The Role of Honesty in Relationships Theme Analysis

In “Dark Roots,” Kennedy uses the problem of honesty between the protagonist and Paul to show the importance of authenticity in relationships. The central relationship of the story is built on a foundation of dishonesty and distance, both between the two characters and within the protagonist’s own self. The protagonist denies her desire for children, hiding that desire from Paul and denying its importance to herself. It is significant that one of the first scenes of the story is that of the protagonist acquiring birth control. This scene comes directly after the reader’s introduction to her lust for and obsession with Paul; thus, the protagonist taking the contraceptives represents her dishonesty with herself about what she really wants from a relationship. Later in the story, she gives herself a warning: “let the smallest reference to babies slip, and you can kiss the guy goodbye.” However, since Paul never mentions babies, the reader can infer that the protagonist is only assuming that Paul does not want to have children, rather than knowing for sure. This is just one of many ways in which the protagonist projects her own insecurities on Paul rather than engaging in open communication.

The protagonist further riddles her relationship with dishonesty through her constant effort to change her appearance (dying her hair, tweezing her facial hair, making a leg wax appointment) to hide her age. She warns herself not to “say a word about turning forty,” later vowing to be “smooth, controlled, gym-toned, with the body of a woman in her late-twenties.” The denial of her own age in service of keeping Paul’s attention is another way that the protagonist projects her insecurities onto Paul. This projection is confirmed when Paul, during a quarrel, asks her to stop worrying about her weight, saying her constant need for assurance is “tiring.” In the same fight, he aptly accuses her of projecting her insecurities onto him: “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.” The protagonist’s efforts to preserve their relationship by misrepresenting her age have backfired. In the final scene, the protagonist reveals to Paul that she will turn 40 in two weeks. Because the author doesn’t reveal Paul’s reaction, it’s left to the reader to guess how the protagonist’s admission will affect their relationship. But, through the tension and lack of openness in their relationship thus far, the author suggests that the most damaging thing to a relationship isn’t an arbitrary difference like an age gap, but the failure to be honest all along.