#Gone Girl: A Novel

[comebackali]

32 yr old babygirl getting rescued by the teen object of his affections 💕💕💕

[btxtyuri]

mike i know what you are

[m00n-pr1sm]

Amy Dunne Character Analysis

Disclaimer

This analysis will be of Amy’s character from both the book and the movie, although the 2014 movie adaption takes greater precedence with only some additional details and quotes included from the book as it does delve deeper into Amy’s psyche and add further characterization. Thus some traits may be accentuated further than they are in the movie, not being completely faithful to either story. It’s an analysis of Amy in her totality across mediums, of course being entirely my opinion. There are of course adaptational differences but I will not include the major ones from the books (ex. her relationship with Hillary Hand). This is an analysis focusing primarily on Amy’s neuroses she demonstrates and the childhood links to them, it doesn’t cover in-depth the events nor themes of Gone Girl.

Amy Elliott Dunne, the ever enigmatic dual protagonist- antagonist of Gone Girl is one of the most iconic female villains in modern memory, and one of the paragons of the “good for her” trope in media, is, frankly, one of my favorite characters of all time. As such I have been dying to write a full analysis examining her neuroses and characterization. Beneath the cultural perception of just another “crazy psycho” for girls to claim “she did no wrong” or “she just like me fr!”, lies a fascinating character who is masterfully written and developed by Gillian Flynn, as well as perfectly portrayed by Rosamund Pike. Amy Dunne is a character with a deep, complex psychology that I will do my best to thoroughly explore in this analysis.

From Amy’s childhood we first see the emergence of a literal high ego ideal, Amazing Amy. Of course this is the children’s book series created by her parents with a fictionalized version of Amy being the eponymous protagonist. This was a version of herself that rectified her own personal failures. Amazing Amy became a prodigy at cello, when Amy quit at 10, Amazing Amy made varsity volleyball, Amy got cut freshman year. Even in the (at time) final book in the series, Amazing Amy got married, a task Amy had not yet done. The entire book series revolved around Amy always making the most virtuous, the most selfless, the most perfect decisions.

>”With me, regular, flawed, real Amy, jealous, as always, of the golden child.”

An interesting detail in the book that is omitted from the movie is Marybeth’s numerous miscarriages and stillbirths (which totaled 7). All of these girls were named Hope, until Amy was born. Amy expresses her jealousy towards them, as they were always seen as perfect without ever living; meanwhile Amy herself has to live life everyday knowing that she will never truly live up to the Hopes. That she has to try everyday to be the best she can be. Her very birth was mired in the expectation of a perfect child; given that she was practically a gift from the heavens to her parents.

This sets up Amy’s perfectionism, as the childhood experience of never living up to a projected ideal led her to want to be perfect (and as we’ll later see, the expectation that everyone else is too), to live life always through the gaze of another. Evidently this leads to a loss of one’s inner essence, one’s individuality and sense of self.

>“-I’d never really felt like a person, because I was always a product” (Book Quote)

Amy’s obsession with personas can be seen as emerging from this, as she adapts a personality depending on who she’s interacting with, as to always be the most appealing she can, she is Amazing Amy after all.

>”I’m not sure, exactly, how to be Dead Amy. I’m trying to figure out what that means for me, what I become for the next few months. Anyone, I suppose, except people I’ve already been: Amazing Amy. Preppy ’80s Girl. Ultimate-Frisbee Granola and Blushing Ingenue and Witty Hepburnian Sophisticate. Brainy Ironic Girl and Boho Babe (the latest version of Frisbee Granola). Cool Girl and Loved Wife and Unloved Wife and Vengeful Scorned Wife. Diary Amy.” (Book Quote)

This general attitude leads to people trying to impress her as she places herself as someone special and especially someone to keep around. She entices both the characters and viewers of the film through her manufactured charisma and enchantment. However, we’ll see this dramatically backfire in her relationship with Nick, just you wait!

For now we can focus on the beginning of their relationship as well as what I believe to be Amy’s view on romance.

I believe that Amy has an impossibly high standard of love, one that stems from her perfectionism and general inability to let down her guise of being amazing. Not to mention how her parents were a perfect match, Amy even referring to them as soul-mates.

>”They have no harsh edges with each other, no spiny conflicts, they ride through life like conjoined jellyfish—expanding and contracting instinctively, filling each other’s spaces liquidly. Making it look easy, the soul-mate thing.” (Book Quote)

In her childhood it’s implied that she was into romance novels, specifically Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which obviously contributes to the idealization of romance, of a literal scripted love.

>”You were an alienated teen and only Elizabeth Bennet understood you”

I think this little quote is incredibly indicative; it establishes a sense of alienation, of Amy never quite fitting in and blending with others.

>”So many lessons and opportunities and advantages, and they never taught me how to be happy. I remember always being baffled by other children. I would be at a birthday party and watch the other kids giggling and making faces, and I would try to do that too, but I wouldn’t understand why. I would sit there with the tight elastic thread of the birthday hat parting the pudge of my underchin, with the grainy frosting of the cake bluing my teeth, and I would try to figure out why it was fun.” (Book Quote)

Back to the topic of romance, through these stories it allowed her to imagine her perfect romance: if Amy could find that one person that truly understood her, beyond the illusion, that then would constitute a perfect union of love. She does deep down (whether consciously or not) want to be loved for who she is; not the idealized, palatable, literal marketed version of herself. Thus she holds trust as a premium, expecting that if she does the Herculean task of unspooling and revealing herself to another, that the other person would love her no matter what.

>”Can you imagine, finally showing your true self to your spouse, your soul mate, and having him not like you?” (Book Quote)

However all of this culminates in an impossibly high standard of a lover, of a practically divine mythical love; where one loves totally and absolutely. Of course where this neurosis is most demonstrated is in Nick and Amy’s relationship.

Amy comments that after meeting Nick she finally felt like a person as he brought out a side of herself that hadn’t been seen, in her own words “a lightness and an ease”, something that Amy enjoyed. In her eyes they had the perfect relationship in the beginning, Nick was her compliment with the witty banter, with their inside jokes, and charm.

However this doesn’t just vanquish her childhood neuroses, through her desire to be seen as perfect, she modifies herself to be a “cool girl” for Nick, complying endlessly to standards to maintain this perception.

>” When I met Nick Dunne, I knew he wanted a cool girl and for him, I’ll admit, I was willing to try.”

Amy essentially became Nick’s image of a perfect girl, witty, fun, and most of all easy-going and forgiving.

Yet one cannot live forever in images and ideas; and as such, the real, true Amy emerged. The Amy that cares too much, that’s hard to get along with, that is a controlling perfectionist. She also tests Nick through the treasure hunts, weaving in little details about their relationship as to challenge Nick and hope that he remembers the things they do together as deeply as she does. Combined with the 2008 recession and declining health of Nick’s mother (the consequences of which will be explored later). As well as Nick’s growing dissatisfaction in the relationship (evidenced by his worsening performances in the treasure hunts, the cheating, using her for sex and ignoring her otherwise, etc). The illusion both Nick and Amy were living in crumbled; they couldn’t possibly sustain their relationship as they were both striving to fulfill reciprocating images for the other.

One of the biggest parts of her character is Amy’s elitism and entitlement, in which she thinks of herself as someone superior, someone that deserves to be loved absolutely for who she is, although only to people she considers worthy.

>”She’s easy to like. I’ve never understood why that’s considered a compliment—that just anyone could like you.” (Book Quote)

Once again this stems from her childhood, in a seemingly contradictory way, she also sees herself as special for being the one that survived from her mother’s attempts, as well as the fact that her birth was so tumultuous that she would be an only child. From this also stems her entitlement for love.

Amy actively looks down upon women she considers “average”, whom she sees as coming from mediocrity and continuously perpetuating that in their lives. She scoffs at them with her wealthy parents and NYC background until her marriage with Nick crumbles. Only then does she realize that she’s become the very woman she would previously disdain. A woman with a failing marriage, the loss of her previous wealth following the recession, and moving to a failed development in Missouri (What the hell’s in Missouri?) for Nick’s mother.

I truly believe this, combined with Nick’s infidelity, and most importantly the loss of her idyllic love culminated in the iconic Gone Girl plan.

>”Nick took and took from me until I no longer existed, that’s murder. Let the punishment fit the crime”.

Nick took Amy’s identity, her sense of self that she so generously revealed to him and rejected her. Implying that she would only be loved if played the role of the “cool girl”; stripping her of who she really was, losing herself in yet another persona. Although Amy admits she doesn’t really have a personality and lives through personas, she still has a semblance of self that she holds dear.

>”-made me realize that there was a Real Amy in there, and she was so much better, more interesting and complicated and challenging, than Cool Amy”. (Book Quote)

Worse yet, Nick had cheated on her with a “newer, younger, bouncer Cool Girl”, leaving Amy in the dust, surely damaging her pride.

But Amy truly fell in love with her idealized version of Nick, believing that she was responsible for shaping that version of Nick. That she deserved that man in his entirety, of course what gets Amy to come back to Nick is the Sharon Scheiber interview, in which he promises to make up with Amy in just the way that makes her think that Nick is the one person who gets her. He makes the little references to their inside jokes (2 fingers on the chin when they’re not bullshitting the other) and a reference to the end of the treasure hunt (always a contentious issue in their relationship). She’s reminded of who he was, that he was once perfect for her, who else could know how to appeal to her heart in just the right way? With the same passion and conviction she reverses the judgment on Nick, clawing her way back to him. She does so in an especially brutal manner, slashing Desi’s throat with a boxcutter right after he climaxes. Putting aside my enormous personal bias against Desi, he was technically an innocent man, taking a great risk in sheltering Amy. However it’s clear that Amy sees him as merely an asset and something to be disposed of once he serves his value, as another prop in her ever evolving masterplan; she did string him along for years through their letter correspondences. He was just another casualty in Amy’s search for idyllic love. She comes back dramatically, literally falling into Nick’s arms while still covered in Desi’s blood like a dress; fabricating an elaborate story about a love obsessed former boyfriend kidnapping and violating her. Despite the glaring holes in her whole story (If Amy’s marriage was as bad as she made it out to be, why did she go back to Nick so easily? How did she get access to a knife and kill him so seamlessly? Why didn’t Amy do anything when she discovered the stuff in Margo’s shed? etc), law enforcement, media, and the public all fully believe it, infatuated with the persona and narrative that Amy’s created for herself. In the end she traps Nick into the marriage and eventually, the family. The last shot of the film is a haunting recall to the beginning shot of the film, as Amy has both revealed and secured herself to be the master of the narrative, finally obtaining her perfect love, no matter what the cost may have been.

Conclusion

Through a constant demand in Amy’s childhood emerges a need for perfection, simultaneously bringing about a sense of superiority and entitlement. The use of personas and façades facilitate this, painting Amy as the most amazing cool girl for whomever she’s performing for, to feed her need to be seen as perfect and desirable. Yet there emerges a psychological detachment from others; as the need to perform inevitably leads to an internal hollowness. However underneath all these layers there also lies the true Amy who has the deep unconscious desire of wanting to be loved absolutely, to have a perfect union of love where she can reveal herself fully and be loved for who she is truly.

>disclaimer for tumblr lol, this is not me trying to claim Amy was innocent I am fully aware that she’s a terribly entitled and narcissistic person but she can still be complex and have relatable desires & be a person even if she’s massively fucked up!!

[lanaspepsicoke]

Gone Girl

[swordmaid]

someone drew my hags as the vibe of those raunchy romance novel covers im CACKLING now I want to actually draw them as one

[blue-howlite]

Can you do a puppeteer x jimmy larson?

That... That wasn't on my 2024 bingo card. But let's go! Though in my mind you're now called moth anon.

"The moth."

Nathan McMillan x Jimmy Larson

Where the captor is captivated by his victim.

Warnings: obsessive behaviours, trauma, blackouts, abandonment issues, gore, idealisation, stalking, Christianity mentioned briefly, Nathan's pov, creative liberties, writer that can't write, not proofread, written in one go because inspiration hit harder than Nathan.

Author's note: anon don't be offended but the way I wheezed when I saw the request... I never thought my silly little theory could end up in this. I'm absolutely here for it though. It's giving Lord Ruthven and Aubrey if Polidori wasn't a coward (read "The Vampyre" by John Polidori for reference).

As usual, I write these for entertainment purposes only! Don't replicate any of this in real life, and if you find yourself with a "Nathan" in your life, get help. There are a lot of helplines and online platforms and services that can offer support for your situation, REGARDLESS OF GENDER! Just stay safe out there <3

Stage. Music. Action.

When kidnapping someone, Nathan knew he had to be mindful of their friends and family. He knew that when someone went missing, their loved ones would often come after them. It was exhilarating, truly. He'd finish making a puppet, and the materials for a new one would walk right into his theatre. Nathan would leave a ticket as bait and they would come, like moths going after a light... unaware of the fire ready to burn them.

Jimmy Larson however wasn't just a moth, blinded by concern and fear. He had a sharp mind. He wasn't even afraid to feed the cannibalistic puppet human organs. He knew. Somehow, Jimmy Larson knew it was about survival. He didn't waste time to discuss or reject the brutal rules imposed by the town of Forgotten Hill, he adapted and moved on. That resilience was a quality Nathan couldn't help but admire, stalking the young man from the shadows and the pictures on the walls. The more he looked, the more he realised that Jimmy wasn't walking into the flame, he was skilfully dancing with the fire.

He didn't want Jimmy to leave. Nathan never wanted anyone to leave, truly. He wanted them to stay forever, that's why he kept them as puppets in his basements and his closets. Even the ones that couldn't shine on stage anymore, they couldn't leave him. When miss Petersen left with the little cross, Nathan's blood boiled. How could she?! He had made her a star! She had graced the stage with her presence for so long, and just that evening Nathan decided that she could retire from her honoured career. He didn't plan to abandon her in the wardrobe of course; she would still have danced and acted for him, for the rest of her existence.

However, Nathan couldn't bring himself to be mad at Jimmy for helping her. Jimmy was so compassionate after all, and had no idea what would happen! It wasn't his fault, truly. It was that woman's fault, for tricking him and taking advantage of his kindness! A silver cross was still a silver cross, a useful object in Forgotten Hill, yet she didn't hesitate in asking for it and leaving Jimmy defenseless.

That kindness from the young man brought old memories to Nathan's mind... Gentle eyes, soft hands and warm smiles... His mother was kind, too. She encouraged him to pursue his passion, though only after Ethan showed his interest in anatomy and science. Subjects she could not stand, as a "good and christian" woman. She used to favour Ethan for his gentle demeanor, but as he took interests that were too close to those of their father, she distanced herself from the quieter twin. She loved the arts, and would ask Nathan to put on little shows for her in the afternoon. How could he forget all the times she'd listen to his stories and watch him move the little dolls he'd make, while sunlight hit her skin and made her eyes shine? Such a kind soul...

Nathan didn't remember a thing from when their mother left him and his twin. One day she was there, and the next she was gone. How cruel could it be to leave your own children without a word, an explanation, an apology, a word of comfort? Just disappearing...

As Nathan got lost in thought while hidden in the wall, Berry nudged him. His childhood horse never left him. He was always around, in life and death. Nathan gently pet his loyal friend, then resumed following Jimmy as he moved around the theatre. So much energy despite the dread and horrors filling the cursed town. It would have been a shame to turn him into a puppet and tame that indomitable spirit. Jimmy Larson was far too precious to be caged and tied up, Nathan had decided.

Just when he tried figuring out how to keep him, Jimmy found the exit ticket. Nathan felt rage boil in his veins. Leaving? How could he leave?! Didn't he see the world that was inside that theatre? Didn't he want to meet the man that ran such an incredible place?

No, he couldn't leave. Not just yet. Besides, Ruth would have loved to torture another Larson, and Nathan didn't want that. He wanted, no, needed to keep that man for himself. He couldn't give him up to the witch.

When he came back to his senses, Jimmy was laying on the ground, unconscious, just outside the theatre. Oh, what a mess. Blood was seeping onto the cobblestone from the back of his head. No, that couldn't, shouldn't... What did he do? Nathan kneeled by the limp body, pressing two fingers to his neck to look for a pulse, and immediately let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. Jimmy was still alive, though injured.

Careful that his head didn't sway too much, he carried the man in his arms. With every step, Nathan struggled not to stare at the unconscious face. He didn't get a proper look before, the cracks in the walls were too thin. Jimmy was handsome, without a doubt. With his kindness and sharp mind... how could Nathan ever let that man go? He had to keep him to himself.

«Did one of your puppets break?»

The voice of his twin echoed for a moment in Nathan's head, before he shook his head. As if on instinct, he had walked to Agony Street, where the hospital was located. Ethan was staring at him through the mask's eyes, just a few feet away on the path.

«He's... Can you take care of him?»

With a little nod, Ethan led Nathan inside the hospital, to one of the rooms. Jimmy was still unconscious in the puppeteer's arms, not giving any signs of coming back to consciousness. As he was laid on the bed, Nathan couldn't help but stare at him. Ethan didn't say a word, instead proceeding to take care of the concussion his twin had caused to the man.

«He'll be out for a few hours, but he's not in danger. Should I call you back once he recovers?»

Nathan leaned back against the wall. Ethan started looking for something on Jimmy, until he found his wallet and documents. He didn't utter a word, just gave his brother an uncertain look, to which Nathan shrugged. Ethan was closer to Ruth, but surely he wouldn't betray his own brother by telling her about the last surviving Larson around.

«I can't keep him here for long.»

Nathan grimaced, pulling his mask off in frustration.

«As soon as he recovers, he'll have to leave.»

A venomous look to Ethan didn't result in a more pleasant option from the doctor. And Nathan was aware of why. He scoffed and turned his face to the far wall.

«At least... hold him back. He's good with puzzles.» Nathan murmured.

«Those are not lacking in this town. I will activate some of Clockwork's projects to slow the young Larson down. It will also serve as an alibi if Ruth finds out about this.» the doctor said as he walked to the door, eyes glued to his twin.

Nathan nodded. He had to let Jimmy go this time... But as Nathan closed the door of the room, following Ethan out, he knew it wasn't over yet. He still had Josephine, and Jimmy clearly cared about her.

It was just about patience.

Who was the moth now, though? The man who barely glanced at the puppeteer's painting, or the puppeteer that couldn't tear his eyes off the bright light called Jimmy Larson?

[nostalgia-tblr]

but why weren't sif and the warriors three wearing historically accurate empire waist frocks during loki's regency??? everyone knows if there's a regency you break out the jane austen stuff.

[lxvenderghost]

♡ 12.08.23 ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

[ohmerricat]

every other poster on the tube right now is advertising a new musical called ‘the time traveller’s wife’. for a blissful moment i forgot that a ‘wife’ is something that a heterosexual woman can be, and, believing it to be a beautiful lesbian tale akin to tihylttw, decided to google the synopsis to see if it was worth checking out. big mistake. ‘man first encounters his future spouse as a young girl, returns to kiss her at 18 and marry her in the future, remaining the same age as barely any time passes for him meanwhile she spends years alone pining for her distant angel’ blinks. what does that remind me of. oh yeah apparently this came before. i’m already suffering through series 5 at the current moment, so, plenty enough of that for years to come, thank you, and— what a surprise— the novel the musical’s based on was a primary inspiration for you-know-who’s weird fixation on this particular plotline. the worst part about the time traveller’s wife is that there aren’t even any cool steampunk clockwork droids or gorgeous 18th century french dresses to make up for the vomit-inducing implications. i have never been more disappointed. mind wipe, now

[individuating]

ik every time someone denies beatrice’s existence and maria gets upset and insisting she does exist sayo smiles to herself like Yes fight for my honor my psionic warrior

[bumblingbabooshka]

Tuvok, what do your parents tell you?

[Text 1: "Could you explain, Mother?" he asked in as calm a voice as he could muster. "I had never contemplated going off-world." Something he'd never seen and couldn't identify flickered in his mother's eyes, and then was gone. "You have been accepted to Starfleet Academy, on Terra," she said quietly. Tuvok pressed his fingers as hard as he could against the solidity of the marble; it held. There was stability in the universe. In his belly, the fish darted this way and that, careening into each other, colliding with his stomach wall. A faint taste of bile rose in his throat. "I have no need of science. The Disciplines will cleanse my mind. I am well on the way to achieving mastery of my volatile elements and believe I should be allowed to continue on my present course." "The decision has been made, Tuvok." Something hot and unpleasant burned in him. He realized the tiny fish had disappeared from his stomach, only to be replaced by a scalding ember. He drew a breath as though in physical pain, and felt his heart hammering against his ribs. Desperately, he repeated a prayer in his mind, striving for control. Heya...heya...heya... The image of Seleya, the sacred mountain, cooled his mind and his breathing became more regular.]

[Text 2: "I do not know...what you mean," he said with effort. She sighed. He discerned then that she was extremely uncomfortable, and this realization struck at him like an asp. He felt unaccountably fearful. "Thee hast lapsed into the Pon farr," she continued, using the formal mode as a kind of shelter from her embarrassment. "What the ancients called the plak-tow, The blood fever." "I still...do not know what you mean." [...] Confusion swam in his brain, and he worked despeately to quell it. "What is 'it'? What comes every seven years? I don't understand..." [...] She seemed pleased that he could focus on the matter. "Go to thy parents. They will have chosen." This struck him as monumentally odd. His parents - would have chosen a mate for him? When? And why had they never mentioned...]

[Text 3: Later, they were alone, standing apart from each other in a room that had been prepared for them with candles and incense, with wine and fruit. They gazed at one another, Tuvok hearing the beating of his heart in his ears, thundering, insisting, louder and more demanding every second until all he could hear was a roraring that propelled him forward. His last thought before he touched her was What if I don't know what to do? But he soon realized he needn't have worried.] Source: Pathways by Jeri Taylor

[deanmarywinchester]

HATE when fluffy romance is wearing another genre as a coat. if you’re going to set the romance amid high-stakes political intrigue I need to feel the stakes! if you don’t care about the stakes you should’ve set the romance in a sleepy seaside town! rending my garments

[langernameohnebedeutung]

Honestly, I'm beginning to think film adaptions of books should include a "watch after reading" or "watch before reading" label

[makethosenarratorsfight]

UNRELIABLE NARRATORS; SIDE D

Mars Propaganda:

how do i put this. he doesn't know anything yet he knows everything. hes lying half the time, but the other half he's telling the truth in blunt detail. he'll describe a scene in one chapter, and in the very next, deny that it happened.

Amy Dunne Propaganda:

no? propaganda?

[mbat]

before i pass out for the night. since my brain is back on dan and phil as if its 2016 or something i need to put this out into the world. this isnt some sort of important life changing post, just a personal funny thing

so when i was 13 and fixating on dan and phil, i read a lot of fanfics. like, i guarantee that even after all these years that, if i had the statistics, that fandom was the one i read the most fanfics for and constantly. i couldnt tell you what nearly any of them were about, and i have a feeling that many of them are probably lost to time by now. i also dont know if i need to mention that yeah, a lot of them were shipping, and yes ive long grown out of that. (the dnp fandom is actually what made me grow out of that)

anyway all this to say that over the last 6 years after i stopped fixating on dan and phil, one fanfic stuck with me and i just. i think about it every once in a while. its been over half a decade. it wasnt a groundbreaking fic, i dont remember any quotes or specifics, just the premise as of at least the first few chapters. idk why it stuck with me

it was literally a fic about. if the world had gotten to a point where almost every child was born as like, a science baby instead of a natural baby, and phil was a science baby, but dan was a natural baby. and there was somehow this like, thing where the science babies would bully the natural babies for some reason idek, and this was a highschool setting and i think dan was a new kid in school. and what gets me about the fic is that dan was some small shy scared kid and phil was some mean jerk bully. and how wild that is compared to how they are in real life

this isnt me trying to find the fic or the person who wrote it or any of that, this is literally just. i remember this fic at least once every few months and i needed to get it out of my brain somewhere

[mermaidsirennikita]

Getting organized for 2024, my Year of Lindsey, and I would like to say…. Avon…. Where did romance go….. what happened to when y’all tried to seduce readers with a love better from the editor in the back of the book that feels a little like she’s trying to propose to me while also offering me a job with full benefits