'An Academy for Liars' and the dark allure of elite insitutions in fiction
Why are we so obsessed?
It's a common trope in Dark Academia, in fact you could argue it is THE trope for the genre. Without “a higher education setting that is elite or exclusive in some way”, it's more difficult to deliver the full DA package.
We discuss it in our recent episode on ‘Academy for Liars' by Alexis Henderson:
‘An Academy for Liars' might have just taken the crown for the most elite and the most exclusive. It's so difficult to get into, you don't even know that you have applied to Drayton, nor that it even exists. And to then commit yourself to the most obscure, and yet most generic and readily available studies: that of the power of the mind. Human will (free or otherwise). The psychology of the human condition.
As Milton says in ‘Paradise Lost’:
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”
But what is it about these secret-laden academic sanctuaries that we covet so much?
Is it the fantasy of exclusivity? It's that feeling that you have been chosen. That your talent, your potential, your self, has been *seen* and deemed worthy. But also, in knowing that these are spaces where brilliance isn't the only thing that thrives. The dark underbelly of elite academia; obsession, manipulation, selfishness. The need to be prove yourself the best, that it wasn't a mistake to choose you, can motivate you down a dark path…
See: ‘An Academy for Liars'.
As readers we get to experience both sides of this coin in a safe and detached way, even if the characters cut you deep along the way (I swear, Dante came for my jugular, twice over).
The academic addict in me, personally, would love the idea of being accepted into one of these institutions. But I also know that I'm not cut out for it. The thrill of it would wear thin so fast, and I'd be begging to go home. I'm not mean enough, I'm not focused enough, I'm not determined enough.
Perhaps, it's all fantasy. The idea is much more alluring than the reality, as is often the case, and even Milton knew that the power of the imagination was formidable. At the end of the day, I think rather keep on experiencing these settings from the comfort of my Kindle, thank you very much.