FRQs #3

In the novel Dark Places, Gillian Flynn utilizes the symbol of The Day House in order to convey Libby’s suppressed memories and the hidden truths of the murders, ultimately illustrating how trauma and prejudice can create false narratives resulting in injustice. 

Flynn initially utilizes the symbol of the Day House to reveal Libby’s suppressed memories due to the trauma. In the novel Libby returns to the farmhouse decades later to re-investigate the crime scene. As she walks through the house, she starts to get flashbacks of memories of the murders, forcing her to confront details she had suppressed. Because Libby continuously returns to the farmhouse to investigate the murders, the farmhouse acts as a trigger of her suppressed trauma. Since Libby revisits the house more and more, she starts to see the events of the murder more clearly, and reveals the buried truth of what really happened the night of the murders. Thus Flynn utilizes the house to expose how traumatic events can distort memory and create false narratives. Furthermore, Flynn uses Libby’s suppressed memories to highlight how prejudice leads to injustice. After the murders, young Libby confesses to the police that Ben was the killer. Because of Ben’s acquaintance with a rumored satanist and petty crime, he was labeled a “Satanic Killer.”  As Libby returned to the Day House, she later found that Ben was actually innocent. Because Libby’s brother was accused of being a satanic killer just because of who he was around, this highlights how society tends to create false narratives based on prejudice. Since Ben Day was later found not guilty, this revelation further emphasizes how people tend to believe in false narratives based on fear of the unknown or the media. Thus Flynn utilizes the symbolic nature of the house to show that prejudice is a catalyst to injustice.

Not only does Flynn utilize Libby’s suppressed memories to emphasize how trauma and prejudice create false narratives that lead to the conviction of the innocent, but she also reveals hidden truths that ultimately expose these injustices. Flynn initially utilizes the Day House as a symbol of hidden truths, revealing how concealed realities clear up misconceptions. One hidden truth within the Day House is the discovery of Libby’s mother’s desperation before the murders. Patty was deeply overwhelmed by poverty and decided to take out a life-insurance policy that would grant her children a better life, if she were to be murdered. Because the truth behind the motives for the murders was a result of emotional and financial struggles, the Day House highlights how the truth behind the murders was far more difficult than the public had thought. Consequently, this epiphany highlights how the public creates a false narrative based off of what they believe is true, and acts impetuously to find a conclusion.  Therefore, the Day House symbolizes how public perception is often built on misleading or false narratives. Furthermore, Flynn uses the symbolic nature of the Day House to further highlight how these false narratives lead to injustice. In the novel, Libby uncovered that Diondra, Ben’s pregnant girlfriend, and unstable brother, Trey, were the actual murderers. Diondra wanted to run away with Ben and their baby, but Ben couldn’t leave his family, so after finding out Patty’s plan for murder, she decided to help Patty, so that Ben would leave with her. Because the truth behind the true murderers was discovered, the Day House symbolizes how the conviction against Ben was false. Since Ben is actually an innocent man, this highlights how public perceptions can lead to the conviction of an innocent individual. Thus, the hidden truths within the Day House expose how public perception that is built off of false narratives leads to injustice.

Ultimately, Flynn reveals that the Day House symbolizes Libby’s suppressed memories and the hidden truths behind the murders. Through Libby’s suppressed memories, Flynn highlights how the house, once returned to, triggers suppressed trauma resulting in the truth emerging to light. These revelations highlight the symbolic meaning of the house, such as how false narratives lead to injustices within society. By also exposing hidden truths behind the mystery of the murders, this further emphasizes how public perceptions are created based on misleading facts, resulting in the conviction of the innocent. Ultimately, the novel critiques that when people tend to rely on bias or assumptions rather than facts, it can lead to the miscarriage of justice. Instead, society should prioritize the truth to ensure genuine justice.

In the novel Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn utilizes the deceptive nature of the character Amy in order to convey Amy’s deep desire for revenge against her cheating husband and the creation of Amy’s alternate identities, ultimately illustrating that through deception one may lose their identity through the creation of false narratives and lies. 

Initially, Flynn utilizes Amy’s creation of alternate personas in deceiving the public, suggesting that through the creation of new identities, one's true identity becomes skewed from reality. In the novel, Amy evolves into numerous different personas of herself to create a false narrative of a husband murdering his own wife. One persona Amy creates is “Diary Amy,” Diary Amy is this sweet, loving, dedicated wife that won’t leave her physically and mentally abusive marriage. Because Amy creates this fake persona of a sweet, loving wife who is left in an abusive marriage, she is able to deceive the public into thinking that she is a victim. Consequently, because Amy created this fake persona, she had lost her own identity. Amy wasn't a loving, dedicated wife, she framed her husband for her own murder. Thus, through deceptive actions one may lose their own identity because they are becoming something they aren’t. Furthermore, Flynn utilizes Amy’s other false persona of “Cool Girl Amy” to further emphasize this idea of losing identity through deception. After Amy disappears in the novel, she confesses that she created this fake persona of the “Cool Girl” to make Nick fall in love with her and marry her. She describes the “Cool Girl” Amy as a carefree, wild, and funny person who “all men” want to be with. Because Amy created this fake persona of the “Cool Girl” to make a man fall in love with her, this suggests that Amy had transformed herself into something she's not. Since, Amy transforms into someone she is not for such a long time, she loses her own identity, she becomes the identity of the “Cool Girl,” rather than the real Amy. Therefore, through the deception of others, individuals can lose their true identity, becoming something they are not. 

Not only does Flynn utilize Amy’s alternate identities, she also utilizes Amy’s deception of others, further emphasizing ones loss of identity, as seen through False narratives.  Initially, Flynn utilizes Amy's deceptive creation of the false narrative of “the husband did it” to further emphasize this idea of lost identity. In the novel, Amy frames her husband for her own kidnapping and murder, she stages a scene by shattering glass, destroying her house, and slashes her own arm leaving a trail of blood to create a struggle. Because Amy goes through lengths to frame her husband for her murder, she creates a false narrative, making the husband the prime suspect. Consequently, through creating this false narrative, Amy loses her own identity.  She becomes a crazy, psychotic individual who framed her husband for murder and kidnapping. Therefore, in creating false narratives, individuals can lose their own identity. Furthermore, Flynn utilizes Amy’s deception of Desi, her former ex-boyfriend, suggesting through the creation of false narratives one can lose their true identiy. In the novel, Amy deceives Desi in protecting her from Nick, telling Desi that Nick was abusive and that she feared for her life. Because Amy deceives Desi into thinking that Amy is a type of woman who has been abused and is in need of help, this creates a  false narrative of Amy. Since Amy now acts as a fragile, abused woman, in need of help, this suggests that Amy loses her identity. Thus, through deception one's identity can become lost, especially in the creation of false narratives.   

Ultimately, Flynn utilizes Amy’s mixed personas and deep desire for revenge against her husband, ultimately suggesting that through deception one may lose their identity through the creation of false narratives and lies. Through the creation of Amy’s alternate identities, Flynn suggests that through deception one may become someone they are not. Furthermore, through Amy’s deep desire for revenge on her husband, Flynn further emphasises that through the creation of false narratives, one may lie and deceive others, resulting in the loss of one's identity. Ultimately, Flynn suggests that through deception the tension between reality and true identity becomes skewed or lost through the creation of false identities and false narratives.