The Portrait of Twentieth Century Male in the Novel Fight Club
The novel Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk is an examination of the twentieth century male. The twentieth century male faces a web of idealized rhetoric that publicly condemns qualities associated with typical manhood, yet still expects men to perform the same tasks they have been asked to perform since the beginning of time, such as protecting their home and family, to defend their nation and expand and grow their community. Thus the twentieth century male is experiencing a bipolar identity crisis.
The twentieth century male is experiencing conflict in the midst of change in their cultural environment. Young twentieth century males are the intended target audience of the author, however, it may be wise for young females to read this novel as well. It may aid them in better understanding some of the internal struggles that young males endure today. The novel never seemed to have a dull moment although it can be difficult to comprehend at times. When it is difficult to follow along with the story, there is a direct relationship with how much fulfillment you will receive. It may be wise to also view the film Fight Club to enhance one’s understanding of the novel. The novel's cover is enticing, however, it can also be deceiving. It may portray the novel revolving around gang violence, but in actuality that is not the case.
A question that the author should be asked is why he ended the novel without informing the reader on the Narrator's life after death, that is, Tyler Durden's death. Now that the Narrator's alter ego is finally out of the picture, the reader wants to know how the Narrator now lives his life. Is he happy? Sad? We will never know because the novel ends in the Mental Asylum where the Narrator is getting treated.
A question that the Narrator should be asked is why he never revealed his real name. By never saying his proper name, it allows the Narrator to appear as a sort of everyman. He could be anyone, including the reader. This question for the Narrator should be asked because there is no explanation for never giving his real name, even though there was countless times in the novel where his real name should have been introduced. This also mirrors Tyler's practice in Project Mayhem, where members do not have any names.
Overall what was disappointing in the novel is that the Narrator did not find peace within himself at the end of the novel. The change that should be made to the plot is the ending, and the flashback at the start should not exist. I would not recommend this novel. In my opinion a story like this should only be shown through a movie because you need to visually see the split personality with the Narrator. Flashbacks are easy to comprehend in a movie form, unlike reading a novel.
