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Protagonist
Paul is the protagonist’s lover. He is a 26-year-old PhD student who writes movie reviews on the side. He is open about his strong feelings for the protagonist, calling her nightly to say that he misses her. Though Paul is one of the most important characters in the story, the reader knows very little of his actual thoughts, feelings, or experiences; rather, the reader sees the protagonist’s projections onto Paul. In the rare moments where the reader does gain insight into Paul’s character, he appears to be a positive and reassuring partner. On their trip to the beach, he is happy to sit in the sun, watch the surfers, and enjoy fried food, which the protagonist attributes to his youthful lack of anxiety about his skin or body. During the couple’s first fight, Paul urges the protagonist to stop worrying and constantly seeking reassurance about her weight.
Paul Quotes in Dark Roots
The Dark Roots quotes below are all either spoken by Paul or refer to Paul. 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:
).
Dark Roots
Quotes
Call it what you like, we think it’s love, but it’s chemical.
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“You’re not a smoker, are you?”
“No.”
“Only because if you were, at your age, I’d never be prescribing this brand.”
And you feel that little swoop again, hear the at your age like stepping on a sharp piece of gravel, a wince at ludicrous defensiveness.
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“If he were thirty-nine and you were thirteen years younger nobody would turn a hair. I say go for it.”
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.
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“And Jesus, will you just relax and stop worrying about your weight? How much reassurance do you need?”
“I don’t need reassurance.”
“Yes, you do. It’s so bloody tiring. It’s like you’ve already decided to end it and you’re just waiting for me to slip up so you can blame me.”
You’d opened and closed your mouth like a stunned fish. A wave of nausea. You’d clenched your jaw, saying nothing. Don’t cry, you’d ordered yourself., don’t you dare. Mascara running haggard. Lines. Ugly. Old.
“I’ll be forty in a fortnight,” you say.
Impossible to gauge his real, unadorned reaction to that news. You’ll have to turn the light on for that.
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Paul Quotes in Dark Roots
The Dark Roots quotes below are all either spoken by Paul or refer to Paul. 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:
).
Dark Roots
Quotes
Call it what you like, we think it’s love, but it’s chemical.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“You’re not a smoker, are you?”
“No.”
“Only because if you were, at your age, I’d never be prescribing this brand.”
And you feel that little swoop again, hear the at your age like stepping on a sharp piece of gravel, a wince at ludicrous defensiveness.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“If he were thirty-nine and you were thirteen years younger nobody would turn a hair. I say go for it.”
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:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“And Jesus, will you just relax and stop worrying about your weight? How much reassurance do you need?”
“I don’t need reassurance.”
“Yes, you do. It’s so bloody tiring. It’s like you’ve already decided to end it and you’re just waiting for me to slip up so you can blame me.”
You’d opened and closed your mouth like a stunned fish. A wave of nausea. You’d clenched your jaw, saying nothing. Don’t cry, you’d ordered yourself., don’t you dare. Mascara running haggard. Lines. Ugly. Old.
“I’ll be forty in a fortnight,” you say.
Impossible to gauge his real, unadorned reaction to that news. You’ll have to turn the light on for that.
