What do roots represent?

Roots symbolize standing one's ground and also strength, particularly related to Cora. Cora is described as tall and sturdy much like a tree and she grows roots in Essex. Roots are anchors that grip into earth as Cora often talks about being happy to sink in mud or to sink into the earth. They form a union with the earth and draw various nutrients from the Earth's soil, and roots can grow to miraculous lengths. Roots also symbolize the inner self which must be deep, sturdy meaning that one has to have a firm belief that they know themselves. A vital part of root symbolism is that they remain unseen and mostly underground suggesting that growth and progression is not always obvious to the eye and one must move past the superficiality of the surface in order to get to the "root" of something, or its core.