Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Gone Girl, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Secrets and Lies
Marriage
Misogyny
Writing, Storytelling, and Narrative
Summary
Analysis
Amy has begun a “project.” Using old twine and an empty wine bottle, she prepares for the task ahead of her. When Desi arrives after lunch, Amy is dressed in a pink dress he’s bought her, and is wearing no bra or panties beneath it. She greets Desi with a warm embrace, and tells him she’s had a horrible nightmare about Nick. Amy tilts her face up towards Desi and allows him to give her a weak, disgusting kiss.
Amy is planning a way to escape from Desi—and considering how desperate she is to escape, she’s surely planning something twisted, vindictive, and morbid.
Themes
Desperate to get the act over with, Amy pushes herself on Desi, seducing him and begging him to take her to the bedroom. On the bed, Desi slowly and sensuously kisses Amy, but she begs him to roughly penetrate her. As he does, Amy forces herself to cry, knowing that Desi will want her “happy” tears.
Amy knows how to manipulate Desi into doing what she wants—even though she’s about to destroy him, she makes sure to put on a good performance to keep him from suspecting anything.
Themes
Once Desi finishes, Amy insists he stay in bed while she fixes them a post-coital drink. She returns to the bedroom with two martinis—Desi’s is spiked with sleeping pills. He guzzles the drink and soon falls asleep, and Amy is relieved—she can finally “begin.”
Her seduction complete, Amy now has the upper hand—and she uses it to incapacitate Desi and begin her plan to escape his clutches.
Themes
