Widening the Feminist Lens: Gillian Flynn\u27s Exploration of Female Villainy

Gillian Flynn challenges fiction\u27s male-dominated presence by asserting female presence in number, relevance, and agency. Instead of following patriarchal expectations which maintain that female characters must be virtuous, Flynn evokes female villains whose complexities and monstrous actions extend beyond the limits of the Gothic tradition from which she draws. Although Flynn champions female agency within her fiction, her efforts meet harsh criticism from mainstream audience, specifically regarding Gone Girl. I assert the backlash stems from the audiences\u27 failure to see Amy\u27s character apart from their own expectations of what a feminist character must represent. While feminism in general means supporting efforts for women\u27s equality in all aspects of life, and rightly so, feminism must also be understood as an individualized need since women require different forms of feminist support based on their own, unique context; thus, feminism is both a universal and individual necessity. Flynn demonstrates this feminist duality through her unique explorations of female villainy which widen fiction\u27s feminist lens