My Dark Romeo

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of emotional abuse and gender discrimination.

The rose that Dallas Townsend keeps on her nightstand throughout the novel is a recurring motif that symbolizes love. When Dallas first arrives at Romeo Costa’s Potomac mansion, the groundskeeper Vernon gives her a Venus et Fleur. This is “a type of rose that lasts a year” (64). Dallas is determined to keep the rose alive despite her ignorance about plant care. She appreciates flowers and feels sad when they die. The rose is particularly important to her because it marks the start of her life with Romeo. In keeping the rose alive, she hopes that she can keep herself alive and enliven Romeo’s seemingly icy heart.

The rose in My Dark Romeo is a literary allusion to the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast and connects to The Transformative Power of Love. In the original story, the Belle’s rose slowly withers. She must soften the Beast’s heart before it dies. The same is true in My Dark Romeo. Throughout the novel, petals gradually drop off the flower, alarming and upsetting Dallas.