Blake Schwabe
Quote From The Secret History: “Out on the lawn, Bunny had just knocked Henry’s ball about seventy feet outside the court. There was a ragged burst of laughter; faint, but clear, it floated back across the evening air. That laughter haunts me still” (Tartt 109).
Peer pressure can destroy a person’s entire existence with no benefit to any individual. This idea is shown in many works, especially in The Secret History by Donna Tartt. This book focuses on Richard Papen and his desire to fit into an elite group of five students taking the same Greek classes as him. Richard tries to make himself fit in but struggles to feel like he truly belongs in the group. In this passage, through the selective word choice and situation, Richard’s need to fit in leads him to go against his morals for the group that is spiraling, leaving Richard with nothing.
The decay of this group is the first big idea within the quote. The word “lawn” (Tartt 109) illustrates the setting as calm and highlights the lack of true laughter in the quote. The next interesting phrase from the quote was, “ragged burst of laughter” (Tartt 109). Ragged gives off the impression of the burst of laughter from Henry not being genuine and forced, giving the impression that there might be disdain for Bunny from Henry. This starts the domino effect that leads to the collapse of the group as a whole highlighted by the word, “faint” (Tartt 109). Faint gives the impression that the laugh was very quiet and barely audible, adding evidence that the laugh was faked for Bunny, hinting that the group is not going to last together if there is no genuine laughter between two of the group’s own members. This tension in the group is going to lead to Richard going against his morals, leaving blindsided after his unwavering obsession to assimilate to the friend group. As the group dissipates, Richard’s will no longer have motivation for school and no “support” as his family is far away despite him not wanting to go back home for his education.
Richard always wanted to fit within the elite group at the school. In the prologue of the book, it even states, “It is difficult to believe that Henry’s modest plan could have worked so well despite these unforeseen events. We hadn’t intended to hide the body where it couldn’t be found” (Tartt 3). Richard, not even in the first chapter of the story, admits to killing Bunny with the help of others in the group. This quote highlights Richard’s aspiration to be accepted into the group, no matter the cost. The phrase, “That laughter haunts me still” (Tartt 109), can be argued to be one of the most powerful sentences in the entire book as it conveys that Richard’s, and therefore the group’s actions against Bunny, was not worth the psychological and moral corruption Richard now endures. For Bunny’s laughter to haunt Richard after so much time emphasizes that nothing good came from the action, alluding to the group not being together anymore, leaving Richard with nothing but a story and deep regret.
The journey it takes for an individual to fit into a group and experience peer pressure can be terrible. While Richard tried to be one with the group, he did actions that he did not want to take, all for a group that would ultimately disband and leave him with guilt. It’s a common opinion that Dark Academia has a strong presence in the Secret History due to the setting of the story. However, I believe that this book is the opposite of Dark Academia in terms of the context of the story. Dark Academia is a niche aesthetic that influences the way people dress, focuses on higher education, and has hints of elitism. This book and the main story portrayed stresses that trying to fit in will lead to peer pressure and regret for yourself, quite the opposite of Dark Academia itself. The Secret History serves as a warning to outside individuals, that despite the “norm” portrayed by others and wanting to be part of a group, individuals should be themselves. If not, they risk going down a rabbit hole and being like Richard, full of regret and alone.

This image is a visual representation of the quote and the main importance of Richard, still suit in all, thinking about the course and the setting in which that laugh is played out which still haunts him to this day, gray background focuses in on the characters and feelings of Richard with the quote translated to Latin, “Don’t fall for peer pressure.” The representation is important to add to the idea that Richard has regretted his actions and it still affects him in the present day.
Work Cited:
- Dunedin Golf Course. “1960’s Florida Postcard.” Ebay, 1960, https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/pkEAAOSwrRZdDAl1/s-l1600.jpg. 12 February 2023.
- Roberts, Armstrong. The Week, 1950, https://mediacloud.theweek.com/image/private/s–hkefDZX3–/f_auto,t_primary-image-desktop@1/v1608144686/61176_article_full.jpg. 12 February 2023.
- Tartt, Donna. The Secret History. Penguin, 2006.