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  • Essay / The question of authorial identity in Fight Club

    Throughout the novel Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, the search for identity and meaning in life is explored through different aspects of the novel, in particularly the characterization and development of the narrator. When readers first meet the narrator, he has no purpose in life and has essentially lost any sense of personal identity. He pretends to be sick to feel a connection with others. Throughout the novel, the narrator begins to develop who he is through the struggles he endures, particularly with Tyler Durden. Tyler is unconsciously created by the narrator in order to help him in his search for his identity. Tyler brings a new perspective to the narrator's life that helps him discover what he really wants out of life. The negative consequences endured by the narrator due to Tyler's actions ruin his life but somehow allow the narrator to find a sense of appreciation for his traditionalist identity at the beginning of the novel and help him discover how he wants live your life. life.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Early in the novel, Palahniuk shows the narrator's lack of personal identity through the narrator's actions and characterization. The narrator turns to different support groups for illnesses he does not have in order to feel emotion and a sense of identity in his life. When he joins support groups, like Free and Clear, to fight against blood parasites, it causes him to cry because at that moment, “[his] life is of no use” (Palahniuk 17). He is able to relate to different people in these groups, which helps him express his emotions. For example, in a support group, the narrator meets Big Bob who “puts his arms around [the narrator]” every week and lets him cry (Palahniuk 17). By showing this release of emotion from the narrator, Palahniuk shows that the narrator is not just a robot created by society and that he wants to change his life in order to feel human and find meaning in his life. It was in one of these support groups where he met Marla Singer with whom he ended up falling in love. These different support groups allow the narrator to bond and connect with others over a common negative factor in their lives. The narrator connects with others under false pretenses, just to feel like he belongs to something. Also early in the novel, readers continue to see how the narrator had no sense of identity when referring to himself as different human organs. He states "I am Jane's uterus" and "I am Joe Prostate", which tells the reader that he considers himself very ordinary (Palahniuk 58). He identifies as part of a larger whole, which demonstrates his belief that he does not have complete control of his identity. The narrator has no desire to continue living the meaningless life that he is, which is shown when he asks "if I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up like a different person” (Palahniuk 33)? By attending different support groups and expressing his lack of identity, the narrator begins his search for his individuality and his life's purpose. The narrator unconsciously creates another character named Tyler, who helps him discover who he is and what he wants from life. Tyler's introduction to the narrator helps advance his search for individuality. This progression comes from the destruction of the narrator's life. One of the first actions Tyler takes regarding the narrator is for Tyler to blow up?