The Human Capacity for Violence
There are two murders at the center of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. The first is a random act of violence perpetrated by four college students while in a crazed state. The second is a premeditated murder carried out by those same students, this time with Richard Papen at their side. On the surface, it seems shocking and unexpected that such violence could be carried out by these students. Several of them are from…
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Intellectual Pursuits and Reasonability
The Secret History outlines the idea that seemingly important and serious philosophical pursuits can sometimes lead people astray and put them out of touch with rational life. Henry is a primary example of this phenomenon. Though he may be capable of speaking many languages and reciting large sections of poetry, he is completely unaware of the realities of the world around him. He is often cited as the most intelligent member of the Greek students…
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Guilt
The latter half of The Secret History is primarily concerned with the repercussions of Bunny’s death. Among other consequences, the Greek students are tortured by their guilty consciences, with the notable exception of Henry. Though their guilt is bad enough when lying alone in their rooms, it intensifies when they interact with those who cared for Bunny. Richard almost breaks down and apologizes to Mr. Corcoran, Bunny’s father, when they are first…
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Manipulation and Paranoia
In the second half of the novel, following Bunny’s murder, the other Greek students begin to descend into varying states of paranoia. Only Henry manages to remain calm, largely because he is the one pulling the strings of many other characters in the novel. Meanwhile, Charles is on the opposite end of the spectrum; by the end of the novel, he is convinced that Henry wants to kill him, which may or may not…
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Beauty and Terror
Early in The Secret History, Julian gives a lecture on the relationship between beauty and terror. It is an idea that harkens back to Aristotle who, in Poetics, argues that objects that are terrifying in real life—such as a corpse—can be beautiful when elevated to the realm of art. Although this lecture occurs within the context of Richard’s Greek class, it is also a commentary on the novel itself. With The Secret…
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Class and Identity
Throughout The Secret History, Richard Papen tries to create a new identity for himself. Richard grows up in a working-class family from California. Unlike the other Greek students, he has no wealthy or romantic background to speak of. Richard is embarrassed about this, so he lies about it, even though the others eventually see through his façade of wealth and experience. In an attempt to blend in with his milieu, Richard buys expensive clothes…
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