imagery highlights how traumatic the event was for her; these details are essentially seared into her mind. The imagery is also important because it provides context for Evelyn's shocking choice to switch the position of the bodies in order to protect Harry. By showing how horrifying and overwhelming the scene is, the use of imagery helps to generate greater potential sympathy for Evelyn's choice.
