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All four women use the time it takes me to walk across the room to survey my appearance. Their eyes glance between the deep slit up the side of my bright-blue maxi skirt, to the paper-thin white tee that does little to hide my baby-blue bra, to the stacks and stacks of bracelets that jingle when I walk. It took me a while to decide what look I wanted to give them—someone who wants to fit in or someone willing to stand out.
This quote from Chapter 3 demonstrates how Evie strategically curates her outward image to control how others perceive and interact with her. The silent judgment of the women observing her reveals that in Evie's world, clothing and physical presentation are not mere accessories but powerful signifiers that communicate identity, status, and intent.
By dressing in a way that blurs the line between fitting in and standing out, Evie deliberately crafts an appearance that holds multiple meanings. The bright-blue skirt with a high slit, the sheer t-shirt, and the jingle of her bracelets signal a bold, attention-grabbing persona—yet it is also a performance carefully calibrated to create ambiguity. This moment illustrates that in social spaces, appearance determines how people are perceived and treated. Evie understands that every detail of her appearance sends a message, allowing her to project a version of herself that suits her goals in the moment.
Evie’s ability to appear either as someone who fits in or stands out highlights the fragility and fluidity of identity within social hierarchies. In these interactions, identity is determined not by who someone is but by how they present themselves and are perceived by others. Clothing becomes a kind of social armor or currency, allowing Evie to navigate a space where appearances dictate social reality. Her intentional choice of this look underscores that identity is something she can control and manipulate, making appearance indistinguishable from reality—whatever people believe to be true about her becomes her reality in that moment.
Before cancer ravaged her body, Mama spent every day in this room behind her sewing machine and craft table. Mothers came from all over North Carolina to have her make pageant dresses, prom dresses, and even the occasional wedding dress for their daughters. When I was little, I’d sit at Mama’s feet and watch these plain girls walk in and then somehow be transformed once she got her hands on them. It was in that moment that I learned you can become someone else with the right hair, the right dress, and the right accessories.
This quote, from the flashback to Evie’s senior year of high school, illustrates how Evie internalized a fundamental lesson from her mother: outward appearance can create a new identity. As a child, she observed her mother transform "plain girls" into glamorous versions of themselves through pageant dresses, prom gowns, and wedding attire. These physical transformations suggest that with the right presentation—hair, clothing, and accessories—someone can not only look different but become someone new in the eyes of others. The girls leave her mother’s sewing room appearing more beautiful, but their change is not just surface-level; they are now imbued with the confidence, grace, and status associated with their new look.
For Evie, this early exposure to the power of appearance becomes more than just an appreciation of beauty—it becomes a tool for survival. Her mother’s skill at making girls look their best taught her that perception and reality can merge: what you look like dictates how the world sees and treats you, and by extension, who you can become. This lesson shapes Evie’s approach to her own life. She doesn’t just wear costumes; she fully inhabits new identities, blending into various environments by crafting perfect outward personas. Evie uses appearance not merely to deceive but to embody different roles, manipulating reality to suit her needs.
I wait for recognition to cross her face, but in these clothes, with this hair, and the contoured makeup and smoky eyes, there is no part of me that is recognizable. It doesn’t hurt that no one expects the poor little girl who works in the back room of the local flower shop to rub elbows with high society as they throw massive parties to celebrate the engagement of a couple whose marriage won’t last two years.
This quote from Chapter 7 demonstrates how Evie’s outward transformation allows her to manipulate others' perceptions and move through different social spheres unnoticed. Her change in clothing, hairstyle, and makeup not only disguises her but erases her previous identity entirely. This moment reveals how identity is both fluid and performative—by altering her appearance, Evie can become someone entirely new in the eyes of others.
This quote highlights how appearance and class are intricately linked. Evie’s transformation—from a flower shop worker to someone who blends seamlessly into a high-society engagement party—illustrates how class is, to a large extent, a performance. By altering her clothes, hair, and makeup, she steps into a higher social class, exposing how class status is determined not by intrinsic qualities but by outward markers that can be easily adopted. This underscores the superficial nature of class divisions—if someone like Evie can cross class lines simply by changing her appearance, then class itself becomes something that is not fixed but fluid and easily manipulated.
