Symbolism In Pride And Prejudice And Gone Girl

“He loves me, he loves me not.” and “I’m going to make your life miserable until you die.” are two very different sentences. At a first glance these statements don’t seem to have much in common, but underneath the surface they are more alike than meets the eye. Like the two sentences above, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn both have very distinct overlying differences. For example, the plots and narrations that the authors chose are almost complete opposites. On the other hand, even if they aren’t exactly alike, there are some commonalities interwoven throughout the stories; like the matching threads of themes and symbolism. In both novels, there is a repetitive use of places as symbols for people or experiences …show more content…
The Mississippi is a metaphor for Amy and Nick's troubled and unstable relationship. The issues between them are large, deep, and overwhelming complicated, mirroring the river itself. One of the main characters Nick, gestures at the river as he tells us that their home isn't "built on some safe bluff overlooking the Mississippi—we are on the Mississippi" (1.36). This symbolizes that their family isn’t in a safe place anymore, and the troubled waters are lapping at their ankles. Even Amy's father seems to sense the darkness that the river reflects on their life. He says: "When Amy talked about moving back here, back along the Ole Mississippi River, with you, I pictured… green farmland, apple trees, and those great old barns. I have to tell you, it's really quite ugly here." (17.65). This also represents Nick and Amy's life together as it just gets uglier and uglier. Amy is "sending [Nick] up the river" (31.25), both literally and figuratively. On the literal level, she's trying to send him to prison as revenge for his infidelity. On a metaphorical level, she does send him to the prison of their marriage, of being forced to stay with her once she returns. Both Austen and Flynn use symbols and metaphors help us pick up on some of the subtext interwoven amongst the narration that you might not have picked up from just from the …show more content…
In Austen’s work, everyone wants to get married but there isn’t a lot of love. For sisters, Jane and Lizzy, there love with Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy is something short of a miracle because it didn’t happen very often back then. This is because the core of most marriages back in the late 18th and early 19th century as we can see from Pride and Prejudice, were economic necessity or from lust. For example, when Mr. Collin’s proposes not so dashingly with his prepared list, ".. My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish; secondly, that I am convinced that it will add very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly—which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness…” (19.9). Also, when Elizabeth has a revelation about her parents' marriage, “Her father, captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her. Respect, esteem, and confidence had vanished forever; and all his views of domestic happiness were overthrown…” (42.1). But at this