The Tragedy of Romanticizing: The Secret History

The Tragedy of Romanticizing: The Secret History

I plan to examine the idea of “romance” in the book The Secret History. I further plan to explore and argue how each of the characters depict a different form of unhealthy love and how these obsessions capture a romantic image of life they want but, however, will always end in tragedy. In The Secret History, Richard is obsessed with this Classics group of friends when he first enters Hampden College. This leads him down a path that leaves him alone with a history of being involved in murder, suicide, and tons of lying, all of which he refuses to turn around and leave from. However, he is not the only character that consistently battles unhealthy obsessions that jeopardize their lives. I’ll start by exploring the characteristics and traits associated with romance and how it either translates or contrasts against the main characters and how it affects the outcomes of the story. I’ll pay close attention to the relationship between the characters and others (in particular the people they are most close with) as well as their vices for when they are stressed or depressed due to their desire for obtaining this which they love. By the end, we will understand the motivations of each of the main characters and how their endings complement their lives, as well as the takeaway being how romanticizing life can tend to bring disappointment and it is always important to value and ground yourself in the reality you are surrounded by. I will have to do further research in scholarly articles that support this thesis.