Revenge Quotes in Gone Girl

Here Nick changes the title of Amy's book series from its original goody-goody connotation to something a little more accurate. Amy might be amazing in her capacity to plot devastating revenge, but we really think Avenging Amy has a better ring to it.

The detail of Amy's plan, right down to the symbolism in the puppets gift, has to impress you. To her, revenge isn't just something casually contemplated—you either go big or go home.

Is it just us, or does Amy seem more upset that Nick ruined her perfect fairy-tale life than the fact that he cheated on her? Her desire for vengeance isn't about him wrecking the trust in their marriage (if there ever was trust to begin with)—it's because for the first time in her life, someone might think she's Average Amy instead of Amazing Amy. Heaven forbid.

One thing that makes Amy such a frightening character is how calculating she is. Because she intends for Nick to get the death penalty, she's essentially committing premeditated murder and actually does commit this crime when she kills Desi later in the book. Statements like this completely expose her sociopathic tendencies—she truly has no remorse for her actions and will go to whatever lengths required to accomplish the "perfect murder."

Wait—did we just read that right? Amy's going to commit suicide? Check this out, guys—she wants revenge on Nick so badly that she's willing to actually die so the cops have the ultimate piece of evidence against him: her body. Now that takes rage to a whole new level.

We know Amy delights in making people pay for even the slightest violation against her, but what exactly makes her the way Nick describes her in this statement to the cops? It could be because of the pressures her parents placed on her to actually be Amazing Amy, not just herself. Because she was raised as a storybook character and not with the freedom to be her own person, there's got to be a lot of pent-up rage there. And someone's got to bear the brunt of it.

This statement from Hilary Handy, the original Noelle Hawthorne, is pretty frightening. Amy physically harmed herself and blamed it on Hilary so she could get revenge for the imperfections Hilary saw in her. That's small potatoes compared to framing your husband for murder, but it also shows the roots of Amy's vengeful personality. This isn't something new to her marriage with Nick—it's been going on since she was a teenager.

Do we detect hypocrisy in this statement? Amy was a "beloved" child herself, even if her parents' love was slightly misplaced onto a fictional character. There's no doubt that Amy got the best of everything, being the child of rich, successful authors, and there's also no doubt that she too has lied, been selfish, and done plenty of things no one has called her out on. By her standards, Amy really deserves to have someone frame her for murder.

You know what's funny? Amy's revenge is contagious—once Nick realizes what she's trying to do, and especially once she comes home and they're back on the same turf, he starts playing the revenge game too. Unfortunately for him, though, he's no match for Avenging Amy.

Ultimately both Amy and Nick's anger and desire for revenge is directed at their families. In Nick's case, it's his women-hating, perpetually angry father, who's spent this entire book slowly fading due to Alzheimer's while Nick anxiously awaits his demise. Nick thinks that finally having his father gone will bring relief from his painful childhood, but these vengeful thoughts only lead to emptiness. His hatred and lack of respect for his father ran so deep that with those emotions gone, his mind has nowhere to turn.