Perception In Gone Girl

Perception plays a vital role in a person’s life as it conveys sensory information and processes it into comprehendible material. As a result, society tends to be easily manipulated by different forms of visual information that surrounds them. From creating awareness among global events to educating the public, the media is the epitome of objects providing knowledge to society. In the past several decades, television, radio, Internet and newspapers have become an inevitable tool in modern day life. With information reaching the public in an instant, a life without media is inevitable. Although the media can be beneficial, it can be a source of unreliable and biased information, deviating the opinions of the viewer. This phenomenon is depicted in Gillian Flynn’s novel, Gone Girl, in which a married couple
While the police question Nick about the disappearance, the police come to a conclusion that Nick doesn’t know very much about his wife. They are then under the suspicion of Nick murdering his wife, although they do not have ample evidence. The media becomes aware of this situation and commences vilifying Nick, portraying him as an abusive and violent husband, guilty of murdering his wife. As a result, the public turns on him, and he is on the verge of execution unless proven innocent. He attempts to look for his wife, while altering the perception of the public. However, due to the harsh influences of mainstream media, his goal becomes difficult to achieve. The novel is told through the perspective of both Nick and Amy through journal entries, and the events that took place resulting in their reunion. The media plays a dominant role in modern society because it provides perspective of the outside world to a limitedly knowledgeable public. Furthermore, the media can be perceived as public figures, which society blindly follow and believe the information supplied. Even with lack of evidence and bias, an ignorant society is still susceptible to the media’s