From Narcissistic Subject To Ethical Subject ——Lacanian Representation Of Nick’s Self Identification In Gone Girl

Since its publication in 2012,Gillian Flynn’s third novel,Gone Girl,has topped bestseller lists in a number of nations.The work is multi-themed,addressing topics of gender,marriage,social culture,and class,among others.Flynn chronicles the story of Nick and Amy,a young couple,from their meeting to their marriage,Nick’s infidelity,Amy arranging her own disappearance and framing Nick,and Nick’s self-rescue and eventual reconciliation with Amy.By focusing on the complex psychological journey of the main characters Nick and Amy,the story profoundly illustrates the struggle and bewilderment of modern Westerners on the road to self-search.Jacques Lacan,a distinguished 20th century French psychoanalyst,devotes his life to the exploration of the subject.According to Lacan,the construction of the subject usually goes through two identifications: the primary identification occurs in the mirror stage,in which the individual takes only the “small other” that conforms to him or her as the mirror,and ultimately constructs a false subject that can only exist in the imaginary world;the secondary identification occurs after the mirror stage,in which the individual takes the ethical “big other”,such as the social order,the rules of language,and others people in reality as a mirror,and ultimately constructs a subject with realistic feasibility.Based on Lacan’s theory of the subject,this thesis analyzes and interprets the developmental changes of the main character Nick’s self identification in the above two stages.Nick’s pre-stage has been obsessed with self-achievement.The two images of writer and New York resident make him arrogant.When the reality of his mediocrity is revealed,he feels bewildered and desperate.In his relationships,Nick also pursues an image of being a perfect and free heart-throb.And he wishfully believes that others,including his wife Amy,are as perfect as his ideal,which leads to his relationship crisis.With the illusions of his self-achievement and relationships shattered,Nick’s spirit goes into meltdown and his actions lead to the mistake of infidelity to his marriage.In the end,Nick slowly shifts towards identification with the rules of the big Other as he and his wife wrestle with each other due to her self-planned disappearance.And he rediscovers his identity as a guardian of the law to prevent his wife’s crime,a collaborator in social dialogue,a shared subject with the other,and a selfless giver for the well-being of his family.This study argues that the individual’s subject construction cannot be achieved without the participation of the other,so the narcissistic identification is bound to lead to failed subject construction,and the ethical and other-oriented identification is what makes the subject truly grounded in reality.