First Author Book:
In the excerpt from the novel, Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn utilizes different point of views to develop different narratives in order to convey that Amy meticulously frames Nick for her own murder, ultimately illustrating how different sides of a story can have different motives.
Initially, Flynn uses Amy to establish one narrative which establishes greater details in the novel. For example Amy is Nick’s husband, and she goes missing. She sets up an entire storyline to make the media believe Nick murdered her. Because Amy started a journal describing how Nick became emotional and abusive towards her, it makes it incredibly believable when she suddenly disappears. Consequently, this point of view gives details that other characters aren’t awake of, because the community and detectives believe she is dead. Therefore this narrative establishes the complexity of this case due to the fact that characters and detectives aren’t aware that Amy is lying. Flynn also uses different narratives to establish motives for deception. For example, Amy stages a crime scene in their home. She spills her own blood to show a violent struggle. Amy does this because she knows if there is sufficient evidence, she can get the media to believe any story she tells them. Since this scene is so detailed and intricate, it shows Amy had serious motives. Thus, revealing the main motive to her disappearance, is Nick having an affair. Flynn uses Amy to establish one narrative, but she also utilizes Nick to set up another point of view.
Moreover, point of view can create many overlaps in a story, which can be influenced by dishonesty. Nick is having an affair with Andie, even after Amy goes missing he is still hiding this relationship. Because he is hiding this relationship, it shows that Nick knows this evidence might suggest he is guilty. Consequently, this helps create deception because Nick knows this situation didn’t happen, but when there is concrete evidence suggesting otherwise it introduces different sides of the story. Therefore this type of deception is based on fear due to the fact that Nick knows if this information gets revealed, he will be proven guilty. Differing point of views can also create confusion based on morals and emotions. Nick has no choice but to lie in order to protect himself. His deception is rooted off of fear because he is scared of being put in prison. Since there is many types of deception, Flynn adding multiple types of deception into this novel adds depth because it establishes the different narratives. Thus establishing that Nick needed to lie to the press in order to save himself furthers the complexity of deception because stories can have different motives depending on the person.
Overall Flynn’s usage of different points of views to establish opposing narratives helps convey Amy’s deception towards Nick, and framing him for murder, ultimately illustrating how different sides of a story can have different motivators. Amy deceives the public because she is vengeful for her husband’s affair, while Nick is deceptive because he is trying to save himself from being wrongfully convicted of a crime. Through both sides of the story it is clear that lies and deception have motivators which is mainly caused by different emotions.
Second Author Book:
In the novel Dark Places, Gillian Flynn employs psychoanalytics and flashbacks in order to convey deeper truths about memories from a young age ultimately illustrating that trauma and violence from our past has lasting effects.
Gillian Flynn initially utilizes psychoanalytic lenses in order to demonstrate the lasting effects of violence. There was a massacre in the Day family, and Libby was only 7 years old. Her brother, Ben, was convicted of the murder, and Libby testified against him in court. Because this tragedy happened when Libby was so young, it had lasting effects on her life; she grew up to have trust issues from the trauma she experienced. Consequently, Libby begins to experience trauma responses, and she experiences repressed memories. Therefore Gillian Flynn utilizes psychoanalytic lenses to show the lasting effects trauma has on young children, due to the lack of trust and emotional detachment they learn so young. Beyond trauma responses, Flynn reveals how violence reshapes Libby’s adulthood. The main act of violence comes with more injuries than just physical ones. Libby becomes defined by the attack because she grows up scarred and traumatized; Flynn uses internal thoughts to show how Libby feels and the emotions she experiences while going through this trauma. Since growing up was difficult because of the emotions she felt so young, she became lonely in her adulthood. This act of violence caused her to be very emotionally detached, which made it hard for her to make connections with others. Thus, violence has more effects than just the physical injuries, trauma haunts the victims throughout their entire life.
Flynn utilizes psychoanalytics to prove that trauma and violence has lasting effects. Moreover, Gillian Flynn utilizes flashbacks in order to show the lasting effects of violence. Moreover, Gillian Flynn utilizes flashbacks in order to show the lasting effects of violence. Libby was contacted by a crime podcast to talk about her family’s murder. Libby was so young at the time of the attacks, so revisiting these horrific memories is traumatic, but it makes her question what really happened. Because Libby is going back in her memory to experience the violence she saw, she is creating different opinions. Consequently, when Libby revisits her memories through the podcast, her traumatized mind creates false and altered memories. This shows how trauma doesn’t just hurt physically, it changes how events are remembered. Therefore the flashbacks in memory she experiences creates differing opinions about what happened due to trauma altering her memory. Flynn utilizes flashbacks to demonstrate the complexity between truth and memory. Without this main act of violence, Libby wouldn’t have to face her past. This is important because it shows the true lasting effects of violence. Since her brother is still in prison because of the incident, Libby begins to feel worse about his conviction knowing it may have been false. Thus, trauma can create lasting effects on adulthood, especially when experienced at such a young age.
Libby is forced to face this act of violence at a very young age. It consumes her life and affects her adulthood. She becomes emotionally detached and develops trust issues. Libby is asked to revisit these memories, when she is older, which forces her to question her opinions of what really happened. She begins to experience internal conflict because she testified against her brother in court, and now he may be proven innocent. Overall, violence has lasting effects, especially when experienced at a young age.