bunny’s father’s reaction to his death made me so sad. “‘Gone,’ he wailed, looking me straight in the eye. ‘My baby.’”

Thinking about this.

it's a male character from a work of english literature ain't it

I feel genuinely sorry for the Richards who enjoy Dark Academia bc all the most important characters in DA are named Richard and all of them are a POS

I am on the verge of realizing Henry and Bunny's relationship as more than friends. And if this is not a theory as what I always blindly thought of, by god, this will break me. To know that it ended like that after all those years.

in the epilogue of the secret history we're told that after bunny died, she married his brother and had a daughter named mary katherine, nicknamed bunny, with him and in the goldfinch theo learns that his childhood foster sister kitsey, full name katherine, is named after a dead aunt that has died the same way her father and brother would perish. oh to be a woman named katherine in a donna tartt novel.

Whenever I see people use Tom Ripley from the 97' movie as a face claim for Bunny, I think it's hilarious cause while it is true and a good choice, Tom's personality in the movie is far closer to Richard in terms of being more soft spoken and insecure (with Henry's murderous tendencies). Like if Bunny and Tom met, Bunny would absolutely bully the shit out of him.

Meet my pets!

Meet Baxter (left) and Milo (right)!

Baxter is a 6 year old black lab who is sadly the only surviving one of his siblings from what we have heard, the vet was fairly positive it was parvo, unfortunately he came from bad breeders but we are thankful we were able to get him the care he needed. He is a little over weight and extremely unhappy with his diet.

Milo is a 1 and half year old "mutt" he was part of an oops litter from someone who breeds Golden Retrievers apparently so they were just rehoming the puppies for free, he unfortunately does have some birth defects, one being a weak bladder that he is now on medication for (those were fun vet visits with one vet claiming we just don't know how to potty train a dog) and we think he might have some mental stuff going on too, nothing major, just some funny little quirks that just make him extra lovable, like jumping up onto furniture sideways and sideways kisses (makes them extra sloppy and not the most pleasant experience but I wouldn't trade it for anything)

This is Imelda, a normal western hognose snake! She is my first ever snake/reptile! After a weird chain of video recommendations (somehow ended up from blacksmithing videos, which had been an interest at one point, to Ants Canada, to tarantulas and then to reptiles) I ended up learning about her species right before the pandemic and spent the lockdown learning everything I could about them and I ended up getting her in the fall of 2020 after absolutely falling in love with her picture online.

This is Corcoran! He is a Lavender morph Western Hognose! I got him in the summer of 2021, because it's true after you get one snake/reptile you're gonna want more!

This is Mr. Wilson, a Bearded Dragon of unknown age and origins, he was rehomed to.me through a friend who knew the people who were briefly taking care of him and then went to rehome him, she had informed me of this because she knew that I had a little experience with reptiles and that someone who shouldn't have pets at all was also wanting him. Was quite surprised to find out he was in good health since I didn't have much information about him before hand.

This is Cookie (Dough) my first ever Guinea pig, she has a sad story, her original owners decided they didn't want guinea pigs anymore and decided that rehoming them was too much of a hassle and released them outside. In minnesota. Their friend went and was able to catch her, but sadly not the other one. Life happens, and she had to be rehomed again and through some miscommunication with a friend's coworker (they thought she could take her) she is now with me. She's very outgoing and not afraid of being out and about, still don't quite trust me for handling, but I can safely pick her up to move her when need be.

And last but not least is Angel (Food), I got her at a locally owned pet shop that also takes in surrenders to rehome, I got her in the hopes to bond with Cookie but it's still a work in progress and Im not sure if Cookie will want anything to do with her. She is extremely shy and isn't comfortable with being out when I'm in the room, I have to use a soft hide/pouch to move her safely since she will bite and has gotten lose a couple of time on me. Cookie and Angel are kept in a secure room that the dogs do not have access to for their safety.

And that's my weird amalgamation of a pet family.

practically every character in The Secret History played a role of someone that they were not.

richard and bunny played themselves as rich, when in fact they were poor.

charles and camilla played themselves as pure, when in fact they were weaved with immorality.

francis played himself as cool, when in fact he was an anxious mess.

henry played himself as intellectual, when in fact he was blinded by his own stupidity, wealth, and ego.

julian played himself as a father figure, aiding to the care and minds of the Greek students, when in fact he was conniving and egocentric, swept away by his own gain, unlike a true father.

mrs corcoran played herself as a victim and sorrowful mother of a lost child, when in fact she only cared about her own appearance in front of the camera.

hell, even dr roland played himself as a psychologically-forward man, deep in intellect, when in fact he was nearing dementia and a complete gobble of a man.

i mean, gosh, this theme plays out so grandly. putting up a front and hiding your real self. whether for gain or by self consciousness.

Despite the biblical allusions absolutely LITTERED throughout The Secret History, as far as I can tell, the actual devil is brought up only three times throughout the whole book.

Every time, it's in reference to Henry.

The first time is when Richard is talking to that girl at a party and brings up the greek class. She tells him she heard that they "worship the fucking devil." Who's in the greek class? Henry.

The second time is at the lake just before Camilla cuts open her foot. Henry is described as "Satan, listening to the wild ravings of a desert prophet."

The last time is when Mr. Corcoran (?) says "speak of the Devil" in reference to Henry entering a room. This phrase is used no where else in the entire book.

This is coupled with the fact that Donna Tartt went out of her way to have Richard state "the Greeks have no devil." They do. It's Henry.

Horrible and Awful

(At the dinner table)

Bunny: Daddy can you pass the salt

Henry and Mr. Corcoran reaching for the salt shaker:

Mr. Corcoran: Haha Henry. You are banging my son.

I don't think I've seen people talk about this, but it bothers me.

In "Leave It to Jeeves", Jeeves talks of his former employer:

“I wonder if I have ever happened to mention to you, sir, a Mr. Digby Thistleton, with whom I was once in service? Perhaps you have met him? He was a financier. He is now Lord Bridgnorth. It was a favourite saying of his that there is always a way. The first time I heard him use the expression was after the failure of a patent depilatory which he promoted. (...) His depilatory failed, but he did not despair. He put it on the market again under the name of Hair-o, guaranteed to produce a full crop of hair in a few months. It was advertised, if you remember, sir, by a humorous picture of a billiard-ball, before and after taking, and made such a substantial fortune that Mr. Thistleton was soon afterwards elevated to the peerage for services to his Party. It seems to me that, if Mr. Corcoran looks into the matter, he will find, like Mr. Thistleton, that there is always a way.

In "Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg," he likewise mentions him:

“It was a maxim of one of my former employers, sir⁠—as I believe I mentioned to you once before⁠—the present Lord Bridgnorth, that there is always a way. I remember his lordship using the expression on the occasion⁠—he was then a business gentleman and had not yet received his title⁠—when a patent hair-restorer which he chanced to be promoting failed to attract the public. He put it on the market under another name as a depilatory, and amassed a substantial fortune. I have generally found his lordship’s aphorism based on sound foundations.

Doylistically, I think this is Wodehouse reusing his bits and tripping up, or maybe making a little in-joke for the readers who know and remember his previous stories. But watsonianly, what is happening here? Lord Bridgnorth couldn't possibly have made a depilatory that failed, rebranded it as Hair-O, amassed a fortune and a title, then made a hair restorer despite already having a successful hair restorer product, and after its failure rebranded it as a depilatory, right?

Is Jeeves misremembering? Inventing his anecdotes? Lying? And for what?

Francis the Carrot Top

In chpt. 7 Francis and Richard arrive to Shady Brook for funeral and meet Mr Corcoran:

This scene shows that, unlike his friends, Francis was quite fond of Mr Corcoran, and vice versa. But why exactly Carrot Top? Not that it was an uncommon tease, it still sounds peculiar.

There's a wordplay, of course: Bunny was gnawing on Carrot, so Carrot killed Bunny — prey becomes the hunter, if we can think of rabbits and vegetables in that fashion.

And another possible wordplay. There's an idiom 'carrot and stick', in which carrot means a reward, something that is used to tempt/seduce — Francis is a seducer.

That's it, unless "Carrot Top" stands for something more particular.

I think, it might imply a classic French story about miserable childhood "Poil de Carotte" (1894) by Jules Renard, translated as "Carrot Top" in English.

[pic source: pinterest]

This assumption is based on a specific set of features, which belong to the main character. In short, it goes like this:

A boy François, called Carrot Top because of his red hair, has an extremely problematic relationship with his mother, living under pressure and suffering humiliation from his milieu in the French country. He's sometimes ironic, sometimes a bit cruel, and chronically unloved. Life seems bitter, and young François desires love and recognition.

Name, appearance, experience and personality — all that sound too familiar in the context of TSH. Even an attempt of suicide in water is present here, though in a different way. And the author, Jules Renard, looks right in his place among other references to the Victorian era and Fin de siècle.

If a nickname "Carrot Top" in TSH actually relates to that French book, at least as to a source of inspiration, it might add a dramatic undertone to the background of Francis Abernathy.

In many respects Francis appears to be not that spoiled as it was depicted initially. His alcoholic mother was shown at once neglecting and controlling. And with such a childhood even Mr Corcoran would give the impression of exemplary father figure, evoking "depth and warmth".

Or it can be just another grain of sand on the shores of Metahemeralism.

also think everybody needs to go back and read this passage again

“She’s from Hell,” Charles said drunkenly. “Oh, she’s not that bad,” said Francis. “You just say that because she kisses up to you all the time,” Charles said. “Because of your mother and stuff.” “Kiss up? What are you talking about? Mrs. Corcoran doesn’t kiss up to me.” “She’s awful,” Charles said. “It’s a horrible thing to tell your kids that money’s the only thing in the world, but it’s a disgrace to work for it. Then toss ’em out without a penny. She never gave Bunny one red—” “That’s Mr. Corcoran’s fault, too,” said Camilla. “Well, yeah, maybe. I don’t know. I just never met such a bunch of greedy, shallow people. You look at them and think, oh, what a tasteful, attractive family but they’re just a bunch of zeros, like something from an ad. They’ve got this room in their house,” Charles said, turning to me, “called the Gucci Room.” “What?” “Well, they painted it with a dado, sort of, those awful Gucci stripes. It was in all kinds of magazines. House Beautiful had it in some ridiculous article they did on Whimsy in Decorating or some absurd idea—you know, where they tell you to paint a giant lobster or something on your bedroom ceiling and it’s supposed to be very witty and attractive.” He lit a cigarette. “I mean, that’s exactly the kind of people they are,” he said. “All surface. Bunny was the best of them by a long shot but even he—” “I hate Gucci,” said Francis. “Do you?” said Henry, glancing up from his reverie. “Really? I think it’s rather grand.” “Come on, Henry.” “Well, it’s so expensive, but it’s so ugly too, isn’t it? I think they make it ugly on purpose. And yet people buy it out of sheer perversity.” “I don’t see what you think is grand about that.” “Anything is grand if it’s done on a large enough scale,” said Henry.

Charles mourning how much his dead friend was fucked up by his family’s shallow, loveless treatment of him and their obsession with consumerism, and Francis and Henry interrupting to have their own vapid conversation totally exhibiting the behavior he was condemning, with no self-awareness whatsoever: this is the TSH experience.

marion's girlsplaining moment is trying to fuck charles.... for seemingly no personal end. charles isnt rich. he's a manchild attached to francis, who is close with his siter to the point it's a joke on campus. he's handsome, sure, but so handsome it's worth that sort of humiliation? is she such a simple creature she doesn't understand how this looks, or simply doesn't care? everything when it comes to her actions, richard says he doesn't know. why she'd cling to charles, why she'd call her child after her dead boyfriend, why she wouldn't leave bunny when he's breaking down.

because richard doesn't know her all that terribly well, and context says she outright dislikes him. he just hears bunny call her stupid one time and assumes it's the end all be all, but he stares at her across the playground from the distance, talks his shit, and doesn't understand how can a creature who is apparently stupid be so resilient and bothersome.