An Analysis of Reality Construction Through Conflicts in Gillian Flynn's
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Monica Prilly Aditya An Analysis of Reality Construction through Conflicts in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl An Analysis of Reality Construction through Conflicts in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl Monica Prilly Aditya English Language and Literature Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia [email protected] ABSTRACT The complexity of Gone Girl evoked wide aspects to explore. The current study focused on the issue of reality construction in the novel. It was aimed at answering the question of how the male and female central characters constructed the versions of reality through conflicts which were a result of multiple narrative perspectives used in the novel. The data were analyzed by using Bartley, Blanton, and Gilliard’s (2005) three aspects of marital relationship. The findings indicated that the reality in the novel was dominantly constructed through the conflictive marital relationship between the male and female central characters. The conflicts were found in the aspects of marital relationship particularly in the decision-making process and the attitude towards gender roles and stereotypes. In terms of decision making, the conflicts resulted from the process and the outcomes of major decision-making including the decision to move to a new city, decision to have children, decision regarding career choices and the decision of getting a divorce. Meanwhile, from the aspect of attitude towards gender roles and stereotypes, the male and female central characters appeared to demonstrate double standards and hypocritical attitudes which led to conflicts in the novel. Therefore, from the findings it could be concluded that the text indicated a tendency for men and women to be involved in conflicts since they had different presumptions, interests, and egos in constructing their version of reality. Keywords: reality construction, marital relationship, marital conflicts, decision-making, gender role attitudes, double standard 77 Passage2016,4(2), 77-93 INTRODUCTION In relation to this, men and What was considered as reality or women possessed different something real had been an issue for a characteristics or values when it came long time. Constructivism believed to constructing reality. Gilligan that instead of being discovered, (1982, cited in Hoffman, 1990) stated reality was invented by human beings that while men valued the system of (Watzalwick, 1982, cited in Hare- independence, autonomy, and Mustin and Marecek, 1984 p. 455). control, women tended to show a Hare-Mustin and Marecek (1984) contrasting aspect of values which are stated that rather than passively relationship and connection (p. 7). observing reality, humans were These characteristics appeared to involved in the construction of produce different versions of reality meaning that formulated and from both genders since they had organized their perception and different aspects of value in life. experience of life. This led to an idea In literary works, different that human’s understanding of reality values that tended to influence the was representation or a re- points of view between men and presentation, not a replica, of what women could be found in multiple was out there (p. 455-456). narrative perspectives used in Since reality was constructed contemporary fiction. Koss (2009) through language, the work of fiction stated that “today’s multiple narrative could be one of the examples of its perspective novels are characterized realization. As explained by Waugh by multiple voices, narrators, points (1984), “If our knowledge of this of view, structures, and perspectives” world is now seen to be mediated (p. 74). Furthermore, Itkonen (2012) through language, then literary fiction explained that fictional text produced (worlds constructed entirely of a social reality that could only be language) becomes a useful model for accessed by the reader through the learning about the construction of influence of the perspective he or she ‘reality’ itself” (p. 3). was allowed within the narrative since the external consciousness of the 78 Monica Prilly Aditya An Analysis of Reality Construction through Conflicts in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl reader put him or her in the outsider conflicts and disagreements between position (p. 3). Therefore, this them. Thus, this study focused on multiple narrative perspective could these different values between Nick lead to a different way of reality and Amy and how these triggered construction in fiction that would also conflicts which influenced the influence how the reader interpreted versions of reality constructed in the the reality in the novel. novel. Gone Girl was a work of fiction exemplifying the use of THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK multiple narrative perspectives. The Reality Construction in Fiction story was told from two points of Reality was constructed through view which were Nick Dunne’s and language and one of the examples of Amy Elliot Dunne’s. The complexity its realization is the work of fiction. of the novel evoked wide aspects of As explained by Waugh (1984), issue to explore and the current study “If our knowledge of this focused on the reality constructed by world is now seen to be mediated the male and female central through language, then literary fiction characters. Amy and Nick Dunne (worlds constructed entirely of were given the position as the first- language) becomes a useful model for person narrator which led to two learning about the construction of different versions of reality offered in ‘reality’ itself.” (p. 3) the novel. Bruner (1991) also noted the Gone Girl indicated the importance of language in reality difference between men and women construction by saying that “language in a number of aspects including the and other symbolic systems mediate way they viewed certain events and thought and place their stamp on our issues considered as reality representations of reality” (p. 3). constructed in the novel. Both Amy The term reality was related to and Nick had their own ways of a literary movement called realism thinking, behaving, and responding to which was described by Phillips a situation that oftentimes led to (1987 as cited in Maxwell, 2012) as 79 Passage2016,4(2), 77-93 “the view that entities exist well-made plot, chronological independently of being perceived, or sequence, the authoritative independently of our theories about omniscient author, the rational them” (p. 3). In addition, Schwandt connection between what characters (1997 as cited in Maxwell, 2012) ‘do’ and what they ‘are’, the causal supported this idea by saying, “in connection between ‘surface’ details scientific realism, ‘Reality’ refers to and the ‘deep’, ‘scientific laws’ of whatever it is in the universe (i.e., existence).” (Waugh, 1984, p. 7) forces, structures, and so on) that In other words, the causes the phenomena we perceive conventional rules of order in reality with our senses” (p. 3). From this construction in fiction had changed point of view, it could be said that into more complex ones. All in all, reality was something which was contemporary world viewed reality as already there for human to perceive or socially constructed and therefore in other words an independent literary fiction could be a significant universe. model of learning the reality However, this idea of reality construction itself. had been rejected by both positivists and constructivists during the Multiple Narrative Perspectives twentieth century. One of the forms of The effect of reading a work of fiction rejection was contemporary in which the story was told from metafictional writing that Waugh different perspectives was different (1984) described as both a response for the readers. As explained by Gillis and a contribution to the idea that (2002), reality is an independent or permanent “When more than one universe but instead it was a series of character tells the story (or stories), constructions, artifices, impermanent the effect is somewhat different. Our structures. She explains, loyalties are not to one but to the “More novelist have come to whole. And while we become aware question and reject the forms that of how each character sees and correspond to this ordered reality (the responds to events, we are also aware 80 Monica Prilly Aditya An Analysis of Reality Construction through Conflicts in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl of how the events affect the one of the apparent issues that trigger characters’ relationship. We acquire a conflicts between the main characters kind of intimate omniscience by was the relationship and equity within viewing the world through multiple their marriage. Thus, this study lenses.” (p. 52) focused on the exploration of aspects In her article, Gillis (2002) of marital relationship based on a also identified the emerging trends in study conducted by Bartley, Blanton, the use of multiple narrative and Gilliard in 2005. perspectives in popular fiction Bartley et al. (2005) had specifically in the realm of young conducted a study on the aspects of adult literature which were; he said, marital relationship on husbands and she said narrative perspective in wives in dual-earner marriages. The which more than one character tells a aspects examined include the story (multiple narrators) through differences in perceived decision- first-person point of view, he thought, making, gender-role attitudes and she thought: over-the-shoulder division of household labor. narratives in which a story (or stories) Likewise, they also investigated the is narrated in third-person point of impact of these aspects on perceived view by more than one character,