Gone Girl Literary Analysis

Justice isn't really about “getting even” or experiencing joy in retaliation, rather it is about righting a wrong that society would agree is morally culpable. Revenge possesses a selfish quality: arrogance, vindication, ruthlessness. Revenge shall not be confused with justice; however, societal standards have allowed these two to become false inverses. As seen in numerous novels, poems and theatrical productions, characters interpret justice as revenge and revenge as justice— so does society.
In her twisted novel Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn portrays the arguments and affairs of a married couple, each seeking reprisal; however, the wife is seeking revenge and the husband is in quest of social justice. Wife Amy Dunn goes missing on the day of her 5th anniversary—the
In Gone Girl, to twisted and vindictive Amy Dunn, her actions were simply an attempt of getting justice for her husbands affair. To innocent and chagrined Nick, Amy’s actions were a ludicrous way of getting revenge for his little fling with Andie. In this case, acts of revenge were brought up by personal phenomenon (Nick’s affair), whereas the views on justice are from impartial and impersonal incidents(Amy’s “spectacularly sneaky” production). Justice in literature is typically about closure, whereas revenge is an endless cycle. Amy saw her set-up as justice because it would close, yet ironically reveal, what Nick had done. Nick saw Amy’s actions as revenge because she endlessly kept leading him on a hunt—literally. Revenge and justice will vary within each novel, and each character; however, it can be interpreted in an infinite amount of way by the reader. The reader ultimately decides if what the characters are doing is considered revenge or justice: although the author implies their definite opinion, society will believe what they have always believed in— wether moral or