The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett

Content Warning: This section contains discussions of suicide.

The way Rose and Eudora dress reflects their different stages of life. Rose wears bright, often clashing colors and flamboyant articles of clothing like tutus and T-shirts with sayings like “Be more unicorn” (125). These flashy styles represent Rose’s zest for life, energy, and desire to be seen by others. At first, Eudora is taken aback by the outfits. In Chapter 5, “Rose is wearing her normal clothes—if you can call a fuchsia-pink ra-ra skirt, silver sequined flip-flops, and a fluorescent yellow t-shirt normal” (79). Eudora is almost offended by the brash, bright colors and combinations that Rose wears, but over time, she becomes fond of Rose’s “sartorial issues,” symbolizing their Intergenerational Friendship’s ability to transcend superficial differences.

Eudora, on the other hand, has a wardrobe full of drab and dark colors. Over the years, she has stopped purchasing beautiful things and has instead bought items that are practical and durable. This represents Eudora’s life in general, which lacks color. She is lonely and has nothing to look forward to at the beginning of the novel, and her clothes reflect that sad situation. Rose’s selection of party clothes for Eudora represents a changing point in Eudora’s openness to others and to life in general; it also suggests the way in which Rose’s friendship brings Eudora joy and energy.