Nathan Buchanan
The passage taken from pages 58 and 59 of The Secret History by Donna Tart depicts a conversation between two of the main characters, Bunny and Richard. Through this conversation, the author provides a snapshot into the personalities and relationships of these two individuals, showing that they are almost reflections of each other.
Bunny is introduced as the one who is offering to pay for lunch, with a gesture of magnanimity, as he waves his hand and turns over a check. This act of generosity initially sets the tone for Bunny as someone who is confident, self-assured, and perhaps, even a little generous. However, this impression is quickly challenged as Bunny admits that he doesn’t actually have any money on him. This revelation is met with skepticism from Richard, who cannot believe that Bunny would come to lunch without any money. Despite Richard’s disbelief, Bunny maintains a light and unaffected demeanor, suggesting that he is not overly concerned with the situation. This casual attitude towards money and material possessions suggests that Bunny is carefree and unconcerned with the practicalities of life. Additionally, his reference to “twinkletoes” suggests that he has a sense of humor and is not overly serious. However, this humorous attitude directly opposes the attitude Richard has been trying to adopt from the rest of the group.
Richard, on the other hand, is depicted as being more grounded and practical, as he is taken aback by the fact that Bunny is lacking funds. We know that Richard is poor, and thus unable to pay for the expensive meal. He seems taken aback by this situation, as seen later in the conversation, “I was stunned at this amount, and baffled at his lack of concern” (Tartt 59). This highlights a major difference Richard sees between himself and the rest of the group, wealth. No matter how much he pretends, Richard will never be like his peers in this regard. However, this is actually something he and Bunny have in common. Though Bunny keeps up the appearance of having money, his family has no fortune, and he relies on his friends to pay for his expenses. Although unaware of it, they actually have more in common than is first apparent.
Additionally, when Bunny says the phrase, “Old Horse,” this is an allusion to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald as Jay Gatsby calls everyone “Old Sport” (58). Gatsby does this as a way of pretending to be “old money,” which he isn’t; he wants to create a persona of being something he isn’t. Bunny is doing the same thing. Bunny and Richard are alike in this regard as Richard has been pretending to be something he’s not the entire story. He wants to fit in with the group, and it seems Bunny wants people to like him in the same way as Richard does.
In conclusion, the passage provides a brief but insightful look into the personalities and relationships of Bunny and Richard. Overall, it can be seen that Richard and Bunny are alike in many ways, yet vastly different in others.
Artistic recreations of Richard Papen and Bunny Corcoran from The Secret History