The Couple Next Door

The Perfect Marriage: Gone Girl and The Couple Next Door 12th Grade

In many novels that depict the story of relationship, a woman meets a man throughout the plot in social institutions such as school, at a party, at the mall, or even online. Soon this couple falls in love, and eventually decides to tie the knot; the legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship, otherwise known as marriage. The myth of the perfect marriage comes from expectations that society set on couples who are conditioned to expect the ‘happily ever after’ fairytale, whereas many marriages lead to affairs, divorces, and custody battles, resulting in the complete opposite of the fantasy. Marco and Anne Conti from Shari Lapena’s The Couple Next Door, and Nick and Amy Dunn from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl are both prime examples of marriages that fall under the false perceptions of the perfect marriage. In these two novels, it is seen that both female characters, Amy and Anne have caught a glimpse of what a perfect marriage is supposed to look like based on their parents relationship, and would take revenge, or any means necessary to get what they want; the ideal marriage.

There are many roles individuals play in society, to their bosses, parents, friends, siblings, teachers,...

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