Constructed Selves and Psychological Conflict: An Analysis of Narcissism and Defense Mechanisms in Gone Girl

S. Kaviya¹, Ms. S. Hajira Begum²

¹Regd. No: 24PEN040, II M. A., Department of English, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli – 620 020. kaviyasakthivel11032003@gmail.com

²Assistant Professor of English, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli – 620 020. hajinawaz5919@gmail.com

Abstract

Gillian Flynn was a famous American psychological novelist, screenwriter and producer. She was born on 1971 in Kansas City in the U. S. She got educated under the streams of English and Journalism in university of Kansas. She completed her masters’ degree in North Western university’s Medill school of Journalism. She is best known for her fiction, thriller and mystery. The well-known works of Gillian are Gone Girl, Sharp Object, and Dark Places. The novel Gone Girl is a famous psychological thriller novel written in the year 2012. It was published by Crown publishing group. It is one of the best seller copies in New York Times. Later this novel was adapted into a film named Gone Girl which was directed by David Fincher. The novel follows Nick and Amy Dunne, who relocate from New York to Missouri after facing financial difficulties. On the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy mysteriously goes missing. As the police investigate, evidence begins to point toward Nick, and public opinion quickly turns against him. The narrative shifts between Nick’s present-day perspective and Amy’s diary entries, gradually revealing hidden secrets and unexpected truths about their relationship. The novel highlights themes such as manipulation, identity, media influence, and the dark complexities of marriage, leading to surprising and unsettling twists. ‘Narcissism’ plays a vital role in Gone Girl. This research paper deals with the psycho analytical theory based on the lives of Amy and Nick.

Keywords: Narcissism, Unconscious mind, Marital dysfunction, Manipulation, Personality disorder.