Death
Despite most of the characters being young college students, death is a significant theme in the novel. At first, Richard and the others are fascinated by death precisely because it seems so unreal and impossible for them as healthy, young people in their 20s. Through their studies, the topic of death comes up frequently in the context of Classical history, literature, and philosophy, but the students only consider it through the lens of beauty and immortality. After the killing of the farmer, the students begin to realize that death is real and has consequences, but they still don't fully grapple with the meaning of death until they kill their friend and classmate Bunny. This murder marks the end of their innocence because like them, Bunny was a young person with a bright future. They also come to see the impact death can have on a community. As a result of these reckless deaths, the group becomes splintered by much more violent deaths, including Charles nearly killing Henry, Henry's suicide, and Francis's subsequent suicide attempt. Because they don't take death seriously at first, the students end up becoming consumed by darkness and death.
Education
Education is a major theme in the novel, given the setting at a college and the strong focus on a group of individuals studying Greek literature. The novel explores how wonderful and seductive it can be to learn new things, engage one's mind in a subject one loves, and meet like-minded individuals. However, while it does acknowledge these positive aspects of education, Tartt's novel primarily shows how education can also be a dark and corrupting force. Richard naively believes that getting a certain kind of education will enable him to enter into a higher social class, but comes to realize he will never have the same privileges and advantages as his wealthier classmates. Moreover, the education that Julian's students receive leads them to think that they are invulnerable, immune to moral norms, and not accountable to anyone. Julian successfully educates his students in that he shapes their aesthetic and intellectual sensibilities, but he fails to help them build their moral characters.
Class and Money
Richard is not wealthy, and is only able to attend Hampden because he receives a large financial aid package. He deliberately poses as someone much wealthier and more cosmopolitan than he is because he wants to fit in with his classmates and become part of their clique. He astutely judges that they would likely not accept him if they knew about his true background. Part of why Richard becomes so enamored of his classmates is because he wants to lead a life like theirs, free to make all of his decisions based on what he finds beautiful and interesting. The novel makes a strong connection between inherited wealth and individuals who can lead intellectual lives because it is noted that Julian is wealthy enough that he simply donates his whole salary back to the college. While the novel does show that money and social status can be alluring, it also criticizes wealthy individuals for being selfish and irresponsible; the Greek students use their money and privilege to cover up their crimes, and avoid ever taking responsibility.
Friendship
Friendship is one of the most dominant themes in the novel; Richard quickly forms a close and affectionate bond with the other students who study ancient Greek with Julian. Prior to coming to Hampden, Richard has always felt alienated and lonely, but now he finally finds a group of friends who share his tastes and interests. The novel vividly evokes how much joy these friendships can bring, and how formative they can be: Richard makes it clear that he will never feel this intensely again. However, the novel also shows the dark side of these friendships. Richard's adoration of the others is partially narcissistic because he wants to be like them, and imagines himself able to fit in. His fascination with the other Greek students also leads him to overlook something as horrifying as them having killed a man, and then support them and actively participate in a second murder. In an effort to fit in with his friends, Richard loses touch with his moral compass and becomes someone heartless and ruthless.
Secrets
Richard is in part attracted to the other students in Julian's class because they seem mysterious and aloof. He is fascinated by the idea of sharing in their secrets, but he also doesn't realize just how dark those secrets are. Richard will later learn that the secrets closely guarded by the group include murder, addiction, blackmail, and incest. While he initially believed having access to these secrets would give him a sense of belonging, Richard comes to realize that the secrets just leave him burdened and vulnerable. The other students are placed in a position of peril as Bunny blackmails them with the information that they killed the farmer, and after he participates in Bunny's murder, Richard's whole future is in jeopardy if the crime is ever exposed. Richard also has to carry the weight of these terrible secrets, including witnessing Henry's suicide, burned into his psyche forever.
Desire
Richard longs for Camilla even though she seems to only regard him as a friend. Part of the tense and fraught dynamic within the friend group relates to the buried, repressed, and illicit desires circulating just below the surface. Francis sometimes flirts with Richard, and late in the novel, the two almost have sex. Francis also reveals that he and Charles regularly sleep together, and more shockingly, that Charles and Camilla have sex even though they are brother and sister. In addition, while Richard never gets the details, Henry confirms that group sex was part of the bacchanal ritual. These desires show that even while the Greek students present as a reserved, aloof, and intellectual group, they are not free from desire, and accompanying jealousy. Part of why the group crumbles after Bunny's murder is that Camilla and Henry begin a romantic relationship, sending Charles into a crazed, jealous state. While the students fantasize about achieving a kind of Dionysian freedom where they exist outside of constraints and social norms, they cannot actually achieve a balance between their desires and maintaining functional lives.
Fate
Fate is a key theme in the novel and becomes part of the book's central moral debate; the ancient Greek spirituality and philosophy that Richard and his friends study places a strong emphasis on individuals having pre-ordained destinies. On one hand, a number of events in the novel do set in motion unforeseen consequences that no one could have predicted or avoided; for example, Richard only enrolls in a Greek class by chance, and only happens to make his way to Hampden because he randomly finds a brochure for the college. The way that these seemingly random occurrences dramatically alter the outcome of his life do make it seem that Richard was fated to come to Hampden and have the experiences that he did. On the other hand, Richard's reliance on fate and destiny also conveniently allow him to shirk moral responsibility for the choices that he made. He had free will, and could have intervened when he learned about the murder of the farmer, or when he knew that Henry was plotting to kill Bunny. Looking back on his life, it is more convenient for Richard to believe in fate than to fully grapple with the consequences of his actions. It is also interesting to note that Richard was not resigned to his fate when it came to trying to achieve social mobility by moving to New England, educating himself, and befriending wealthy individuals. He seems to pick and choose between fate and agency depending on what is most convenient for him.
