Both the film and novel versions of Fight Club lend well to spirited literary debate, as well as more serious academic analysis and cultural interpretation. And taboo or not, if an idea can be considered, then it can be realized - that is to state: if a thought can be created by an individual, there is always the possibility of acting on the idea. It’s subjective to state whether or not an idea is good or bad, and to do so is often irrelevant: but merely, an acknowledgment of the idea, as well as the utilization of logic and communication, could assist in the understanding and implication of the idea in question.
There is No Such Thing as a ‘Definitive’ Text
A text is any identifiable cultural component open to interpretation, and with that said: there is always more that can be said. From blogs to dissertations, much has already been written about author Chuck Palahniuk and his radical brainchild Fight Club; moreover, it’s been easily dismissed by some and too passionately revered by others. No matter the angles, implication, themes, or motifs, a recent re-viewing indicates Palahniuk may have predicted more than he intended.
True Anarchy: There is a Future and it is Not Just Ours
Palahniuk’s narrator(s) indicate abhorrence for consumer culture and capitalistic quagmires; additionally, they resort to elaborate designs and devious schemes, occasional violence and havoc, as opposed to truly anarchistic systems’ alternatives. True anarchists understand the need for orderly systems, often opposing hierarchical construct instead: change deriving from true chaos breeds more chaos, thus changing nothing. Fight Club characters attempt to change the status quo, but their methods are for external collusion, as opposed to internal validation.
The Epiphany: But Changing a Way of Thinking is Not as Easy as it Sounds
Other than credit destruction and gardening, the texts do not directly address how change can be accomplished within long-standing arrangements such as capitalism and consumerism. The fact that there is another way simply may not occur to most people, thus how are they to exact the change if the thought remains unimagined. Much inference can be made, but unless the change is made on an individual’s behalf, inertia often reigns.
US Recession Cures Inertia: Equality Still Missing
During the recession, decisions to slow consumer tendencies or extinguish credit ratings occurred without desire – and the inability to halt the process. Capitalism/Consumerism flaws were highlighted, while moving many individuals, often unintentionally, in various directions. Fight Club addresses the need for equality, but does not show the productive means for achieving such. The recession emphasizes the same inequality within US social strata, but once again has yet to address productive means for closing that gap.
The New Fight Club – for Survival
The club is huge - with most US citizens as members. Individuals in the new US economy have little time to fight others or themselves, as attentions have been diverted to foraging for basics like food and shelter. Previous credit purchases, or once pleasurable expenditures, are now unnecessary as Americans learn to prioritize and question what is vital and important - and also the majority of which we once considered as such, is actually quite expendable.
Rhonda Baughman - Dr. Rhonda Baughman is a graduate of Kent State (Honors College), Antioch Univ. McGregor (Midwest), and Argosy University, Chicago.
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