Does Richard Papen Participate In The Rites Of Bacchic?

The Secret History is a captivating novel by Donna Tartt, narrated by Richard Papen, who is a poverty-stricken student from a working-class family. Richard attends Hampden College after deciding to avoid pre-med classes and the stifling presence of his Greek class. He becomes involved in the central conflict of a group of Greek students, including Henry, who admits to accidentally killing someone while participating in a bacchanal.

The novel is influenced by Euripides’s tragedy The Bacchae, which explores the dangers of cultivating an ordered mind at the expense of the individual. The group uses sex, drugs, and alcohol to clear their minds of the event, while Camilla wonders if engaging in ancient rituals purified them. The group’s most important rituals are not Bacchic but quotidian, and unlike most students, they live a regimented life.

Richard Papen serves as both the central character and the unreliable narrator of the story. His journey from a complete outsider to a part of the group is marked by his desire for beauty, obsession, and darkness. As the fall term nears its end, Richard wonders what he will do over winter break when the dorms close, while Henry and Bunny plan a vacation to Italy.

The Secret History is an inverted detective story narrated by Richard Papen, who reflects years later upon the situation that led to his involvement in the group’s attempt at a bacchanal. Richard interrupts to inquire about the sexual nature of the rituals, and Henry admits that sex was part of it, but refuses to go into it.

In conclusion, The Secret History is a captivating novel that explores the themes of beauty, obsession, and darkness at an elite New England college.


📹 The Secret History is full of lies, so lets expose some 🏛️🕯️🖋️

Hi Angels! today we’re on an exciting journey dissecting all of Richard Papens tea as we dive into Donna Tartt’s “The Secret …


Is there LGBT in If We Were Villains?

The book is criticized for its lack of queer representation, with the gay character Alexander being accepted but the idea of James and Oliver being more than friends being repulsed. The main character’s queerness is felt nonexistent, and the attraction between Oliver and James is not present. The characters are constantly discussing their relationship, never expressing romantic feelings or obsession. Oliver is sexually and romantically attracted to James, but the book claims he is infatuated with him.

This obsession or admiration seems strikingly absent from every corner of the story. The book is emotionally lacking, never making the reader laugh or cry, and it is unbelievably slow. The overly poetic language, cardboard characters, lack of interesting subplots, and dragging pace contribute to the book’s slow pace. The first half of the book is just setup.

Did Oliver kiss James?
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Did Oliver kiss James?

Oliver and James return to Lear, where Colborne is waiting. James kisses Oliver onstage, and Oliver confesses to Richard’s murder using a slightly tweaked version of James’ story. He is arrested and put on trial, though Colborne does not believe him to be the real killer. On Oliver’s release from prison in 2008, Filippa, the only member with whom he has maintained steady contact, picks him up. Oliver is eager to reunite with James, who had stopped visiting.

However, he is informed that James drowned himself four years earlier. Instead, Oliver visits Meredith, a television actress who confessed to Colborne telling him to arrest James at the performance. Oliver admits to being in love with James while they were together and they tentatively resume their relationship.

Filippa sends Oliver James’ suicide note, which he recognizes as a monologue from Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Pericles laments the apparent death of his wife, Thaisa, in a storm at sea. Her body was cast into the ocean but washes up near a physician who revived her. Thaisa lives hidden away from society as a priestess, believing her husband died in the storm. Upon researching James’ death online, Oliver learns that James’ body was never found.

Is there LGBT in We Were Liars?
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Is there LGBT in We Were Liars?

The book “Circled Boys” is a visually appealing and LGBTQ+-friendly story that raises awareness of real issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community, such as homelessness and rejection. The author and the main characters are part of the LGBTQ+ community, highlighting the potential for a world where people who love them and those who were previously opposed grow to become accepting. This is the kind of magic that should be put on our screens.

The book follows the story of June, who has been obsessed with zombie films her whole life, particularly the zombie apocalypse show “Human Wasteland”. When she and her friends head to ZombieCon to meet prominent actors from zombie-themed films, chaos breaks out when real zombies are taking over the event. June must save her and her friends from the zombies, relying on her skills as an avid fan. Along the way, she meets the star of Human Wasteland and learns what it means to be a leader in an unlikely situation.

The book is a hilarious, light nonsense that would be perfect for a limited series, similar to Netflix’s new show “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window”. It is the perfect satire of popular zombie shows while also being powerful, sweet, and relatable. The book is a perfect example of how a light and relatable book can be created in the film industry.

Were James and Oliver in love?
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Were James and Oliver in love?

In 2008, Oliver Marks is released from prison and reunited with his friend James, who had stopped visiting. However, he learns that James drowned himself four years earlier. Instead, Oliver visits Meredith, a television actress who confessed to telling Colborne to arrest James at a performance. Oliver admits to being in love with James while they were together but also loves her. They tentatively resume their relationship.

Filippa sends Oliver James’ suicide note, which he recognizes as a monologue from Pericles, Prince of Tyre. The note tells Oliver that James’ body was never found. The main character, Oliver, believes he is the least talented member of the acting troupe. He plays various roles, including The Loyal Sidekick, The Tyrant, The Hero, Meredith Dardenne, Alexander Vass, Wren Stirling, Filippa Kosta, Detective Joseph Colborne, Frederick Teasdale, Gwendolyn Oswald, and Camilo Verela.

The cast includes a middle child, a talented actor, a second-generation actor, a gay former foster-care student, a drug addict, a second-generation actress, and a strict woman. The main characters also include detective Joseph Colborne, Frederick Teasdale, Gwendolyn Oswald, and Camilo Verela, a young Chilean man with a dark beard and gold earring.

The story highlights the complex relationships between characters and the challenges they face in their pursuit of success in the acting industry.

Did Richard and Francis kiss?
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Did Richard and Francis kiss?

In Book II, Chapter 6, Richard struggles with insomnia and attends a party with Judy, who gives him a pill. He later meets a girl he goes home with, but the night is blurred. Back in his dorm, Francis knocks on Richard’s door, making advances until Charles arrives drunk. Later, Julian mentions Bunny’s absence and Richard dreams of him drowning in a bathtub. The snow doesn’t melt that week, leading the students to wonder when Bunny’s body will be found.

Bunny’s friend Cloke Rayburn, who deals drugs, worries that Bunny may have visited his supplier in New York to make money. Charles and Cloke break into Bunny’s room and find a newspaper article about the dead farmer. Charles is called to speak to Bunny’s father on the phone, but Henry says they are better off. The next day, FBI agents question Charles about Bunny’s connection to Cloke. A newspaper reports that drugs may have been involved in Bunny’s disappearance, but Bunny’s parents deny this.

One night, Camilla tells Richard that after killing the farmer, Henry made them slit the throat of a piglet to purify themselves. The snow melted one morning, and a girl found Bunny while walking her dog in the woods.

Is Francis attracted to Richard?
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Is Francis attracted to Richard?

Richard Papen, a heterosexual man, and Francis, a Greek Class member, form a close friendship at Hampden College. Richard initially rejects Francis’ advances during a boat ride, but they both laugh about it. After Bunny’s murder, Francis visits Richard in his dorm room, and they kiss, despite Richard’s protests. Richard later clarifies that he is not attracted to Francis, and Francis agrees, stating that he needed Richard for comfort.

After leaving Hampden, the two maintain sporadic contact. Francis sends Richard a suicide note, and Richard visits his old friend in the hospital. Charles Macaulay, another Greek Class member, and Francis have sex a few times during their time together, but they are not frequent occurrences. Francis believes Charles only likes women, but Francis will do it if he is drunk. Richard assumes that Francis might be in love with Charles, but these feelings are unreciprocated. Charles always pretends he was too drunk to remember anything from the night before, and after Charles interrupted them, they left to have sex with each other instead.

Are Francis and Richard in love?
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Are Francis and Richard in love?

Richard Papen, a heterosexual man, and Francis, a Greek Class member, form a close friendship at Hampden College. Richard initially rejects Francis’ advances during a boat ride, but they both laugh about it. After Bunny’s murder, Francis visits Richard in his dorm room, and they kiss, despite Richard’s protests. Richard later clarifies that he is not attracted to Francis, and Francis agrees, stating that he needed Richard for comfort.

After leaving Hampden, the two maintain sporadic contact. Francis sends Richard a suicide note, and Richard visits his old friend in the hospital. Charles Macaulay, another Greek Class member, and Francis have sex a few times during their time together, but they are not frequent occurrences. Francis believes Charles only likes women, but Francis will do it if he is drunk. Richard assumes that Francis might be in love with Charles, but these feelings are unreciprocated. Charles always pretends he was too drunk to remember anything from the night before, and after Charles interrupted them, they left to have sex with each other instead.

Is there LGBT in the secret history?
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Is there LGBT in the secret history?

The novel follows Richard, a transfer student at Hampden College in Vermont, as he falls in love with a group of students studying classics. The group, including Henry, Camilla, Charles, Francis, and Bunny, are all rich and smart, except for Bunny. Their enigmatic professor, Julian, teaches with a romanticism. Richard joins the group, but his new friends have a sinister lilt. The others, excluding Bunny, perform Dionysian rituals inspired by their Greek fascinations.

One night, they kill a man and find the body of an innocent farmer dead, without memory of the murder. They try to cover up the incident, fearing Bunny would blab. Henry takes Bunny on a trip to Rome, but Bunny learns of the incident and decides to kill him. On a spring day, they push him off a cliff.

Can a 14 year old read If We Were Villains?
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Can a 14 year old read If We Were Villains?

If We Were Villains is a mature, mystery novel that is suitable for older teens, focusing on acting students at an arts conservatory studying Shakespeare’s works. The novel is not suspenseful or fast-paced, but its thoughtful writing style keeps readers interested. The story is never clear, and the numerous possibilities make it difficult to predict the outcome. The characters often speak in Shakespearean quotations, and scenes are set during their performances of Shakespeare’s plays.

A deep understanding of Shakespeare is essential for the novel’s enjoyment. The novel is more enjoyable for those with experience in the theatre world and can relate to the dynamics of theatre students. The novel’s references to type casting, off-book days, and cooky acting teachers may go underappreciated by those unfamiliar with the world behind the curtain. However, if one is familiar with these aspects, the reading experience is made more enjoyable. If one is a theatre person, If We Were Villains is a wonderful book.

Can a 14 year old read if we were villains?
(Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Can a 14 year old read if we were villains?

If We Were Villains is a mature, mystery novel that is suitable for older teens, focusing on acting students at an arts conservatory studying Shakespeare’s works. The novel is not suspenseful or fast-paced, but its thoughtful writing style keeps readers interested. The story is never clear, and the numerous possibilities make it difficult to predict the outcome. The characters often speak in Shakespearean quotations, and scenes are set during their performances of Shakespeare’s plays.

A deep understanding of Shakespeare is essential for the novel’s enjoyment. The novel is more enjoyable for those with experience in the theatre world and can relate to the dynamics of theatre students. The novel’s references to type casting, off-book days, and cooky acting teachers may go underappreciated by those unfamiliar with the world behind the curtain. However, if one is familiar with these aspects, the reading experience is made more enjoyable. If one is a theatre person, If We Were Villains is a wonderful book.

Who was Richard Papen in love with?
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Who was Richard Papen in love with?

The novel revolves around Richard Papen, a self-conscious lower-middle-class student who desires a sophisticated life. He tries to appear more privileged and is desperate to be accepted into the ancient Greek class. Richard is drawn to the beautiful and romantic, often overlooking appearances. He is in love with Camilla and Francis.

Henry Winter, a wealthy and proficient individual, impresses Richard with his intellect and often idolizes him. He lives in ancient cultures more than the modern world and is manipulative. Bunny, a subpar student from Connecticut, is a subpar student who pretends to have money but relies on his wealthy friends like Henry and Francis to support his lavish lifestyle. Bunny is skilled at homing in on someone’s deepest insecurity and uses this ability against his friends as they crumble under the stress of murdering a farmer.

Bunny is known for being gluttonous, hypocritical, and intolerant towards people of varying sexualities and religions. The novel explores the themes of class, class, and identity in the lives of these characters.


📹 The Secret History by Donna Tartt Explained

What were Henry’s last words to Camilla? Who is Julian Morrow? Where’s Julian now? What does Richard’s dream at the end …


Does Richard Papen Participate In The Rites Of Bacchic
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15 comments

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  • Also I don’t think Camilla’s flaw was narcissism. She was leading people on as a form of holding control over them, which didn’t come from a place to progress dispite of others but to create a form of safety. Especially because she wasn’t safe with Charles she had learned a way to survive without letting the other on of her dancing around. Narcissism in itself is more a problem of unable to connect with yourself and others.

  • Interesting ideas! I will say that only Richard was in his first year at Hampden; the rest of the group were at least in their second years. For example, it’s confirmed that Henry and Bunny were roommates when they were freshmen, but over the course of the novel, they aren’t rooming together, so they’re at least sophomores when the story takes place. Therefore I don’t think Henry is necessarily lying about his “old” friendship with Bunny—but Henry certainly lies about other things!

  • I finished reading “The Secret History” about a month ago, but I can’t help thinking about it on a daily basis. It is a truly compelling story that deserves to be called a masterpiece of our time. I spend a lot of time on the Internet searching for everything connected to the tsh, from Pinterest pictures to YouTube playlists (I’m really obsessed with it now; “I am nothing in my soul if not obsessive”), and I’m really glad I have found your website!!! (Btw, I’ve already subscribed.) This article is what I desperately need right now! I feel like I have dived into this atmosphere of classics and dark academia again, and I fully enjoy this feeling. (Btw, the part when you ran out of stock article and started playing was effortlessly funny, sorry.) Thank you for defending Richard as a good narrator (to me, he is the most human of them all; sorry, I love Richard Papen). Thank you for the clear explanation of the ending of the story; it changed my view of it. I like the idea of reincarnation, and I think that it’s relevant here considering the fact that the characters are obsessed with all these “profound Greek ideas.” As for Henry’s last words to Camilla, Thank you. Now I won’t sleep. I can’t describe this feeling; I just can’t live as I did before. It definitely was “wait for me”… I liked the analysis of Camilla’s personality because she seemed to me to be the most mysterious character of all. It might sound silly, but I got goosebumps when I heard all her phrases again. Anyway, I think I’ve written too much already, haha, so I need to finish.

  • Your version of what Henry whispered to Camilla is so elegant and well-argued, it deserves all possible appreciations. And Protagoras vs Socrates, this was great. Thank you for your work! But with that German guy in Rome, it may be just an allusion to ‘Death in Venice’ by Thomas Mann. It looks like Tartt borrowed a couple of minor tropes and motifs from this book, including the name of the hotel Excelsior. This homage is not necessarily meaningful for the plot of the novel. Just some postmodern intertextual literary play.

  • Such a wonderful analysis, I’ve enjoyed it immensely. Throughout the novel, I never paid much attention to the characters (mostly fangirling over them). However, I have always been drawn to Julian, he gave me such an impression that there is more than what it meets the eye. Also, the way he “prepare” young people to lead really was a fascinating thing. Anyway, again, beautiful analysis keep up.

  • I think your analysis of the themes throughout the novel is excellent, particularly examining the truth/lies of the Greek class. I particularly like the attention paid to the fact that they’re not as intelligent as they believe, but are rather caught up in their superiority and exclusivity complexes. However, I don’t find your position that Julian wrote the note from Bunny to be particularly compelling – what would be his reason for doing so? It’s a way to read the inclusion of the German in Rome which I hadn’t considered before, but I simply can’t see the fallout from that note aligning with Julian’s prior knowledge, unless you’re positing that this is an aspect of his ‘Master of Illusions’ role? Either way, this is a great essay!! I really enjoyed perusal 🙂

  • About “old friends” sentiment: as far as I can remember, they went to the same middle school, and Henry helped Bunny out quite a bit seeing that his parents barely gave him any money. The only one who contradicts this story is Bunny’s father, but then again, at the time he’s upset and mixes his children up, putting Henry into a story about some friend of his other son. All I’m saying is that his memory is blurry at best

  • Fascinating. Are you familiar with Samuel Croxall’s 1755 “The Secret History of Pythagoras: Translated from the Original Copy Lately Found at Otranto in Italy. by J. W. M.D. the Second Edition?” I am not claiming to have read this or to know much, but I find it interesting, considering your Julian/Pythagoras theory, that such a text exists with “The Secret History” in its title. Of course Tartt herself does not mention this but does mention the Procopius Secret History in the Adams lecture you quote from several times. At any rate, all mega intriguing. Oh, and to strengthen Julian’s test/writing of Bunny’s note, he had a scheduled meeting with Henry. This would be his test. Francis and Richard just bungled their way into the circumstance.

  • Wow I didn’t think about it but after perusal the article I’m 100% sure that Bunny note is fake. I agree that it can’t be Charles or Richard (because otherwise he is too unreliable narrator),obviously not Henry or Francis. I dont know why Camilla would do that so Julian seems to be the most likely one. I found it really suspicious that Julian, who obviously likes playing cards close to his chest, had a strange foolish reaction to the letter like: Hey I got Bunny’s letter! Must be a fake!

  • I don’t think they really “got away with murder.” They were all extremely miserable people—before, yes, but especially after the murder. And I don’t think Henry’s su*cide was “triumphant,” I think he thought it was and wanted it to be, but Richard himself said he thinks they all could’ve gotten away with it all but that Henry’s decision to k*ll himself came from a place of wanting to prove something to Julian & probably to Camilla and himself.

  • Great article up till the end. I love how all this post modern interruption fall into the gutter time and time again. The wheels were already off the bus pre letter. I’m only on my first reading but I tend to Agree with you about Julian or what he “represents” as being the letters author, but I also see his hand in a lot of other places throughout the book. The letter was not a test but a final notice in my interpretation. In Greek culture, as in almost all culture killing one of your own kin is frowned upon, especially one of your own kin who is innocent. The abrupt unusual change in the weather is very symbolic here. Anyway who are the middle management and who are elite on this farm? And who would want to run a farm anyway under such circumstances….

  • Julian says Bunny was his student for nearly four years ( 1:26:13 in the article) that means Bunny and Henry know each other at least for four years, becaulse Bunnys father says Edmund changed classes becaulse of Henry. I think Bunny went to Hampden to study something like modern literarure and changed just like Richard did. This means Bunny and Henry are at their fourth year. I think the others are not that ahead. Maybe one year below them, does’t really matter. What matters is that the others met Henry and Bunny as a pair of friends, that’s why Camilla calls them “old friends”. If the friend group formed, and the members met each other roughly at the same time she would have said somthing like “we are all old pals” or simthing like that, but she said specificly Henry and Bunny known each other for quite some time, that implies that the two were already friends when Camilla first met them. I think this is makes sens also becaulse if the gang formed not on specific time, but slowly over the years (meaning they are not all at their fourth year, only Bunny and Henry) it makes a little more sens why are they at least somewhat trying to get Richard into the gang. This last part is just my feeling, it makes more sens to me.

  • When I read it, I thought that it was Richard who wrote that note, for the same reasons as Charles. And I had feeling that if Henry had denied everything and come up with a good lie, then Julian would have pretended to believe him, that nothing had happened and would have just destroyed the note, and that Richard would have done it better than Henry. But I like your theory about Julian as the author.

  • I’ve never understood the term unreliable narrator except in very specific instances, because isn’t everyone and therefore all characters biased and flawed? by that logic every single book told in first person would have an unreliable narrator. I like what you say about trusting what Richard says, but not necessarily his interpretation of it. besides, what reason would Richard have to lie?

  • I feel like one of the main flaws in modern literary analysis is the tendency to say that any protagonist which we find morally reprehensible is inherently an unreliable narrator. Unless there are clear inconsistencies in the world they’re describing, there is no reason to say that a character is an unreliable narrator. Even then, those inconsistencies could often be explained through errors made by the author themself. Even someone like Patrick Bateman isn’t inherently an unreliable narrator, although that is a reasonable interpretation of the text. If you go in assuming that he is an unreliable narrator then, for your own experience, he will be. In that case, you will be left with the job of deciding what is true and what is false. On the other hand, you could simply believe everything that he tells you. A far more ridiculous example is the narrator in “The Tell-Tale Heart”. The narrator opens by very clearly stating that he killed his housemate, and makes no effort to deny his guilt. Instead, he spends his time arguing for his sanity. To assume that he’s mad is to completely disregard the point of the text, which is to listen to his explanation. To further assume that he is unreliable is to completely devalue the events which he is describing. It’s simply an undesirable choice to assume that someone is an unreliable narrator rather than to either a) assume that they’re telling the truth or b) to analyze the text for inconsistencies in narration and base your interpretation on that

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