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Francis Abernathy is one of Julian’s students and Richard’s friends. Francis is gay and, like Henry, comes from a wealthy background, though he does not like to talk about it much. During Richard’s first semester at Hampden, the Greek students spend much of their time at Francis’s country house. Like the other Greek students, Francis plays a role in Bunny’s death. After the murder, Francis’s reactions are similar to Richard’s; he copes with sex and drugs, but largely manages to keep himself together. In the second half of the novel, Francis proves to be a repository of information about the other Greek students. He tells Richard that Charles and Camilla are in an incestuous relationship and that he himself has slept with Charles on numerous occasions. In the years following Henry’s death, Francis’s grandfather discovers that he’s gay and threatens to withhold his inheritance unless Francis marries a woman. In light of this, Francis attempts suicide but ultimately survives, resigning himself to the prospect of entering a loveless marriage.
Francis Abernathy Quotes in The Secret History
The The Secret History quotes below are all either spoken by Francis Abernathy or refer to Francis Abernathy . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2
Quotes
Out on the lawn, Bunny had just knocked Henry’s ball about seventy feet outside the court. There was a ragged burst of laughter; faint, but clear, it floated back across the evening air. That laughter haunts me still.
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Chapter 4
Quotes
And the horrible thing was, somehow, that I did know. “You killed somebody,” I said, “didn’t you?”
“Good for you,” he said. “You’re just as smart as I thought you were. I knew you’d figure it out, sooner or later, that’s what I’ve told the others all along.”
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Chapter 7
Quotes
His gaze—helpless, wild—hit me like a blackjack. Suddenly, and for the first time, really, I was struck by the bitter, irrevocable truth of it; the evil of what we had done. It was like running full speed into a brick wall. I let go of his collar, feeling completely helpless. I wanted to die. “Oh, God,” I mumbled, “God help me, I’m sorry—”
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Francis Abernathy Quotes in The Secret History
The The Secret History quotes below are all either spoken by Francis Abernathy or refer to Francis Abernathy . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2
Quotes
Out on the lawn, Bunny had just knocked Henry’s ball about seventy feet outside the court. There was a ragged burst of laughter; faint, but clear, it floated back across the evening air. That laughter haunts me still.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock explanations and citation info for this and every other The Secret History quote.
Plus so much more...
Get LitCharts A+
Chapter 4
Quotes
And the horrible thing was, somehow, that I did know. “You killed somebody,” I said, “didn’t you?”
“Good for you,” he said. “You’re just as smart as I thought you were. I knew you’d figure it out, sooner or later, that’s what I’ve told the others all along.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7
Quotes
His gaze—helpless, wild—hit me like a blackjack. Suddenly, and for the first time, really, I was struck by the bitter, irrevocable truth of it; the evil of what we had done. It was like running full speed into a brick wall. I let go of his collar, feeling completely helpless. I wanted to die. “Oh, God,” I mumbled, “God help me, I’m sorry—”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
