METAFICTION AND REPRESENTATION OF GENDERED IDENTITY IN GILLIAN FLYNN'S GONE GIRL
Vol.11, Issue 1, 2025, pp. 83-94 Full text: PDF . HTML
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.25.1.4
Web of Science: 001528232700006
Author:
Soheila Farhani Nejad https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8168-0703
Affiliation:
Arvand International Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abadan, Iran 02c1xev33
Abstract
This study examines the interplay of gender stereotypes in crime narratives through the lens of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl. Flynn's novel challenges traditional portrayals of women in crime fiction, positioning them not merely as victims but as complex anti-heroines capable of orchestrating elaborate criminal plots fueled by vengeance and psychological manipulation. The paper highlights the metafictional elements in Gone Girl, where the author employs self-conscious storytelling to critique societal expectations surrounding gender roles. By intertwining themes of media representation, domesticity, and the neoliberal notion of choice, the paper underscores how Flynn's narrative structure critiques the commodification of female identity and the performative aspects of gender roles and identity. Ultimately, the study posits that Flynn's work serves as a thought-provoking commentary on the power dynamics inherent in the representation of gender in contemporary media culture, revealing the complexities of identity as shaped by societal constructs.
Keywords: metafiction, identity, empowerment, victimization, Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl
Article history:
Submitted: 28 March 2025
Reviewed: 04 April 2025
Accepted: 08 April 2025
Published: 30 June 2025
Citation (APA):
Nejad, S. F. (2025). Metafiction and representation of gendered identity in Gillian Flynn's 'Gone Girl'. English Studies at NBU, 11(1), 83-94. https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.25.1.4
Copyright © 2025 Soheila Farhani Nejad
This is an Open Access article published and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Funding:
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
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Handling Editor: Boris Naimushin, New Bulgarian University
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