52 pages • 1 hour read
Ariel LawhonCode Name Hélène
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Victory Red Lipstick
Elizabeth Arden Victory Red lipstick is a symbol of Nancy’s femininity and strength. Lawhon notes that Nancy’s use of lipstick in the novel is based on documented facts. She says that Nancy “was a devoted fan of Elizabeth Arden cosmetics, and I am certain—though I cannot prove it—that she wore Victory Red, the shade commissioned by the U.S. military for female service members” (444-45). In the novel, Nancy describes it as “the color of war and confidence and freedom” (8). She thinks of it as her armor, which is why, before going into any difficult situation, Nancy applies lipstick to boost her confidence.
Nancy’s use of lipstick is also a demonstration of how she maintains her humanity amid war. Even though Nancy is in a masculine environment, sleeping in a bus and rarely bathing as bombs fall around her, wearing lipstick is a way that she can maintain her glamour and beauty. The name of the color itself, Victory Red, is also a symbol of the hope Nancy feels that their effort will eventually triumph over the German invasion and win the war.
French 75 Cocktail
The French 75 cocktail is made from a combination of gin, champagne, lemon juice, and sugar. It is a symbol of Henri’s wealth and glamour. When Henri first sees Nancy, he sends her a French 75 cocktail at the Pont Royal bar; it is their “signature cocktail and the most expensive item on their drinks menu” (17). Nancy had always wanted to try one but had never had the means to do so. Such an expensive cocktail demonstrates that Henri has lots of expendable income and that he is happy to spend it on her. Later, the cocktail becomes an opportunity for Henri to teach her new things. On their first night out, he buys her another French 75 but warns her that it is dangerous to drink brandy and then gin with champagne. This becomes a springboard for his lessons to her about how to hold her drink.
Finally, after they marry, and Henri leaves for the front, Nancy orders two French 75s at the bar in Cannes as a symbol of her longing for him. The taste of this expensive cocktail reminds her of her husband, whom she misses terribly. It also makes her appear more glamorous, in keeping with her newfound wealth.
Alcohol
One of the activities Nancy and her colleagues engage in persistently throughout the text is drinking alcohol, often brandy. As Lawhon writes: “About the drinking: yes, I know there’s a lot of that, too. So Much. Brandy” (444). Drinking acts as a motif in the book that shows how Nancy adapts to the rules of the world of men and, eventually, masters them. At the beginning of Code Name Hélène, she is not particularly good at holding her drink. She is hungover on the airplane before parachuting into France and ends up vomiting. In the earlier timeline, in Paris, she notes that “the French are better at day drinking. Likely because they’ve had more practice, but I’m determined to learn” (12). On her first night out with Henri, she has too much to drink and falls asleep. In these early scenes, her inability to hold her drink is a sign of her innocence and her inability to keep up with the heavy-drinking social conventions in 1940s France. Henri teaches Nancy how to drink without getting drunk during their courtship. The fact that he helps her overcome something that other men perceive as a weakness rather than judging her for it demonstrates Henri’s relative lack of sexist beliefs, foreshadowing his support for Nancy’s independence and ambitions during their marriage.
Henri’s drinking lessons also prove indispensable during the war, as they allow Nancy to earn the respect of men who at first dismiss her for being a woman. As Lawhon notes, “It is important to note that all negotiations with the Maquis for supplies and arms were done over a bottle of brandy. They meant to use this tactic to take advantage of Nancy, but she repeatedly turned the technique against them” (444). Lawhon quotes the real-life John Farmer describing Nancy’s ability to hold her drink during these negotiations as “one of the most extraordinary things I have seen” (444). In the novel, this is shown during a key negotiation between Gaspard, Judex, Hubert, and Nancy over weapons deals and troop movements. Gaspard and Judex get drunk, but she does not, and she is able to secure the terms that she wants. Her ability to hold her liquor is a sign of Nancy’s growth and her ability to master new skills and apply them to Overcoming Sexist Expectations of Women.
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By Ariel Lawhon
