GONE GIRL- The Psychological Analysis of the Character: Amy Dunne

If you haven't watched the movie yet, then you can find the detailed summary here- https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gone-girl-2014

I would definitely recommend you to watch the movie though. It's mind nerving and the twist in the plots will keep you at the edge of your seat throughout. You will thank me later!

Detailed Character Analysis of Amy Dunne

Reinforcing Contributory Cause: 

All the extra sympathy and attention she was getting from the people (based on the story shown by the media) harnessed her narcissistic personality. All that fame and empathy may have helped in maintaining her abnormal behaviour and even encouraged it further. In the scene where Amy has absconded and is hiding in a foreign place, she watches television with one of the girls living there. It is clear, that she felt a sense of pride and happiness when she saw on the news that she was seen as a pure and innocent victim and how the country got together to sympathize with her. Her trigger was revealed, when her friend said that she actually does not believe the news and views Amy as a spoiled rich girl.

 

Precipitating Cause:

The immediate trigger which instigated Amy’s behaviour was infidelity. Nick cheating on Amy can be seen as the triggering causal factor which may have hurled her up to devise the entire plan and behave abnormally. Amy is obsessed with being the Amazing Amy and is self-centred. Infidelity triggers all her senses causing her to take such devious steps and plan revenge. We can say that this is the precipitating cause, as everything before Nick’s affair was still fine- Amy was coping.

 

Predisposing Cause:

The underlying factors that may have interacted with infidelity (precipitating factor) to result in the disorder are-

 

1. Her parents:

a.       Amy’s parents wrote a book with the protagonist named Amy. The protagonist was the Amazing Amy who always did the right thing even when the real-life Amy messed up. This pressure and comparison may have resulted in her striving for perfection and contributed to her abnormal behaviour. Amy’s obsession with her appearing as perfect and not being able to accept any of her own flaws is clear from the scene where her high school friend comes into play.

b.      Further, she also strives to have the perfect marriage just like her parents but Nick’s infidelity built upon her even more.

c.       In addition to this, Amy was the eight children, where the previous seven kids died. This indicates to some genetic disorientation too plays a role in Amy’s behaviour.

 

2. Her Husband:

a.       Nick cheating on Amy was undoubtedly the biggest factor contributing to Amy’s behaviour. But, other than that, their shifting to Missouri from New York also played a major role in shaping Amy’s behaviour. Amy did not fit well in Missouri and this got into her head.

b.      Further, after failing as a writer, Nick used Amy’s money (which she got from her parents) to open a bar. That is all the money that Amy had, hence they were also broke. Money too played a role in shaping her behaviour.

c.       In addition to this, in the obsession of being perfect, Amy became the cool girl (something she is not) that Nick wanted. She changed her personality to be liked by Nick but now, after marriage, when Amy shows her real self, Nick does not like it and becomes this interested (maybe why he also cheated). This detachment from her husband can too be seen as a predisposing cause.

 

3. Amy’s High School Boyfriend:

Amy is self-centred. Hence, the rejection shown by her boyfriend when she revealed her true personality triggered her. She even tried to press false rape charges against him in that act.

Bio-Psycho-Social Model