The Role of Julian as a Manipulator and Idealized Mentor

[Mariam]

in my opinion, Julian, as a manipulator (and a groomer) did not need to do much to manipulate the group, he simply had to be a mirror that reflected back their best selves, or at least the selves they wanted to believe they could be. He allowed these vulnerable teenagers to view themselves in an idealized light: more confident, more intelligent, more capable than they might have ever believed. Allowing them to “leave the phenomenal world and enter into the sublime,” living in the world of gods and goddesses, walking in their footsteps. He gave them the illusion of freedom from judgment, a world where their most idealized selves could shine, while he exploited their fragile states.

Richard’s self-idealization is central to his attachment toward Julian. This kind of emotional attachment is difficult to let go of because it taps into our deepest desires to escape our vulnerabilities and to see ourselves as we want to be seen. It also taps into our deep needs for security and approval. The idea of letting go of that illusion is a painful one, because it’s not just about letting go of Julian, it’s about questioning everything he represented. To confront Julian’s true manipulative nature would mean questioning the confidence Richard had, the idealized version of himself that Julian allowed him to inhabit, and all the positive feelings he once held so tightly. Letting go of that fantasy is grieving a part of himself. His identity that Julian helped construct. And so, Richard attempts to avoid confronting these painful truths by limiting Julian’s presence in the narrative.

I wrote a full analysis in an article titled: Julian Morrow: The Mirror We Wish to See Ourselves In

You can read it at substack @beyondthetext

I am very interested in hearing your thoughts about his role in the story and how he contributed to what happened.

[Rita]

Great review and reflections on this!
I just finished reading TSH, and I’m finding it hard to move on from it.

I completely agree with you, I don’t think it’s accidental that Julian shifts from being the center of Richard’s attention and curiosity to barely being mentioned or relevant during the book. It’s just one more example of how we can’t fully trust Richard’s narrative.

I believe Richard is aware of how close Henry and Julian are, and that Julian’s involvement is likely much deeper than it appears (he gives us clues of this). But he avoids thinking about it too much, because recognizing Julian’s flaws would mean confronting their own.