The Secret History by Donna Tart has been one of my favorite books since I read it. Here is a small analysis :)
On Bunny and Food
Something I've noticed while reading and rereading The Secret History is that Bunny is Richard's antithesis in many aspects, but especially when it comes to food.
One of the first scenes with Bunny that exposes an underlying tension in his dynamics within the Greek Class is when he "takes" Richard out for lunch. Here, in this upscale, fancy restaurant, Bunny orders an egregious amount of food and insults the waiter heavily (something Richard picks up on with discomfort), and proceeds to gorge himself on food and drinks until the sun goes down. When it's time to pay, however, he makes a show of patting his pockets and declares that he must have forgotten his wallet. Richard, who is drunk as a skunk and a little gullible, takes him at his word and appropriately freaks out. Eventually, Bunny calls Henry, who pays for the meal stonily and takes them home. After they drop Bunny off, he reveals that this is a nasty habit of Bunny's - living on someone else's dime. While at first, Bunny seemed to be the most welcoming of the group, back at the library, during their first encounter alone he reveals an incredibly annoying and integral part of his character: Bunny is a fucking dickhead.
The first Sunday dinner with the twins that Richard attends likewise has Bunny behaving... like Bunny. He's grabbing at lamb fresh out of the oven, he's making dumb jokes, and he's stealing food off of Richard's plate. The part that upsets Richard, however, is not the stolen food - he doesn't have an appetite, especially not for meat, after seeing Francis and Camilla kiss. What upsets Richard is that he feels ostracized. Here, at this intimate dinner, it's clear who's "in" the group, and who isn't. Bunny, despite being a dickhead, fits in. These are his friends, and Richard is an outsider. And Richard's food is being eaten by Bunny as he talks, and makes jokes, and laughs, and pokes fun, and interact with the group in a way Richard can only dream of. Bunny's taking Richard's food, and with it, he's taking the olive branch the twins extended away, bite by bite. Even if Richard wanted to join in, play along - he can't. They're all eating, and Richard's plate is empty. In literature, "breaking bread" is an incredibly important event. This is often the setting in which characters allow themselves to be vulnerable, to be accepted into the care of the host, to dismantle the barrier that separates people, friends, enemies, by consuming the same food and drink in their company. Richard fails this event spectacularly, and Bunny only expedites it.
Bunny's grilled cheese and milkshake. This is, I believe, what really made Henry think "I need to kill this guy". The whole group is fasting for three days in preparation for another attempt at a Bacchanal, and he's caught eating a grilled cheese. Given how important this is to the rest of the Greek Class, I'm sure you can imagine the disrespect Henry felt. He is thus excluded from the Bacchanal. Richard, throughout the book, never really eats a whole lot. There are a few scenes here and there in which he eats like a normal person, but between those scenes, he picks at things. He has some fruit, and a lot of coffee. He often goes to bed without dinner, and wakes up too late for breakfast. This is the complete opposite of Bunny. Another thing to note: Bunny is the only character who is ever noticed to gain weight. Where that is relevant, I'm not sure yet, but it's there... I can feel it... it's supporting my thesis I swear (I do not have a thesis. YET.)
And there's more!!!! There's more I promise! But that is all I have the mental capacity for at this moment.
Peace and Love,
- Ven
