“I suppose there is a certain crucial interval in everyone’s life when character is fixed forever; for me, it was that first fall term I spent at Hampden.” — “The Secret History”
Many young adults consider college a life-changing period, an exciting — yet nerve-racking — transition. For many students, college is their first time living away from home, their first real breath of freedom. College is a blank slate, an opportunity for them to be whoever they wish in an environment that will shape their futures. It is a time when students discover who they want to be, who they already are when they’re on their own. For many, college is the period that fixes character.
“The Secret History” is a novel written by Donna Tartt and published in 1992. The story follows Richard Papen, a rising college junior who transfers to Hampden College, a small liberal arts school in Vermont. After choosing to study classics, Richard is quickly drawn to a close-knit group of fellow students, who he befriends and is soon willing to follow anywhere, despite slowly learning their dark histories.
Tartt first began writing the novel when she studied at Bennington College, also a small private school in Vermont, after transferring from the University of Mississippi. “Schools in the northeast then were very sort of cutting edge and the thing was minimalism, which I had never heard of,” said Tartt in a 1992 interview when describing her experience at Bennington and how it inspired her novel. Tartt, like Papen, studied classics, which influenced her novel.
In “The Secret History,” the classics department is exclusive, as Papen must convince the one professor in the department, Julian Morrow, to accept him. Morrow only does so after Papen agrees to a set of terms, which include taking all his classes, such as ancient Greek, with Morrow. Though Papen originally only plans to take ancient Greek with Morrow, these requirements lead him to commit to the major.
Just as Papen must convince Morrow he belongs in his exclusive department, many college students must prove themselves to be admitted into — rather than Greek class — Greek life. Like the Hampden classics department, rushing for a fraternity or sorority involves a set of steps, and only a select group are admitted. About 8-10% of undergraduate students in the country participate in Greek life, with around 19% of undergrad men and around 11% of undergrad women involved. Within the Greek life population, over 60% of members join for social belonging.
As soon as they arrive at college, students start searching for friends, often finding security in groups. This often leads them to rush for a fraternity or sorority. Though not the only reason people join Greek life, social belonging serves as the most prominent one. Of course, this desire for belonging is not limited to students in Greek life; rather, it can affect any student, especially those who are new and trying to find their places at college.
In “The Secret History,” Papen describes the fellow students he meets in his house. He says, “Friends is perhaps an inaccurate word to use. We ate our meals together, saw each other coming and going, but mainly were thrown together by the fact that none of us knew anybody—a situation which, at the time, did not seem necessarily unpleasant.” Making friends can present a challenge to students, especially those incoming, as distinguishing genuine connections from connections due to shared circumstances can be difficult.
A common misconception is that, in order to fit in at college, one must partake in the stereotypical college social scene. Perhaps the environment of living on campus plays a large role in this; if, on a Friday night, the only students one sees are those going out, it can be hard to remember how many more students instead spend this time alone in their rooms. According to a survey by Active Minds, 64.7% of college students report feeling lonely, with 28.4% reporting feeling isolated from others.
Despite the opportunities college presents to meet new people, building strong friendships can still be quite challenging. Papen demonstrates this idea well; while he convinces himself he has a solid friend group, he spends much of the book reflecting in his room while various “friends” knock on his door with requests, which he feels pressured to entertain.
So, how can students make the most of their time in college? For one, they can stay true to themselves and their values. After all, developing the independence young adults crave requires being comfortable in one’s own skin. Once students can do this, the right friends will come along at the right time. Second, students can maintain control over their own paths. Sure, life always throws curveballs, but the future is still what one makes it, and one has the power to change it — just maybe not if one is trapped in a murder mystery (luckily, though, Hampden College doesn’t exist).
College is a time of self-discovery, and while environment may influence students, it does not define them. Whether one is in the mysterious, lush green forests of Vermont or anywhere else, the journey is up to oneself. One must carve their own path, and one must be confident in it. One is in charge of both their own future and their history.
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