Romanticizing Exeter: The Secret History
By KAYLEE GONG ‘28 and ELLINA KIM ‘28
Every Exonian remembers the day they received their admittance into Exeter: sitting at the kitchen counter, reaching to press the VIEW APPLICATION STATUS button with trembling hands, already picturing themselves in picturesque New England. Then, the confetti on the screen, the long letter from the Dean of Admissions, the hugs and smiles. You picture yourself dressed in a collared shirt sitting in a lawn chair, notebook and pen in hand, at a prestigious East Coast boarding school.
In “The Secret History,” a psychological thriller by Donna Tartt, the main character, Richard Papen, experiences the exact same moment, but instead of Phillips Exeter Academy, it is one of Tartt’s most iconic settings: Hampden College. The book follows six college school students as they privately study the classics, and it rings eerily similar to the lifestyle and setting at Exeter. Throughout the novel, Richard struggles with integrating into the college community, specifically a group of classics majors full of elitist mindsets and pretentiousness. As he fights with a brilliantly written confliction over the destructive power of secrets, the crushing nature of guilt, and the criticism of romanticizing a person or a place, many Exonians can’t help but to feel connected to the captivating story of romanticization of academia through their own experiences.
For many Exonians, we spent our middle school years, or perhaps for some of us, our entire lives, building up an impression of Exeter and becoming the type of person we believed Exeter would accept. We viewed Exeter as a prize, as an opportunity, and as a privilege. Our perception of Exeter mirrors Richard’s view of Hampden College: an illusion of romanticizing higher education. Just like Richard, we fall into the trap of being blinded by the appearance of Exeter. Most Exonians barely know what to expect upon arrival, besides the flashiness of Exeter and the aesthetic academia New Hampshire setting derived from pop culture like “Gilmore Girls.”
However, Tartt, through “The Secret History,” critiques this fake facade that elite institutions and the disillusioned students lead. Richard’s initial reaction towards his discovery of Hampden College really encapsulates this romanticized perspective: “Hampden College, Hampden, Vermont. Even the name had an austere Anglican cadence… It was suffused with a weak, academic light — different from Plano, [Richard’s hometown in California], different from anything I had ever known — a light that made me think of long hours in dusty libraries, and old books, and silence” (Tartt 12).
Richard later reflects, “It was months before the gloss and mystery of newness, which kept me from seeing them with much objectivity, would wear entirely off” (79). Thankfully, by the end of the book, Richard unveils the lies and far-from-perfect lifestyle of his teacher, who had been painted in a god-like way throughout the book. “It has always been hard for me to talk about Julian without romanticizing him… I think that is because Julian himself was constantly in the process of reinventing the people and events around him, conferring kindness, or wisdom, or bravery, or charm, on actions which contained nothing of the sort” (510).
In a way, we reinvent ourselves for Exeter, and Exeter reinvents itself for us. Before attending the school, we create a beautiful image of it in our minds, while also molding ourselves into an Exeter-appealing student. We conform to the stereotypical ideals: join every club, play every sport, keep our report cards spotless so that we can become a student at this seemingly perfect school.
But upon arrival, reality hits. Exeter isn’t always fun; Harkness isn’t always the best way to learn, and that boarding school we saw on a brochure isn’t that perfect school. In fact, an ideal school doesn’t exist; we just lie to ourselves and think that one does. Realizing that maybe Exeter isn’t all we imagined it to be is a hard truth, and it’s a reality that every Exonian, originally lured in by the pretty idea of it, eventually has to face.
Through the entrancing imagery of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History and from the devastating ending, the realization over the illusionment and superiority of elite education comes to fruition. Whether it’s the lies behind Richard’s friends or the rawness behind the pretentious name of Phillips Exeter Academy, there is always a deeper and darker truth behind everything in life. Whether or not we come to face this or continue to live in our fantasies, Tartt masterfully captures the devastating effects of disillusionment.
Despite the real Exeter being different from the one you see online, there is no denying that Exeter is a place that will push you to be the absolute best you can be. Even if we do act a little pretentious along the way, our years at Exeter will forever change us as scholars, as friends, and most importantly, as people.