Dark Roots

by

Cate Kennedy

Film Symbol Icon

In “Dark Roots,” film functions as a symbol for fantasy in a relationship. The protagonist and Paul, who, significantly, first met at a film screening, are united by their connections to film; though it is not clear exactly what her job is, the protagonist works in the film industry in some capacity and Paul writes movie reviews to make ends meet. From the beginning of their affair, the protagonist associates their relationship with fantasy and unreality, even invoking the idea that every woman fantasizes about being the “Older Woman” in a relationship. She takes great pains to hide her aging and weight gain from Paul, believing that his interest will wane if he sees her natural self. Though the protagonist doesn’t say where she gets her ideas about being the “Older Woman” or what men find attractive, the reader can draw the conclusion that film, among other aspects of popular culture, has significantly shaped them, and thus that they’re rooted more in fantasy than in reality. The early invocation of film as the background for their meeting sets the stage for their relationship to be defined by illusion.

Film Quotes in Dark Roots

The Dark Roots quotes below all refer to the symbol of Film. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Ageism and Misogyny Theme Icon
).
Dark Roots Quotes

Once upon a time you would have said, confidently: show me someone who says they’ve never had a fantasy of being the Older Woman, and I’ll show you a liar.

Related Characters: Protagonist (speaker), Paul
Related Symbols: Film
Page Number: 79
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Dark Roots LitChart as a printable PDF.
Dark Roots PDF

Film Symbol Timeline in Dark Roots

The timeline below shows where the symbol Film appears in Dark Roots. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Dark Roots
Ageism and Misogyny Theme Icon
...to talk with her friends about Paul, telling the story of their meeting at a film screening where the two happened to be seated next to one another. She tells her... (full context)