"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. So many things remain with me from that time, even now: those preferences in clothes and books and even food- acquired then, and largely, I must admit, in adolescent emulation of the rest of the Greek class- have stayed with me through the years. It is easy, even now, for me to remember what their daily routines, which subsequently became my own, were like. Regardless of circumstance they lived like clockwork, with surprisingly little of that chaos which to me had always seemed so inherent a part of college life- irregular diet and work habits, trips to the Laundromat at one a.m...Rather in the way that the Roman Empire continued in a certain fashion to run itself even when there was no one left to run it and the reason behind it was entirely gone, much of this routine remained intact even during the terrible days after Bunny's death. Up until very end there was always, always, a Sunday-night dinner at Charles and Camilla's, except on the evening of the murder itself, when no one felt much like eating and it was postponed until Monday." (Tartt, 84)
This particular passage disturbed me for some strange reason. Though it was true, I felt that Richard's talk about when a person builds character is all wrong. There comes a point when people do find themselves, and that is how they live for the rest of their lives. However, I didn't want it to be during this period of his life that Richard finds himself. These people are fixed on a schedule, but they lead lives that I wouldn't want to lead if I were him. They remind me of stuck-up people who distance themselves from the rest of the world. It is a pity that Richard became addicted to this living style too, and I feel sorrow to know that he was drawn into it.
Most people have a faint remembrance of their daily routines, but they have affected him so much that he follows them and remembers them profoundly. I know that it is a part of Richard's character to envy other people, but to know that they've influenced him so much is bothersome. If people can change the books you read and the clothes that you wear, they have a hold on you that needs to be released. However, instead of keeping his independence and his friends, Richard blends in with them.
I was also bothered by the fact that even after Bunny's death the group maintained their daily routines. I was unsure of the underlying reason for why they did this. Every possible suggestion for their actions was refuted with a logical answer. At first I believed they did this because they didn't want to seem suspicious. Even though they are anti-social, that makes them even more noticeable. For that reason, I thought it critical for them to continue their daily routines and be wary. However, once the body of Bunny was found, why didn't they stop? They wouldn't need to hide anymore and people would expect them to act strangely. If my best friend were murdered I wouldn't continue with my jolly routines because it would affect me. So I concluded that they couldn't possibly be doing it because they wanted to remain inconspicuous.
My second assumption was that they just wanted to pretend like none of that stuff had happend. I thought that they wanted to continue with their daily lives and look past it because it hurt too much. But none of the textual evidence states the sort. My third and final assumption was that they didn't care. DING DING DING. I don't feel like they care or show the slightest bit of remorse to their actions. It is possible that they do feel remorse, and I won't know until later in the novel. Regardless, the text says it all. Richard says that they postponed their Sunday night dinner to Monday only because it was the night of the murder and no one felt like eating. I sense sarcasm in his words, but also a dose of alarming reality. Their daily routines won't get interrupted, even by death? What kind of book am I reading?
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