Literature and Writing Quotes in Gone Girl

How we cite our quotes: Chapter.Paragraph

Quote #10

At last I'm the hero. I am the one to root for in the never-ending war story of our marriage. It's a story I can live with. Hell, at this point, I can't imagine my story without Amy. She is my forever antagonist.

We are one long frightening climax. (63.40-41)

Nick really brings the theme of writing's power to shape relationships and events in his final lines of the book. Drawing on his knowledge of story structure from hours of studying movies, Nick assigns literary roles to himself and his wife, calling himself the hero, or protagonist, and her the antagonist.

Interestingly enough, these are the roles that they actually play in Gone Girl. While Nick isn't necessarily likeable, we don't want him to be guilty, and we ultimately feel sympathetic toward him when Amy traps him at the end. Amy, by contrast, is difficult to feel sympathy for, mostly because of her classic antagonist behavior of keeping Nick from freedom and happiness.