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  • Essay / Fight Club: Trying to Find Your True Self

    Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club is an anarchic and pessimistic novel that depicts the need for identity in life and Palahniuk explains, through the narrator's personality disorder, that the desire for meaning is the only internal motivation of civilization. In the narrator's speech throughout the novel, Palahniuk describes how a death without identity is the worst possible death. First in Fight Club, then in Project Mayhem, the character of Tyler Durden shows how ultimate motivation will come from a person's need to own a place in history. The author explains that the path to finding one's meaning is not easy and can in fact turn into a desperate and indecisive struggle, as it does in the narrator's case. Fight Club shares a modern perspective on the meaning of life and shows how desire can influence the lives of men and women around the world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Palahniuk gives his first perspective on the desire to find meaning in life through the action of the narrator. The narrator lives a life without meaning and he realizes that a death without identity would be a waste of time on earth. His insomnia makes the situation even worse. At the beginning of the book, he feels like a space monkey and says, “You are doing the little job you are trained to do. Pull a lever. Press a button. You don’t understand any of this, and then you die” (p. 12). This commentary introduces the reader to society's intense need for meaning. Most people find meaning in materialistic possessions, but the narrator, after losing everything he owns in the explosion of his condominium, perceives that the true meaning of his life will be in what he accomplishes. The narrator's quest for meaning ultimately results in the formation of Tyler Durden, his alter ego. Tyler is everything the narrator wants to be. He is the perfect example of what the narrator wants in life. As the novel progresses, the narrator becomes more and more like Tyler. He evolves to become the person he wants to become, and this arises from motivation in his search for meaning. This development depends on Fight Club, which he created to provide an outlet for society. In Fight Club, the narrator is free. He states, “After Fight Club, you're so relaxed that you just don't care” (p. 139). This relaxation allows the narrator to concentrate on his life and to influence that of other men. Without this ability, the narrator would be just another space monkey. The author explains how lack of identity provides motivation, and this is illustrated by Tyler and the narrator. In Fight Club and Project Mayhem, Tyler Durden shows how ultimate motivation will come from a person's need to own a place in history. Tyler creates a Fight Club based on this principle. Fight Club provides an outlet for anyone who is tired of their work. Fight Club is an outlet for anyone experiencing problems in their life. When their problems are put aside, the men of Fight Club will have more time to focus on making their mark on the world. When they are ready to do so, Tyler creates Project Mayhem. Tyler motivates the men by making them wait outside the house on Paper Street for three days. The narrator states, “Tyler didn't care whether other people were hurt or not. The goal was to teach each man in the project that he had the power to control history” (p. 122). Tyler motivates men by focusing on their desire to control their own story. He uses this motivation to transform them into his ownform space monkeys, and these men transform into Tyler's force to leave his mark on the world. Tyler tells the men, “You are not a beautiful, unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone else, and we are all part of the same compost pile” (p. 134). Using the power of motivating men for their individuality in Project Mayhem, Tyler allows each person to make their identity known. The men of Project Mayhem are not even recognized by name. The narrator states: “Only in death will we have our own names since it is only in death that we no longer participate in the effort. In death we become heroes (p. 178). This motivates the men to give their best in Project Mayhem efforts. In death, they will be honored as heroes and their lifelong goal for an identity will be achieved. Tyler declares, when he threatens the commissioner who wants to close Fight Club: “The people you are trying to step on, we are all the people you depend on. We are the ones who do your laundry, cook your food, and serve your dinner. We make your bed. We watch you while you sleep. We drive the ambulances. We direct your call. We are cooks and taxi drivers and we know everything about you. We handle your insurance claims and credit card charges. We control every part of your life” (p. 166). The most important men in the company find motivation in Tyler's plans, and these men continue to work for Tyler, knowing that they can complete their quest for identity. Through Tyler's work with these men of Project Mayhem, men who carry out the tasks necessary for the world's survival, Palahniuk does a remarkable job of describing how the desire for meaning provides personal motivation in global civilization. life is not easy, and the author shows this in the narrator's struggles, flaws, and eventual personal transformation. His insomnia makes his path even more difficult to follow. The narrator states, “It’s like that with insomnia. Everything is so far away, copy upon copy upon copy. Insomnia is at a distance from everything, you can't touch anything and nothing can touch you” (p. 21). His insomnia leaves him unable to distinguish dreams from reality, which makes Tyler's character very influential in his life. As the novel progresses, the narrator builds more on what Tyler would do. He's struggled to get to this point and morally questions whether he's doing the right thing. This becomes clear at the end of the novel. The narrator says: “The world is going crazy. My boss is dead. My house is gone. My job is gone. And I am responsible for everything” (p. 193). The narrator continues his evolution toward Tyler, and during an argument with Marla, they say, "Why should I believe all of this?" » It happens so quickly. I say, because I think I like you. Marla says, “No love. ?'That's a pretty cheesy moment,' I said. Don't push. (p. 197) At this moment, the narrator regained his emotion. He is no longer controlled by Tyler. The narrator notes that he can be an individual and still make a difference. This is how he finds himself on top of the Parker Morris building. His evolution into individuality has been completely emotional and he realizes how many lives he has destroyed. Toward the end of the book, he says, “It’s like a moment of total epiphany for me. I don't commit suicide, I scream. I kill Tyler. I'm Joe's hard drive. I remember everything” (p. 204). He commits suicide to get rid of the demons in his life that Tyler had created. The author proves that the search for individuality will not always lead to happiness, but it will result in something.