Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Cate Kennedy's Dark Roots. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.
Dark Roots: Introduction
A concise biography of Cate Kennedy plus historical and literary context for Dark Roots.
Dark Roots: Plot Summary
A quick-reference summary: Dark Roots on a single page.
Dark Roots: Detailed Summary & Analysis
In-depth summary and analysis of every of Dark Roots. Visual theme-tracking, too.
Dark Roots: Themes
Explanations, analysis, and visualizations of Dark Roots's themes.
Dark Roots: Quotes
Dark Roots's important quotes, sortable by theme, character, or .
Dark Roots: Characters
Description, analysis, and timelines for Dark Roots's characters.
Dark Roots: Symbols
Explanations of Dark Roots's symbols, and tracking of where they appear.
Dark Roots: Theme Wheel
An interactive data visualization of Dark Roots's plot and themes.
Brief Biography of Cate Kennedy
Cate Kennedy was born in Louth, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom in 1963 to Australian parents. Her family soon returned to Australia, where she lived in many cities before attending the University of Canberra. While building her writing career, she has worked as a tutor, life model, waitress, community arts worker, kitchenhand, and theatre director. She is the author of a novel, two short story collections, three poetry collections, and a travel memoir. She has won many awards for her writing, including the Steele Rudd award and the Queensland Literary Award for her short story collection Like a House on Fire. In 2021, Kennedy completed her PhD in Creative Writing. She is based in Victoria, Australia.
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Historical Context of Dark Roots
In the story, Kennedy references Barbie dolls as an example of the impossible beauty standards that society imposes upon women. Since the first appearance of Barbie in 1959, there have been many iterations of the doll. By 2006, when “Dark Roots” was published, the toy company Mattel produced Barbies of various races and with various careers. However, Barbies in 2006 still projected the unrealistic body type that Kennedy references as a damaging standard.
Other Books Related to Dark Roots
Like a House on Fire, Kennedy’s follow-up short story collection to Dark Roots (the collection in which the story of the same name appears), shares many of the themes of the latter. Most prominently, Kennedy deals with the intricacies of ordinary lives and the poignancy of universal human feelings. Kennedy has also cited George Saunders as an influence, and particularly has cited his short story collection The Tenth of December.
Key Facts about Dark Roots
- Full Title: Dark Roots
- Where Written: Australia
- When Published: 2006
- Literary Period: Contemporary
- Genre: Short Story
- Setting: Australia
- Climax: The protagonist leaves her leg wax appointment halfway through.
- Point of View: Second Person
Extra Credit for Dark Roots
Cold Snap. Though the collection that houses Dark Roots (also entitled Dark Roots) was published in 2006, the story Cold Snap from the same collection was published under the title Black Ice in the New Yorker in the same year.
Going the Distance. Cate Kennedy’s travel memoir, Sing, and Don’t Cry (published in 2005) chronicles her time working as a volunteer in a small town in Mexico. Kennedy incorporates her new experiences into reflections on life in Australia, decrying consumerism.
