Twisted Reflections: Gender and Class in ‘Gone Girl’
“Gone Girl” is one of those movies that grabs you by the collar and doesn’t let go until the credits start rolling. I remember watching it for the first time, completely sucked into its twisted narrative from the get-go. You think you have it all figured out, and then bam! Its plot twist after plot twist left me questioning everything I thought I knew about the characters and their motivations, and the concepts of gender and social class.
In “Gone Girl,” the exploration of gender roles hit me on a personal level as the film dives into the intricate dynamics between Amy and Nick Dunne. I interpreted the Dunnes’ marriage as a microcosm reflecting broader gender norms, yet simultaneously challenging traditional conceptions of femininity and masculinity. As I watched Amy meticulously orchestrate her plan, I couldn’t help but reflect on the societal expectations placed on women. Growing up, I witnessed countless depictions of women as nurturing caregivers or helpless damsels in distress. But Amy shattered those stereotypes with her cold calculation and agency over her own narrative. Her manipulation and control challenge audiences, myself included, to reconsider their assumptions about female intelligence, power, and victimization. Amy is Type A meets psychopathy. Her “cool girl” monologue stands out fiercely in my mind amongst all the mind-blowing scenes and plot twists of the film. To this day, I agree wholeheartedly with the media’s assertion of Amy Dunn’es character as one of the most profound depictions of a female sociopath in literary and cinematic history. Chilling!
Conversely, when I first encountered Nick’s character, I couldn’t help but see him as more laid-back, dependent, shallow, and careless — Type B. His portrayal stirred up something in me — a reflection of our societal tendency to cast suspicion and frustration upon men, especially during times of marital discord. It forced me to confront the unfair scrutiny and pressure that men often endure when they don’t conform to traditional notions of masculinity. Yet, it also made me realize how their cliched actions, like infidelity, contribute to the breakdown of marriages and spark the controversial notion of female rage. For the first time, I found myself witnessing a male character becoming a victim, vulnerable to a woman with more sexual and economic power. Much like the cultural conversation surrounding female victims, Nick is not a perfect victim but a victim nonetheless. This realization struck me deeply.
Social class adds another layer of complexity to the already strained relationship between Nick and Amy Dunne. From my perspective, I saw how Amy’s privileged upbringing, and her pedestaled reputation as “Amazing Amy” contrasted with Nick’s middle-class background, intensifying Nick’s sense of inadequacy and emasculation. It was clear to me how Amy’s financial independence and societal stature granted her a level of power that Nick struggles to match, further highlighting the power imbalance within their relationship. This was a point of contention within their marriage that both intrigued and frustrated me, much like many audiences, alongside the realization that it is a less common storytelling vehicle.
Witnessing Amy effortlessly navigate elite social circles, particularly in her interactions with Desi Collings, and at a party thrown for her by her parents, I saw a testament to her upper-class upbringing. She seamlessly embodied the archetype of an upper-class woman, exuding grace, etiquette, and cultural knowledge, while Nick grappled with fitting into this exclusive world. I saw the way that the movie subtly categorized type A with class and order (Amy) and type B with working class and chaos (Nick). This exploration of social class prompted me to reflect on how these factors shape individuals’ identities and relationships.
Without a doubt, I believe the film’s unconventional portrayal of a sociopathic woman is integral to what made it a box office success and one of the most beloved psychological thrillers to date. The simple inversion of genders between the protagonist and antagonist served the film well, making it more original and thought-provoking, and cementing it in my mind as one of the best psychological thrillers of all time. This movie has always been high on my rewatch list.
References
Cox, D. (2014, October 6). Gone Girl revamps gender stereotypes — for the worse. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/oct/06/gone-girl-female-stereotype-women
Mez’s fav. (2022, January 13). Amazing amy | gone girl (2014). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qq-w549YsI
Rushiti, K. (2019, February 22). Gone girl (2014) HD — cool girl. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o4heKCLeTs
Vanity Fair. (2015, March 16). Why Gone Girl’s Amy Dunne is the most disturbing female villain of All time | psych of a psycho. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdxInrVPUzg
Zhang, J. (2018, August 9). Was Gone Girl’s success foreseeable? — an evidence/data-based analysis. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gone-girls-success-foreseeable-evidencedata-based-analysis-jack-zhang
