Carson Leahy

Isolation can be hidden in a crowd of people dancing, within enticing discussions with colleagues, and even in the presence of people we call friends. In chapter two of The Secret History, this understanding of isolation is explored when Richard is invited out to lunch by Bunny. At the end of their meal, Bunny reveals he is unable to pay and calls his friend Henry who picks up the bill. The boys are driven home by Henry, and a conversation with Richard in the car reveals much about the dynamics within the group. The passage reveals Richard’s continued alienation from the group and introduces a sense of tension within the clique of Julian’s students. Utilizing syntax to create tense dialogue between Richard and Henry, vivid imagery, and diction, this sense of isolation is furthered. 

Richard’s isolation from the rest of the students is represented through the tension between Henry and Richard in the passage. The sentence structure of dialogue in this passage creates a tense tone and reveals the sense of awkwardness between characters that exists in this part of the book. The dialogue between Henry and Richard is composed of short, simple sentences that are read as curt thoughts and responses. Readers feel the tension of the situation Bunny created. In addition to this, it draws attention to the awkward feeling between Richard and Henry who are not familiar with each other. The curt, repetitive apologies of Henry as well as brief responses given by Richard show the lack of familiarity that these characters have with each other. This highlights the isolation of Richard from the rest of the members of Julian’s group, specifically by focusing on the interaction between him and Henry. Although he is trying to find some means of fitting in with the others, such as going out to lunch with Bunny, this passage makes it clear that he is still isolated. 

The imagery that Tartt includes furthers the reader’s idea of what Henry’s emotions were in the moment, introducing a sense of anger that contrasts what we typically see from within the group. The passage says, “He ran a hand through his hair and I was surprised to see that it was trembling” (61). The description of his hand trembling suggests that Henry’s anger is strong enough to evoke a physical reaction such as shaking. Richard is said to have been surprised by this, suggesting that his previous assumptions about the group’s feelings towards each other might be different than what is true. His seeming lack of knowledge of the dynamics of the group highlights Richard’s isolation from the other students. It leaves the readers wondering what has happened in the past that makes this situation so infuriating for Henry. The knowledge that Bunny will be killed by the group later in the book, combined with this, causes the audience to consider that there might be existing tension between characters within the group.  

The contrast between Richard’s understanding of the group and what actually seems to be true of the group’s dynamic, highlight Richard’s alienation. The choice of language used when Henry refers to Bunny further shows existing isolation within the group by contradicting the assumptions of how the group feels about one another.  In one part of the passage Tartt writes, “Henry snapped, ‘it’s a terrible trick.’” with the character further saying, “He never thinks about these things, how awkward it is for everyone.” (Tartt 61). The use of the phrase “terrible trick” to describe Bunny’s actions as well as the statement that he “never thinks” provides insight to some of the negative ideas Henry has about Bunny. This moment in the book shows a strain in the relationships of Julian’s students. By stating that Bunny doesn’t understand how awkward he makes situations for everyone else, Bunny is placed on the outside of the group, furthering the theme of isolation. This again contrasts what the readers are led to believe for most of the beginning of the book by Richard. Before, he had put the group on a pedestal and believed them to be extremely close-knit. Although Julian’s students are isolated from the rest of the school, there seemed to be very few issues within the group. The contrast of what Richard believed to be true and the actual tension he saw between Bunny and Henry also furthered the theme of isolation by showing how isolated Richard is. 

This passage introduces new ideas about how the group interacts, drawing attention to the feelings of tension between characters. What issues are there within the group that were not communicated with Richard narrating the story? The use of various devices allows Tartt to create a tense tone and further shows Richard’s own isolation from the rest of Julian’s students. 

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