Duality in Fight Club

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Kyle Cannon Duality of Man In the novel, Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk, our unnamed narrator and his unruly, ill-behaved side kick make trouble while discovering who they really are. As the novel begins, we meet our narrator whom remains unnamed throughout the book. Very soon after the book’s opening we meet Tyler Durden – the polar opposite of our mysterious protagonist. These two lash out against society and themselves by starting an underground fight club that extends into the streets. Soon, however, we discover that Tyler Durden is more than just a misfit best friend. Chuck Palahniuk conveys, through his main character/narrator, a theme that in every man (or woman) is a duality – two opposing forces – fighting for control, and it is in this struggle that we find who we truly are. The narrator of Fight Club is a sappy, law-abiding, dress-shirt-wearing “good boy;” he reports to his job on time every day, and he strives for what society tells him is a successful lifestyle. Big TVs, nice couches, fancy dress shirts, and a luxury condo are all that are required for comfortable, happy lives, right? According to our narrator, this is slowly becoming more of a burden – a job in itself – to keep up with the expectations of society. He meets Tyler Durden – the true “Most Interesting Man in the World,” and finds that there is a life worth more than silver and gold. This “Mr. Durden,” is our novel’s antagonist while also being the narrator’s best friend. He shows our button down hero that life holds more valuable things than material possessions. Tyler said, “It’s only after you’ve lost everything that you’re free to do anything” (Palahniuk 119). Tyler wanted his friend to see that material possessions tied a person down like an anchor. The only way to truly be free was to leave it all behind. Tyler opens our protagonist’s eyes to a world of
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