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Situational Irony
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
The style of Donna Tartt's The Secret History is academic and contemplative, following a group of intellectually stimulated college students as they attempt to cover up two separate murders. A defining characteristic of Tartt's writing is her use of classical and literary allusions, which span from Ancient Greek history to the Kennedys. By infusing her writing and descriptions with allusions, Tartt highlights the intellectual superiority that her characters feel over others. With an academic undertone, the story feels more elevated than a typical murder mystery novel.
Tartt writes the novel in first person from Richard's point of view. As the only outsider in the novel, Richard is able to mirror the reader's confusion towards the students' behavior and unfamiliarity with Hampden College. The reader learns alongside Richard about the farmer's murder and the incest between Charles and Camilla.
However, the dynamic is made even more interesting by the frame story within the story, whereby present-day Richard already knows everything that will occur. A key element of Tartt's style in this novel is her decision to reveal Bunny's murder and the students responsible in the prologue. This injects an added layer of mystery into the novel, putting the focus of the mystery on the motive rather than the perpetrator.
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