The Fragmented Selves And Multiple Personalities In Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl

Résumé: Abstract Self-concept is a critical issue that can affect individuals’ attitudes, behaviors, reactions and views of themselves. Gillian Flynn’s novel Gone Girl, as a contemporary fiction depicts its characters as unable to carry a stable sense of self. This dissertation, therefore, examines how the shattered characters in the novel do not embody a sense of the traditional unitary self and aims to reveal the importance of the individual’s concept of self and their self-image within a contemporary society that no longer corresponds to traditional societies. It further explores the sociological and emotional realities that lie behind triggering the fragmented personalities and the traits of dissociative disorders the characters may have, through a close reading of the dysfunctional behaviors they manifest. To achieve these objectives and to gain a reliable analysis, the study uses Self-categorization theory as well as Freud’s theories of “family romance” and “psychology of love”. It reveals that self-concept is difficult to assess because it involves personal perceptions and hidden feelings. In addition, it is an important factor for each person and it can change his/her beliefs, attitudes, and reactions toward personal and social life

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