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Personification
Definition of Setting
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Setting
Explanation and Analysis:
Donna Tartt's The Secret History takes place in the 1980s. The narrative follows Richard Papen through his first transfer year at Hampden College, a small liberal arts school in upstate Vermont (a fictional school that Tartt based on Bennington College, which she herself attended). Hampden itself is a very small and picturesque New England college town, though it also has some more rundown areas, with which Richard becomes acquainted during the winter. The town is very isolated not just from the rest of Vermont, but also from the country as a whole. This isolation paves the way for the Greek students to participate in Ancient Greek rituals and to cover up two different murders.
The story is framed by the year's seasons. First comes fall with its beautiful foliage and warm colors, which captivate Richard entirely. Then the story shifts to the deadly winter months, where Richard nearly freezes to death in sub-zero temperatures. Finally, spring arrives, but the season of rebirth quickly becomes defined by death with Bunny's murder.
There are also several locations in Hampden College that become integral to the story: the Lyceum, where Julian teaches; Monmouth House, where Richard lives; and Francis's country house, where the group often meets on weekends. Each of these places plays a part in the successful plan to cover the students' tracks and murder Bunny.
Related Themes:
