Appearance Vs. Reality

2 Pages 608 Words

Appearance vs. Reality

Our society today revolves mostly around appearance and how people view themselves and others. In Breakfast at Tiffany’s Truman Capote writes a story about a young lady, who from the outside seems perfect. Throughout the novel Holly Golightly is seen as both a witty and naïve character. From all the makeup and pretty clothes she wears to the persona she gives off to everyone, makes Holly appear to be a well-rounded individual. But in actuality Holly is hiding behind her appearance and doesn’t know who she really is.
The only real aspect about Holly Golighty is her outside appearance. She is glamorous and has great beauty. Most of the time “she wore a slim cool black dress, black sandals, a pearl choker… [and] a pair of dark glasses” (p.12). She dressed everyday as if she had to impress everyone. Her dark glasses seemed as though to hide her real self from the world. The narrator “had never seen her before not wearing dark glasses” and when he did, he noticed “they were large eyes, a little blue, a little green” (p.18). She acted as if she didn’t want anyone to know who the real Holly was. When she threw parties most of the people who attended them she didn’t know. But that’s what she wanted, she didn’t want close friends. Even her cat was just an acquaintance to her, she didn’t believe that he belonged to her. “Poor slob without a name. It’s a little inconvenient, his not having a name. But I haven’t any right to give him one: he’ll have to wait until he belongs to somebody” (p.39). Holly’s appearance to her friends and acquaintances were just a scheme to hide the real Holly. But in reality Holly is a frightened young girl still trying to find her true self.
Although Holly tries to use her appearance to hide herself, by the end of the novel its known that Holly isn’t just her outside appearance. At the very end before going to the airport, she...