The Secret History: Character Profiles through MBTI -Callie

 The Secret History: Character Profiles through MBTI 

The Secret History is a novel by Donna Tartt published in 1992. It has gained a reputation on social media for representing the “Dark Academia” aesthetic. The books itself is a murder drama focusing on six classics students at a university in New England. These six students each have distinct personalities and faults that become apparent as the plot unfolds. In this blog post, I will create a short synopsis of each character using the 16 personalities as a guide. 

*spoiler free post*

MBTI background:

For those who are unaware, the 16 personality types are four letters representing one’s cognitive function stack. The concept is a little tricky to understand so I will link resources if you are wanting to learn more about the details. But basically, someone’s personality type is an indicator of how they view and interact with the world. 

https://mbti-notes.tumblr.com/theory  

https://www.wellandgood.com/what-are-mbti-functions/  

https://personalityjunkie.com/functions-ni-ti-fi-si-ne-te-fe-se/ 

 

The Secret History Characters:

Richard Papen, INTP- Richard Papen is the main character and unreliable narrator of the novel. INTPs are known for their “logical” decisions. I put “logical” in quotes because this logic is all dependent on their personal principle. Richard often evaluates things according to his principles. He excuses his friends' crimes and terrible actions because he values their friendship so much. INTPs are also known for their ability to interpret situations and this is seen through Richard's constant lying. He lies throughout the novel to gain the trust of those around him. Being the only middle-class member of his group, he is constantly lying about his wealth and background to fit in. A typical weakness of INTPs seen in Richard is absentmindedness. Richard is often thinking about the future or daydreaming. He is so in his head that he fails to notice he is on the verge of death at one point in the novel. 

Henry Winter, INTJ- Henry Winter is a classmate/friend of Richard’s and is regarded by many in the
group as a genius. Henry is the epitome of an INTJ as he is known for his strategy and knowledge. He is essentially the mastermind of the group and always has a backup plan. INTJs are also incredibly determined in both their personal life, careers, and education. This is seen through Henry’s problem-solving skills after accidents and crimes occur. He will do anything within his power to cover up the crime and solve the issue. He is also extremely motivated academically and is taking over 20 classes in one semester. A weakness INTJs are known to suffer from is emotional distancing and Henry is no exception. Henry rarely talks about or shows his emotions and he is cold to others when they express their emotions to him.

Bunny, ESFP- Bunny is a classmate of Richard’s and the victim of the group's crime. Bunny is an
extremely annoying character. He is constantly tricking his friends out of money and overall causing them trouble. ESFPs are known for their need for attention which Bunny obtains from making offensive (offensive meaning racist, homophobic, and creepy) comments and making fun of his friends. Bunny is a man of many weaknesses that accurately represent his personality type. He is very sensitive and hates feeling left out by the group. His time management skills are nonexistent and at one point he starts writing a large final paper a week before it was due without ever reading the material he was writing about. 

Francis Abernathy, INFP- Francis Abernathy is a classmate/friend of Richard’s and comes from a rich
family that provides the group with a house to hang out in on the weekends. Francis tries to see the best in people which is a trait seen most in INFPs. Francis is very aware of the problems, emotions, and especially faults of those around him. These two aspects of his personality cause him a lot of stress because on one hand he is trying to see the positive but he is too aware of the problems within the group. Besides being emotionally intelligent, Francis is a generally welcoming person and tries to maintain harmony within the group. INFPs are known to lead with their heart instead of their head. This is shown in Francis through his love life, which he doesn't think practically about and is left distraught 

Camilla Macaulay, INFJ- Camilla Macaulay is the twin of Charles, a classmate of Richard’s, and most
notably the only woman in the group. Camilla is somewhat of an enigma since Richard has a large crush on her and therefore views her as an angel. That aside, it is apparent that Camilla can manipulate people extremely well. INFJs are known for their insight and Camilla uses this to her advantage when trying to get what she wants from people. She can tell Richard has a crush on her and she uses this to convince him to go along with the group's plan. It is extremely hard to find any more weaknesses or aspects of her personality due to the narrator’s fondness for her.

Charles Macaulay, ENFJ- Charles Macaulay is the twin
of Camilla and a classmate/friend of Richard’s. Charles' most notable trait at the beginning of the novel is how welcoming he is to Richard. This is no surprise since ENFJs are known for their peacekeeping and leadership skills. Charles came to Richard's defense and was overall a good friend to him when he first joined the group. He is also extremely charismatic which is a trait commonly found in ENFJs. A huge weakness that Charles has is how intense his emotions can be. He is prone to mood shifts and because of this he is a pain to be around. ENFJs are known for their intense emotions but Charles is an extreme example of this.

All images found on: https://www.personality-database.com/profile?pid=2&cid=12&sub_cat_id=7305 

-Callie