Seth Kinoshita
Novels often utilize complexity and ambiguity to further the motives of a character, usually through internal turmoil. In Donna Tartt’s novel The Secret History, Richard is invited to the countryside by Camilla and Francis, who have a house out there. During his visit, Richard finds himself on the porch of the house in the Vermont countryside surrounded by breathtaking scenery that seemingly allows him to transcend reality. Through the use of strong imagery and varied sentence structure, Tartt creates a sublime situation in which Richard is torn between the magnificence of his surroundings and his turmoil of belonging.
The passage opens with a description of the trees Richard sees, described as a “sudden wind” and a “gust of yellow leaves” (Tartt 102). This distinct imagery shows how Richard is almost transported to another world once he steps foot outside, the gust and leaves acting as a curtain being pulled away from his eyes. The semicolon dividing the sentence only serves to further this point as the sentence structure echoes Richard’s own feelings of becoming distracted from reality by being transported to an ethereal state. Later in the passage, Richard describes the “pattern of clematis vines…the velvety swell of land” as details that not only show the beauty of his surroundings, but also how Richard may not belong (102). Although he recognizes these patterns now, even he says he did not grow up in that house. Unlike the other 5 students, this is his first escapade to this sublime landscape. By soaking the beauty of nature in for the first time, he is desperately attempting to fit in with the others. This point is further emphasized when Richard describes the colors of the place as having “seeped into his blood”, as if he wants this place to be his own (102). The word ‘blood’ shows that Richard wants this place to run through his very veins, much like it has for the other students for quite some time. Despite knowing that this place has ‘belonged’ to the other students for many years, his trance-like state enables him to believe that he could fit in with them. The imagery-heavy descriptions continue, as Richard observes the “confused whirl” of watercolors, including “ivory and lapis blue, chestnut and burnt orange and gold” (102). The vivid description of the colors around him indicate Richard’s enamoration with his surroundings, as if he wanted to physically melt and cement himself among them. The dream-like sentence structure exemplifies Richard’s obsession, describing his surroundings using long, winding sentences that indicate a rambling-like nature.
However, not all is as it seems. Richard continues to describe his surroundings with more concrete objects such as the “house, sky…[the] smell of wood smoke in the air” (102). This shows Richard is coming back to reality with the use of distinct imagery; or, rather, the lack thereof. With this, he also stops describing his surroundings with the same tenacity he did earlier in the passage and realizes his dream-like state, describing the day as a “memory” and being “too beautiful to believe” (102). Richard being unable to believe that day was real further reinforces the idea that he does not feel that he belongs. Even he states that what he said that day was fake, merely a dream – and that includes his dream that he could fit in with the other students. This is only further emphasized by the final sentence structure with the semicolon parallel to the one in the first sentence. Much like how the first semicolon introduced Richard to his surroundings and their beauty, the second semicolon swiftly removes him from his dream-like state and induces the grounded thought that he cannot believe what he is seeing. With this whole experience, Richard finally began to understand why he feels like he doesn’t belong – and why he wants to. Richard wanted to take this trip out to the country to spend time with his peers, yes, but much like the others, he has ulterior motives. He wants to be like them. He wants to be a Greek virtuoso that reads and reads for hours on end. Most importantly, though, he wants to be them.
Yet, why does this matter? Richard is immersed in his surroundings and has second thoughts about why he doesn’t belong but in the context of the larger novel, this scene is very important. It creates a basis for Richard’s creation of a facade that enables him to further identify with his peers. Growing up in California with almost no money, he can’t relate to the backgrounds of his wealthy, sheltered friends. Therefore, he creates his own persona in which he fits more into the group. However, by doing this, he loses himself and his roots to his home, creating dissociative episodes later in the novel where Richard says it feels like he is watching himself. This further enunciates the main theme of isolation in the novel as by attempting to fit in with his peers, Richard is only isolating himself further from both them and himself. We see how much this takes its toll later in the novel as these facades splinter the group to the point where everyone is driven apart. Not only does this point expand to the novel, but it also expands to the dark academia genre as a whole. Novels like The Secret History and If We Were Villains use isolationism and existentialism as driving themes for the characters in the novel. These two themes create a divide between the external and internal conflict of the characters, making it seem as if they are always fighting someone or something. In the case of Richard, he is fighting to belong and to fit in. Throughout all mediums of dark academia, a theme of isolation emerges and Richard seems to have fallen victim to it. He cannot escape his own feelings of dread that he may never belong. He may never be able to drink with his peers without a worry in the world because he came from a different background. His feeble attempt to fit in only worsens his own isolation and will eventually take its toll.
Through the use of strong imagery and varying sentence structure, Tartt masterfully paints Richard as a sublime character in a moment in which he is overtaken by all he sees and sees a glimpse of what his life could be like living blissfully with the other students. However, behind the curtain of his surroundings is the idea that no matter how hard he tries, Richard will never belong. He will be excluded, the subject of many hushed conservations, and driven to the edge.