Archetype In Amy Dunne's Cool Girl

I have personally never identified with a high school archetype, but I have had one consistently projected onto me. People pin me as the “Cool Girl”. In Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Amy Dunne reflects on the “Cool Girl” archetype in her infamous monologue. Dunne states, “Men always say that as the defining compliment, don’t they? She’s a cool girl. […] Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrinned, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. (210)” stating that this perpetually attractive and understanding woman does not exist. I find this interesting because it demolishes the unrealistic archetype that is present in society. Cool Girl isn’t real, but she is harmfully expected to be fulfilled by women in real life.
Dunne addresses the trouble in this too. Some women willingly fulfill these roles, reducing themselves for acceptance. They’re expected to. However, I refuse to let myself be a “Cool Girl.” This has personally affected me because men I know have projected these beliefs on me and then been disappointed when I don’t follow their expectations. Amy Dunne does not let her husband quarantine her to an archetype. She learns to be herself. She is a …show more content…
I am not an archetype. Yes, I am friendly, understanding, and open. I have a sharp sense of humor, and I can take an insult with a grin. But I have flaws, thoughts, opinions and aspirations. If I don’t like the way somebody is being treated, I will say something. Few see it, but I have a temper. I have a long fuse to a big bomb. I wear make up because it makes me feel confident. I like stuffed animals and research. I like Rocky Road Ice Cream and Steinbeck. I hate bowling. I have a lot of traits, some good and some bad. No matter how badly men may want me to be, I am not a Cool Girl. But I am not just an archetype, or at least not a high school one. High school archetypes are kind of superficial. Jung’s archetypes are more true to the human