Movies
You are a pretty old dame, aren't you. What are you doing with a dowdy old son-of-a-bitch like me?
— Norman • On Golden Pond
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker compliments the listener while describing himself in deliberately unflattering terms. Asking what she is doing with him turns the contrast into a question about their bond. Read as affectionate self-deprecation, the line combines admiration with an exaggerated dismissal of his own appeal.
Context reviewed