The Guest List

Jules is “dark-haired and pale,” and beautiful with curves that Olivia has always admired (23). On the other hand, Jules used to be teased “for being a chubby swot” as a child and envies Olivia for her thinness (23). Every inch of Jules’s life is manicured to perfection, and this very much translates to her appearance as well. Jules chooses her wedding dress because of the optics; it “was a queenmaker” (22). She couples the dress with a golden crown as well; she crowns herself, and in doing so, symbolizes the troubled childhood that she has grown out of. Neglected by her busy parents, Jules believes that she has completely forged her own path in life. Her family appear to be at the wedding simply for appearances’ sake, so that Jules’s life looks as perfect as she can get it. When Jules learns about Will and Olivia’s affair, she deliberately uncrowns herself. In doing so, she steps on it until the crown she took so much pride in becomes little more than a mangled bit of metal. In destroying the crown, Jules begins to put aside her self-centeredness; she begins to face the imperfection of herself and her relationship head on.