Cat Person

Texting functions as a way for Margot and Robert to interact at a distance, therefore allowing her to create an imaginary, idyllic version of him in her head. They never talked about personal things, just joked around a lot and sent each other memes. I feel that this especially emphasizes the maturity gap between the two. Margot is over ten years younger (unbeknownst to her, as they never even discuss their ages while messaging each other) and thus is more inclined to have unserious conversations. She enjoys texting each other as their cats and quickly became infatuated and eager to please, telling her stepdad that they are "in love" and "going to get married." Margot also had to "work to impress him" and if she took too long to respond, he'd give dry, short answers, forcing her to make more effort and respond faster in order to 'earn' a good conversation. This meant that she was frequently put in the position of having to initiate their exchanges. She liked having an effect on him, feeling desirable and in control, so when it started to flip the other way, it agitated her. It seemed pretty purposeful on his end, as it resulted in her having to do a lot more to get his attention back. After their very uncomfortable sexual encounter, she stopped texting him and soon came to the realization that she wasn't missing the real Robert, but the made up version that she imagined on the other end of the texts. Now, she knows a lot more about him and has seen a side to him that she finds herself disgusted and ashamed by. All along, he kept making attempts, sending more and more texts, while she kept trying to draft a breakup text that was nice but firm. When Tamara ended up sending one for her, a short and to the point one, Margot became overwhelmed with fear and anxiety about him becoming emotionally shattered. When he saw her out at a bar with friends, including a male friend, he started out by texting her in a seemingly calm and respectful tone. Over time, as she kept reading, but not responding, he grew more and more agitated. In the end, he became aggressive and made jabs at her before ultimately calling her a whore. In the end, the distance provided by communicating over text allowed him to say things completely unlike what he said to her when they spent time together in person. These texts reveal her ideal imaginary Robert never existed and the texts that used to be a form of escapism for her become extremely real in a harsh way.