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Grey Skies and Little Lies

A blog for the Spring 2023 ENGL 1102 H7 section about Dark Academia that includes the reflective work of students on class discussions and the novel itself.

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“Fatal Beauty”

Diya Chutani

At night I lay shivering on the floor, watching the illuminated snowflakes sift in a column through the hole in the ceiling. On the margin of stupefaction, as I was sliding off the steep roof of unconsciousness, something would tell me at the last instant that if I went to sleep I might never wake: with a struggle I would force my eyes open and all of a sudden the column of snow, standing bright and tall in its dark corner, would appear to me in its true whispering, smiling menace, an airy angel of death. But I was too tired to care; even as I looked at it I would feel my grasp slackening, and before I knew it I had tumbled down the slanted edge, and into the dark abyss of sleep (Tartt 121).

How far would you go to be perceived as beautiful? In chapter 3, Richard faces this dilemma as he suffers through extreme isolation and cold while living in an unheated room in a hippie’s warehouse over winter break. The conditions push him into a state of distress both physically and mentally as his health declines without him even fully grasping the severity of his situation. In one passage, included above, this conflict between Richard, himself, and his environment comes to its peak. After this passage, we see him trying to call a taxi in desperation, injuring his head, and Henry finding him before taking him to the hospital. The passage itself demonstrates how intense his struggle has become, depicting him as very weak while he stares at the hole in the ceiling of his room that snow is falling through. Eventually, he is overpowered by his own exhaustion. The use of an extended metaphor and strong diction creates a striking contrast between Richard and the column of light and snow created by the hole in the ceiling of his room, ultimately drawing attention to the dangers that come with maintaining aesthetics and setting a precedent for how much the characters in The Secret History value life. 

As Richard lies on the floor, the reader sees that he has reached a point where he is hallucinating. He is afraid of sleep, despite exhaustion, and extremely physically weak and desperate. He has fallen victim to the cold emanating from the hole in the ceiling of his quarters, a condition that is made more evident from the distinctions between him and the column of light created by this hole. While Richard is “shivering on the floor”, he is watching the column “standing bright and tall” (Tartt, 121). This image creates visual levels that depict a kind of power dynamic with Richard lower to the ground and the column higher. Furthermore, the column is personified; its descriptions give it a life-like feeling due to wording that indicates ownership. The column is said to be standing “in its dark corner” and “its…menace” (121). Like the visual power dynamic, there is a contrast in life-like qualities. Richard’s condition depicts a lack of control and a sort of fragility. For example, he is said to be “on the margin of stupefaction” (121). As defined by the Oxford English Dictionary stupefaction is a “loss or impairment of physical sensation or (now usually) consciousness…” (OED online). This kind of diction makes Richard seem less alive than the column even though the column is inanimate; the comparison creates an impactful portrayal of Richard’s weakness.

Furthermore, the angel of death that the column is equated to relates to a greater theme that is prevalent in The Secret History: the darker side of beauty. With the imagery employed to describe the column, it is hard not to see it as sort of ethereal. In the first sentence, it is described to be “illuminated” and later “bright” and “smiling” (121). Moreover, even just the image of snow falling is often associated with serenity. Yet, the column is simultaneously said to be a “smiling menace” (121). This column is dangerous. Though it is this glowing, entrancing figure, lighting up a dark corner; it is simultaneously originating from a direct threat to Richard’s well-being, the hole in the ceiling of his quarters. This mirrors the underlying issue in this chapter. He has ended up in the condition he is in due to a refusal to admit to his friends the truth about his financial situation. By secretly living in this unheated room of a hippie’s warehouse, he gets to maintain the image he has crafted for himself in front of his friends. However, it comes at the cost of his health deteriorating. The column, as an angel of death, represents this dichotomy with it being an embodiment of the dangerous cold entering the room while also being light and beautiful. Essentially, the column demonstrates that beauty and danger come together.

Re-examining the contrast between Richard and the column with this idea of the dangers of beauty in mind gives it even more meaning. The inanimate column is beautiful and full of life; Richard is frail and weak. But ultimately, the beauty of the column along with the deterioration of his own well-being are both consequences of his own choices. At the end of this passage, Richard tries desperately to fear the column, tries to fear death as he stares right at it, but says he was “too tired to care” (121). He has lost a will to persevere, and it becomes clear that he prioritizes preserving the image of himself he has crafted before preserving his life. The ideas in this passage draw attention to Richard’s disregard for the value of life and high regard for aesthetics. It is difficult not to wonder, with such a lack of concern when it comes to his own life, how much value is he placing in the life of others. As such, a precedent is set about Richard’s values from this section of the novel, with this passage putting a great emphasis on the fatal nature of beauty.

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