The introduction paragraph uses a strong metaphor of thousands of fish swimming at you. This was to exaggerate the overwhelming and overbearing feeling of the media. The media is referred to as “heavy swimmers” because the swimming portrays the fast movement and progression of the social media. It also signifies the squirmy crowds of the media. The imagery of the swimming was intended to create tension and reality. I wanted it to feel real and let the reader feel their body cringe at the thought of the thousands of fish darting in their direction. This was to embellish the feeling that people, like Nick, get when the social media bombards them in devastating times.
The incorporation of quotes was used in my final writing project as strong examples of how Flynn incorporates her opinion on the social media through her choice of diction. The quote where Flynn compares the social media to war and a fraternity really portrays her view. I thoroughly analyzed the use of her metaphors and why she chose the words she did. She had a purpose and I nitpicked at her word choice to display her purpose.
I incorporated the metaphor “bandwagon” in my writing because it portrays the idea that people just follow what the media does and says. As an example, to further develop this idea I compared it to the president elections where the image the media creates is essential for a successful result. I expanded on the idea of the images the media creates and I used imagery and specifics like the image of “a happily married couple of 25 years that have beautiful children” to exemplify the ideal image that our media has created.
In terms of style, I used some short sentences like “He had no say. He was powerless” for effect. I like the use of short sentences because it breaks up the long, monogamous sentences and creates emphasis on the particular idea that I am trying to convey. I also used rhetorical questions throughout the paper. This was intended to engage the reader and make the writing more conversational rather than informative. It was also another tactic to create variety in the sentence structures. Lastly, to conclude the paper I used opposing, short sentences to open the paper up to affect the reader individually. I wanted the reader to realize the shortcomings of the media weren’t inevitable but a personal choice.
As a whole, I felt that the paper was effective in analyzing Flynn’s opinion and how she relays this through her story. Through her diction, sentence structure and metaphors, Flynn effectively displays her view on the matter. I chose to analyze this aspect of the novel because through her twisted and mysterious novel, I do not think the strong theme of social media should be overridden. It was meaningful and had purpose and should get noticed.
Heavy Swimmers
Imagine: a school of thousands of little silver fish heading in your direction. You don’t know where to go or how to dodge them. You swim away as fast as you can but no matter what direction you turn, they are coming right at you. You frantically turn your head underwater, every which way, trying to find an escape route. You are scared. There is not a way to block them; there is no way to shut them out. They are swimming towards you and they are coming full throttle.
To me, that sounds pretty frightening, slick and slimy fish running into your bare skin. Talk about overwhelming. Well, this is the new social media phenomenon, so watch out. They are heavy swimmers. The media is intensifying as time progresses. As this business is becoming a multi-million industry, boundaries, morals and any respect for privacy are diminishing when they once were considered moral rights. The flashes of camera lights, microphones to the face and the reporters with their notepad are getting to the point where they will do anything to get the next best story, because that is what sells. They will swarm and swim at you and you will be unable to stop them. Okay, it is understandable that maybe the thousands of fish darting on your bare skin is over exaggerating it a little, but as time goes on, it will honestly feel like the reporters from the media are swarming into your life. In the mysterious novel Gone Girl, the author Gillian Flynn, adds an underlying theme of the manipulative and powerful social media.
Flynn incorporates this theme through setting, experiences and character’s thoughts. The social media plays a large role in the criminal case of “missing Amy” and the author relays the message that the media has a way of manipulating people and their thoughts. People rely heavily on the media, far more than we are aware of. Throughout the investigation of Amy’s disappearance, reporters have crowded outside of Nick’s house to get photos and grasp any scrap of information. They stand outside screaming, “Nick, did you kill Amy?” “Was your wife pregnant?” Additionally he is assaulted with numerous cameras taking shots every time he enters or exits his home. The mass of reporters discouraged him from coming home; there was no privacy or respect afforded to him throughout his devastating time of grief and loss.
Nick describes the intruding media saying, “the camera crews parked themselves on my lawn most mornings. They were like rival soldiers, rooted in shooting distance for months, eyeing each other across no-man’s land, achieving some sort of perverted fraternity.” (370) The author compares the media to war and the soldier men. This illustrates the idea of the mass amounts of men along with the clear determination these men hold. “Rooted in shooting distance for months,” shows that the men acted as if they had been practicing this for a long time and were not going to give up. War is the act of fighting, it is a group of strong and injurious men who have one goal and they are risking their lives to attain it. The fraternity reference portrays the chaos and catastrophe of the group. Flynn chose war and the fraternity as a metaphor because they both have a negative reputation; this exemplifies her disapproving attitude toward the social media that causes great tension and commotion. She easily could have compared the media to teachers or mentors, or something depicting a helpful or supportive nature, but she does not.
The media impacts the population and shapes our opinions. When the media thinks Nick is the killer and that he is a terrible person, the public is quick to accuse Nick of murder and easily despise him. When Nick gives that unofficial interview in the bar and shows off his sensitive side, he confesses his love and mistakes and acts as though he truly cares for Amy and her return, the public rescinds their accusation and realizes that Nick isn’t the bad guy after all. The eyes of the public changed just due to what the media was saying and how Nick was portrayed. People are not coming up with their own ideas or theories, they are looking for trends. We are just looking for the next bandwagon to hop on and the media provides that for us on a daily basis. This is evident in our lives as much as it is in Gone Girl. For example, a big part of the presidential elections is how well or poorly the candidate is perceived by the media. It is crucial for them to represent themselves as well liked and forward thinking so that the media will speak highly of them. The way the news, reporters and other medias talks about the candidates shapes public opinion and ultimately affect the outcome of the results. There are other significant examples that depict this idea of the media controlling and altering opinions.
Flynn also boldly illustrates our cultural dependence on the media. As stated before, it is apparent that we rely on the media for opinions but also for determining a personal image. Nick’s character portrays this idea because he is constantly seeking the best to act. He is looking to act like a character in a movie or television show. He is trying to act the way he “should” act. This problem only arises because of the social media. The media has set an image and it’s an image that people think they have to conform to. That is why we have so many issues with eating disorders and girls with no self-confidence. Nick felt like he was suppose to be acting a certain way because millions of people were interpreting his every move, his words, his gestures and determining his character and guilt or innocence based on these cues. He kept looking into past movies he has seen or television shows where the spouse loses their other spouse. This was supposedly going to help him act a certain way. There was rarely a genuine act with Nick. He says, “I have no idea how I am suppose to be doing. There’s no ‘When Your Wife Goes Missing 101’” (52) Nick had this idea that there was a way he should be reacting because obviously his reactions weren’t getting the results he wanted. He states, “We were being forced to perform the scene that TV viewed expected: the worried but hopeful family.” (60) Like Nick says, the media forces you to act a certain way to create an image, hopefully a well-liked image. And without turning to movies or actors, Nick didn’t know how he should be reacting to any of this.
The media creates this impossible images to conform to. This is why being homosexual, nerdy or overweight is frowned upon. There is this picture perfect world that the media has created and if your not happily married for twenty-five years and have beautiful children then there will be a story on you. Just think about when a celebrity comes out of the closet, you better know that it will be the cover story in four different magazines. It is getting worse as time goes on and the media expands. The media is getting more intrusive in personal lives. People aren’t giving consent anymore, they can say whatever they want. This happened to Nick in the novel when the media was calling him a murderer, cheater, etc. He had no say. He was powerless.
Nick also found it unfair that when a wife goes missing, it is always the husband’s or males in her past life that the media and police think are guilty. The husband is the first to get questioned and accused, why? Well, on the news, it is more common that a male is the criminal rather than a woman. In state or federal prison in 2001, there were nearly nine times as many men as there were women, resulting in about 5,037,000 men and 581,000 women. It is guilt by association. The media’s important figures make the public perceive men as the “bad guy”. Maybe it is because of the feminists out there, or past anger from unequal gender rights, or maybe it is because it is what people see and know, probably all of the above. However, this can be detrimental in certain cases. In Nick’s case, he was completely innocent however presumed guilty until proven innocent. Clearly he did not have the best past record but he was not a murderer. In fact, his wife was simply crazy. In his defense, the media had the power to sway public and official police ideas and perceptions and were able to come to the conclusion that he was guilty. If Amy did not come back and Nick was sent to prison and then death row, would it have been okay to kill an innocent man just because we are quick to assume? Luckily Amy made a mysterious return and Nick’s outcome was much different. Amy abruptly returns, pitying herself, and crying out “poor me” as she claims she was held captive by Desi. The readers know the truth; she killed Desi, who was a demented helping hand for her, so that people would never know the true story. She murdered him to run away and shift her story to fit her new “plan”. As soon as Amy returns home, the media goes ballistic with cameras, interviews, and questions, immediately.
Nick, admittedly, hates Amy and wants to dispose of her from his life. As they discuss divorce, the media is still playing a large role in making future decision; their reasoning are sourced solely from the perceived opinion of the public. “Every women in the public who’s been cheated on, they don’t stay with the cheat these days. It’s not stand by your man, it’s divorce the fucker.” (393). Nick uses the power of the public as a persuasive method. Amy knows how the powerful media can manipulate the public’s opinion and it is also evident that Amy needs the public on her side; it is a necessity. Without their support, Amy would break. Therefore, Nick knows that and uses that power to convince her to consider a divorce. Towards the end of the novel, the character’s become more aware of the media and its dominance. There is a realization that they must consider the media and consciously be aware of it at all times.
The severity and control of the media is something to be mindful of and this is why Flynn incorporated it into her novel. She was looking to bring our awareness to the footprint the media leaves behind. It is understandable that technology and the media are growing with immense strength but it is our job as human beings to be aware of its impact. Let the media guide you, not change who are you and your morals. Do and be what you believe in, do not give it too much power.
Imagine: a swarm of thousands of little silver fish heading your direction. You don’t know where to go or how to dodge them. You swim away as fast as you can but no matter what direction you turn, they are coming right at you. You frantically turn your head underwater, every which way, trying to find an escape route. You’re scared. There isn’t a way to block them; there is no way to shut them out. They are swimming towards you and they are coming full throttle.
To me, that sounds pretty frightening, slick and slimy fish running into your bare skin. Talk about overwhelming. Well, this is the new social media phenomenon, so watch out. They are heavy swimmers. The media is intensifying as time progresses. As this business is becoming a multi-million industry, boundaries, morals and respect of privacy are diminishing. The flashes of camera lights, the microphones to the face and the interviews with their note pad are getting to the point where they will do anything to get the next best story, because that is what sells. They will swarm and you won’t be able to stop them. Okay, it is understandable that maybe the thousands of fish darting your bear skin is over exaggerating it a little, but as time goes on, it will honestly feel like these reporters from the media are swarming in on your life. In the mysterious novel of Gone Girl, the author Gillian Flynn, adds an underlying theme of the manipulative and powerful social media.
Flynn incorporates this theme through setting, experiences and characters thoughts. The social media plays a large role in the criminal case of “missing Amy” and the author relays the message that the media has a way of manipulating people and their thoughts. People heavily rely on the media, more than we are aware of. Throughout the investigation of Amy’s disappearance, reporters have crowded outside of Nick’s house to get photos and information. They stand outside screaming, “Nick, did you kill Amy?” “Was your wife pregnant?” Along with numerous cameras taking shots every time he entered and exited his home. The mass of reporters discouraged him from coming home; there was no privacy or respect acknowledged throughout the devastating time of grief for his loss.
Nick describes the intruding media saying, “the camera crews parked themselves on my lawn most mornings. They were like rival soldiers, rooted in shooting distance for months, eyeing each other across no-man’s land, achieving some sort of perverted fraternity.” (370) The author compares the media to war and the soldier men. This portrays the idea of the mass amounts of men along with the clear determination of these men. “Rooted in shooting distance form months,” shows that the men acted as if they had been practicing this for a long time and were not going to give up. War is act of fighting, it is a group of strong and injurious men who have one goal and are risking their lives to attain it. The fraternity reference portrays the chaos and catastrophe of the group. Flynn chose war and the fraternity as a metaphor because they both have a negative reputation; this exemplifies her disapproving attitude toward the social media. She easily could have compared the media to teachers or mentors, or something portraying a helpful aid but she doesn’t.
The media impacts the population and conforms their opinions. When the media thinks Nick is the killer, and that he is a terrible person, the public are quick to accuse Nick of murder and despise him. When Nick gives that unofficial interview in the bar and shows off his sensitive side by confessing his love and mistakes and acting as though he really, truly cares for Amy and her return, the public rescinds their accusation and realizes that Nick isn’t the bad guy after all. The eyes of the public changed just due to the fact of what the media was saying. People aren’t coming up with their own ideas or theories they are looking for trends. We are just looking for the next bandwagon to hop on and the media provides that for us. This is evident in our lives as much as it is in Gone Girl. For example, a big part of the president elections is how well the candidate is perceived by the media. It is crucial for them to represent themselves as well liked and futuristic so that the media will speak highly of them. The way the news, reporters and other medias talks about the candidates effect on peoples opinion and whether the opinions of the media is good or bad can really affect the outcome of the result. There are other significant examples that portray this idea of the media controlling and altering opinions.
Flynn also creates this idea of our societies dependency on the media. As stated before, it is apparent that we rely on the media and give it the too much power. Nick’s character portrays this idea because he is constantly looking to act. He is looking to act like a character in a movie or television show. He is trying to act the way he “should” act. This problem only arises because of the social media. The media has set an image and it’s an image that people think they have to form to. That is why we have so many issues with eating disorders and girls with no self-confidence. Nick felt like he was suppose to be acting a certain way and kept looking into past movies he has seen or television shows where the spouse looses their other spouse. This was supposedly going to help him act a certain way. There was rarely a genuine act with Nick. He says, “I have no idea how I am suppose to be doing. There’s no ‘When Your Wife Goes Missing 101’” (52) Nick had this idea that there was a way he should be reacting because obviously his reactions weren’t getting the results he wanted. He states, “We were being forced to perform the scene that TV viewed expected: the worried but hopeful family.” (60) Like Nick says, the media forces you to act a certain way to create an image, hopefully a well-liked image. And without turning to movies or actors, Nick didn’t know how he should be reacting to all of this.
The media is creating these impossible images to conform to. This is why being homosexual, nerdy or fat is frowned upon. There is this picture perfect world that the media has created and if your not happily married for twenty-five years and have beautiful children then there will be a story on you. Just think about when a celebrity comes out of the closet, you better know that it will be the cover story in four different magazines. It is getting worse as time goes on. The media is getting more intrusive in personal lives. People aren’t giving consent anymore, the media can say whatever they want. This happened to Nick in the novel when the media was calling him a murderer, cheater, etc. He had no say. He was powerless.
Nick also found it unfair that when a wife goes missing, why is it always the husband’s or males in her past life that the media and police think are guilty. The husband is the first to get questioned and accused, why? Well, on the news, it is more common that a male is the criminal rather than women. In state or federal prison in 2001, there were nearly nine times as many men as there were women, calculating about 5,037,000 men and 581,000 women. It’s guilt by association. The media’s important figures make the public perceive men as the “bad guy”. Maybe it is because of the feminists out there, or past anger from unequal gender rights, or maybe it’s because it’s what people see and know. Probably all of the above. However, this can be detrimental in certain cases. Nick’s for example, he was completely innocent. Clearly he didn’t have the best past record but he wasn’t a murderer, his wife was crazy. In his defense, the media had the power to sway the public and policies ideas and were able to come to the conclusion that he was guilty. If Amy didn’t come back and Nick was sent to prison and then on death row, would it have been okay to kill an innocent man just because we are quick to assume? Why are we giving the media so much power in determining our opinions if it could literally kill an innocent man?
These are ideas to think about and this is why Flynn incorporated it into her novel. She was looking to bring awareness. It is understandable that technology and the media are growing with immense strength but it is our job as human beings to be aware of its impact. Let the media guide you, not change who are you and your morals. Do and be what you believe in, don’t give it that power.
Proposal:
A main theme and emphasis in Gillian Flynn’s top seller, Gone Girl, is the impact and affect of media. For my final writing project, I will examine and analyze Flynn’s perspective and incorporate my own and research. I chose this for my writing project because the affect of media surely interests me and I find it amazing how much power we give it. I am directly guilty of following the pressures of the media and I thought it would be interesting to examine how Flynn incorporates this prominent theme into her mysterious and thrilling novel.
There are scenes from the novel that Flynn takes the time to explain in detail, with good imagery, that portrays the excessive role of media in our culture. Character Nick constantly has hundred or reporters, cameras, interviewees and other gossipers looking for information. He barely even stays at his own house because of the amount of people peeking into his windows and drilling questions into him as he enters his home. Even Go’s house is swarmed with news casters and other people working for the media. Flynn’s idea throughout the novel is that the media has a way to manipulate the public into believing a certain way. Nick mentions countless of times about how “the husband is always the bad guy,” which is why he thinks that the public see’s him as the murderer. It is common for the husband or even the male to be the guilty one, so therefore, he is the first accused of committing the crime. Flynn uses this to relay the theme of the power the media has in easily persuading the public to think a certain way.
Another way Flynn incorporates this theme is Nick’s constant reference to TV shows, movies and other technology driven tools. This portrays the dependence on the movies and television or social media. This is used a tool to help Nick figure out how he “should” act. Nick says, “I cant recall a single amazing thing I have seen firsthand that I didn’t immediately reference to a movie or TV show.” This idea is closely knit to how dependent our society is on the “secondhand experience” that Nick talks about (72). People are influenced by the information they hear second hand, like the information from the social media, rather than first hand information.
Lastly, Flynn exemplifies this reoccurring theme through Nick’s unofficial interview in the bar. Nick speaks highly of his runaway wife and expresses his “deep love” for her, which we know is fake. However, he does it for a reaction from the social media and society and it works. People again, are manipulated and swayed into believing a certain thing depending on how the media reacts. Since the media saw Nick as a genuine guy in this scene of the novel, people were actually believing he wasn’t guilty. It was that easy.
I am fascinated by the fact that we as a society and culture give the media so much power and I completely agree with Flynn’s ideas and perspectives. She portrays the media as overbearing and overwhelming and it really seems to be getting like that. News spreads within seconds through the social media. It’s amazing. As time goes on, the media is getting more involved and pushing into person lives without hesitation. Everyone is looking for the top story and will do anything to get it. Although Flynn may have portrayed the media as a little more excessive and overbearing than it really is, I think that someday it will actually be that intense. In my final writing project, I plan to take direct quotes from the novel to reveal Flynn’s perspective and incorporate research into the idea of why the husband or male is often accused of being guilty prior to accusing a woman or someone else.
emmabaughman 