Sam Sukendro

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people were stuck in their homes out of fear of the virus. People began romanticizing a life that could have been, and thus, more people discovered a subculture of the internet called dark academia. Donna Tartt’s The Secret History is the cornerstone of dark academia. It tells the story of Richard Papen from Plano, California, who romanticizes a classic and elegant life and feels a lack of belonging to his home. Richard begins to experience his picture-perfect lifestyle when he visits Francis’ house in the countryside. However, throughout the first half of the novel, Richard’s idolization of his classmates’ lifestyle pushes him deeper into a state of loneliness and social isolation. Francis’ house is a pivotal developmental point for Richard as it symbolizes his journey in chasing the picturesque life that he had always dreamed of.

Richard’s role as the narrator creates an interesting perspective by which the story is told. Being an unreliable narrator, it becomes obvious to readers that his romanticized longing for a lavish lifestyle is the core reasoning behind his feelings as an outcast. When he moves to Hampden, he creates a new persona, a rich, intellectual student from California to fit in. Ironically, this new persona forces him to be exclusive to a group of elitists. When Richard visits Francis’ house in the countryside, he describes Francis’ house as an “ink black silhouette against the sky” (Tartt 81). The connotation of the preposition “against” is typically interpreted as meaning in resistance to something. Richard believes that the socially isolated lifestyle the group leads opposes the norm of a mundane society. The desperation to try to be a part of a group of elitists makes Richard fall into his own trap of social isolation. He separates himself from the rest of the school: he separates himself internally from the group by playing a persona. Richard’s idolization of the group’s image prevents him from fitting in anywhere.

Francis’ house serves a pivotal role in foreshadowing the climax of the novel. When Richard arrived at the house, his “fingers finally closed on the door handle, and only then, as [he] was climbing out of the car, the moon came out from behind a cloud, and [he] saw the house” (Tartt 81). His over-descriptive narration with the use of polysyndeton gives a sequential description. Yet the prolific amount of conjunctions slows down the rhythm of the sentence, building suspense and setting an eerie mood. This description, followed by a very short declarative sentence, “It was tremendous” (81), completely silences the flow of his narration. This abrupt silence emulates the idea of a drastic and sudden end, foreshadowing the death of Bunny. His narration shows how important Francis’ house is to him. Francis’ house symbolizes how Richard’s pursuit for a materialistic lifestyle will consume him. By forging relationships with a materialistic intent, his relationships serve as transactions; Richard gains the experience of the upper class, and the group gains a naive scapegoat that they can use to their advantage. The house grooms him into feeling a false sense of security with the group. His idolization for what the house stands for prevents him from entering the group. Interestingly, he points out the widow’s walk when describing the house. Historically, the name is said to come from the wives of mariners who would sit and wait in hopes that their spouses would return. This wish to return to a blissful time foreshadows the coming of the climax in future chapters as Richard’s exclusion becomes more apparent.

As Richard continues to spend more time with Julian’s clique, his longing to fit in with them will continue to eat away at his mentality. The more time he spends with them, the deeper he must commit to the deceiving persona that he has created. Even if Richard manages to get away with his lie, the truth of knowing he does not lead the same life they do will push him further and further into loneliness. Richard’s actions show readers how an inequitable society deceives people into believing they long for a life of luxury. A constant pursuit of the materialistic will only end in loneliness and regret.

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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