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Quiz about The Secret History by Donna Tartt

"The Secret History" by Donna Tartt Quiz

In 1992, a beguiling intellectual novel introduced us to a conspiracy at a New England college. Enjoy this quiz on the tale of the star-crossed students.

A multiple-choice quiz by neon000. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
neon000

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
254,536

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
711

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 5 (8/10), Guest 180 (8/10), Guest 35 (6/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What were the classics majors talking about when new student Richard Papen decided to approach them at the library? Hint

Their trips home for Christmas

The lack of parking on campus

A boring party they'd attended

The correct Greek word for a sentence

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. What job did Richard take during one of the college's break sessions? Hint

Clerk at a sandwich shop

Movie ticket seller

Appliance salesman

Making musical instruments

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Question 3 of 10

3. What was Edmund Corcoran's nickname? Hint

Cork

Eddie

Bunny

Fitz

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Question 4 of 10

4. What was Richard's father's job? Hint

Eye doctor

Bank clerk

Gas station owner

Construction worker

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Question 5 of 10

5. What startling thing did Bunny do at a Christmas church service? Hint

Take change for a five dollar bill from the collection plate

Drop a hymnal, and fall over trying to retrieve it

Talk out of turn during the Gospel reading

Eat a granola bar, because he couldn't wait for lunch

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Professor Julian Morrow asks the students, "What is beauty?" What was the answer to his question? Hint

Elegance

Joy

Terror

Hope

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Question 7 of 10

7. Initially, why did the students plan to meet in the forest? Hint

To play 'capture the flag'

To go hunting and fishing

To hold religious rituals

To go stargazing

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Question 8 of 10

8. Whom did the students see while in a trance? Hint

Bacchus

Apollo

Hera

Athena

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Question 9 of 10

9. Who was the young woman who told Richard about her disappointing vacation? Hint

Susan

Amber

Lisa

Traci

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Question 10 of 10

10. In the final scene, where does Richard meet his friend? Hint

In a dream

At his mother's house

In the hospital

On vacation

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Most Recent Scores

Nov 13 2024 : Guest 5: 8/10
Nov 08 2024 : Guest 180: 8/10
Nov 05 2024 : Guest 35: 6/10
Oct 25 2024 : Guest 149: 8/10
Oct 19 2024 : Guest 120: 8/10
Oct 13 2024 : Guest 49: 0/10
Oct 12 2024 : Guest 66: 8/10
Oct 10 2024 : Guest 99: 7/10
Oct 08 2024 : Guest 207: 9/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What were the classics majors talking about when new student Richard Papen decided to approach them at the library?

Answer: The correct Greek word for a sentence

Richard plucks up his courage and tells them he couldn't help but overhear, and that he knows the answer to the question. They are impressed with his effort, and warm up to him as one of their friends.

2. What job did Richard take during one of the college's break sessions?

Answer: Making musical instruments

Papen had a dreadful time working for his ill-tempered boss. He quickly soured on the task.

3. What was Edmund Corcoran's nickname?

Answer: Bunny

This is what the man's friends call him from the beginning of the novel. The image of the playful animal becomes a striking contrast to the raffish and sometimes difficult Corcoran.

4. What was Richard's father's job?

Answer: Gas station owner

Richard wasn't too keen on taking up the family business. This was one of the reasons he became interested in studies at an out-of-state college.

5. What startling thing did Bunny do at a Christmas church service?

Answer: Talk out of turn during the Gospel reading

During the reading from the gospel, about the people going to pay their taxes, Bunny called out, "Well, so what? All the world *should* have been taxed!" Funny. Also, rude.

6. Professor Julian Morrow asks the students, "What is beauty?" What was the answer to his question?

Answer: Terror

Morrow says that whatever people find beautiful, "[they] tremble before it." It is an unsettling answer, but helps explain the students' fascination with ancient culture.

7. Initially, why did the students plan to meet in the forest?

Answer: To hold religious rituals

Some of the students wanted to recreate the rituals of ancient Greek paganism. To them, it meant wearing traditional clothes, drinking, performing liturgical dances, and going into trance states. Things took a turn for the worse, however, as the activities grew more intense. Later, Bunny also wanted to tag along...which took the story down an entirely different path.

8. Whom did the students see while in a trance?

Answer: Bacchus

They believed the rituals had led them to a vision of God. If only everything had stopped there...

9. Who was the young woman who told Richard about her disappointing vacation?

Answer: Traci

"So our plane sat on the runway for, like, five hours..." Traci lamented. She is not one of the secret group. Richard spends a little time talking to her. The moment is one of few scenes of comic relief as the atmosphere of the story gets more ominous.

10. In the final scene, where does Richard meet his friend?

Answer: In a dream

Richard has a dream about what happened to Henry in the afterlife. They watch scenes from history projected on the wall. Although Richard gets to go on with his life, neither one of them would ever truly break free from the sorrow of the case.

Source: Author neon000

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