After the publican of Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1958, many women came forward and claimed to be Truman Capote’s inspiration for Holly Golightly in what Capote called the "Holly Golightly Sweepstakes". Why did so many people claim to be Miss Golightly? I believe, after reading Breakfast at Tiffany’s, these women, like so many others, fell in love with Miss Holiday Golightly.  These women wanted to be Holly Golightly and this essay explores why.
     I think the greatest appeal of Holly Golightly would have to be her name: Miss Holiday Golightly- Traveling ("It nagged me like a tune…" [Capote, 11]).  While Capote was writing his novella, he chose the inappropriate name of Connie Gustafson for his main character.  Had he have kept the name, I believe she wouldn’t have had as great of an appeal.  The name Holiday Golightly is so fitting—Holly is one who "makes a holiday of life, but treads through it lightly" (Clarke 313).  The name is so beautiful and charismatic, it draws people.
     Though her name adds to the appeal of Holly Golightly, the character herself has much appeal.  Holly is a young, beautiful, smart woman with "something smart to say on every subject" (Capote, 69).  There are many beautiful women in the world who can draw others to them—Miss Golightly can draw others and retain their attention with her intelligence and wit.  She’s wise beyond her years and has a certain truthful understanding of life.  She explains her theory on her husband’s love for "wild things" with beautiful symbolism:

                He was always lugging home wild things.  A hawk with a hurt wing.  One time it was a
                full-grown bobcat with a broken leg.  But you can’t give your heart to a wild thing: the
                more you do, the stronger they get.  Until they’re strong enough to tun into the woods.
                Or fly into a tree.  Then a taller tree.  Then the sky.  That’s how you’ll end up, Mr. Bell.
                If you let yourself love a wild thing.  You’ll end up looking up at the sky.

     Holly also had a carefree style of living.  She seemed to look at each day as a holiday and she look at life and youth as an opportunity to experience everything.  She went through life lightly.  When proposed to at age 14, she simply said "‘Course we’ll be married.  I’ve never been married before.’" (Capote, 69).  The ability to see life as she see it is a matter of experience and personality.
     Every woman dreams of having Holly’s wit, beauty, charisma, and understanding and style of life.  Even Capote admitted Holly Golightly was his favorite character.  Holly truly appeals to everyone.