Though Henry Winter is not the sole focus of this captivating story, other players such as Bunny Corcoran play just as large a role as he does, even if not in the same way.
Even in Richard’s initial sighting of the boy he laments “he might have been handsome had his features been less set, or his eyes, behind glasses, less expressionless and blank.” Through just her minimal descriptions Tartt cleverly alludes to the oddities of Henry’s personality. On paper, Henry Winter is the dream man: intelligent, good mannered, respectful, well-dressed- but in reality there is a strangely disquieting quality about him. Tartt impossibly writes Henry as a character one can’t help but be enthralled by, despite his many less than good-natured actions over the course of the book. Though the book is told from the perspective of Richard, it could easily be argued that the manipulative Henry Winter is actually the main focus of the story. Though this characterization is by no means intended to discredit the skillfully crafted and meticulously planned plot of the novel, only to emphasize the importance of the characters themselves. The novel itself would be, by many, best described as character driven rather than plot driven. In this disturbing modern classic Tartt explores not only the intricate depths of the human mind and it’s ways of coping with guilt, but also the idea of obsession and its one-way path to destruction.
As time goes by and richard is allowed deeper into the world of these peculiar characters (who Richard finds to be much more peculiar than he could have ever imagined) he discovers that the seemingly harmonious nature of their group is all but a farce, and in reality and unsettling discord lies among them. Eventually Richard befriends Bunny (Edmund) Corcoran and uses their budding friendship as a ticket to their secret society-esque clique, and bonds with each of the other students. We first follow Richard through his attempts to integrate into the lives of his new found peers and their cultish group. Of these members, include Julian Morrow- the terrifyingly influential Greek professor with a flare for the dramatic, Henry Winter- the quiet yet wildly intimidating prodigy, Camilla and Charles Macaulay- the timelessly beautiful and abnormally close twins, Francis Abernathy- the ridiculously stylish hypochondriac, and Bunny Corcoran- the doomed trust fund baby with an un-refrained-from habit of condescension. Richard quickly becomes wrapped up with the exclusive Greek program and it’s tightly-knit members. The Secret History by Donna Tartt follows the story of Richard Papen, the ultimate pathetic, male-manipulator who transfers to an isolated New England college.
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