Transcript Fight Club- pg 1-29 Chapter I

Political Thinking
POL 161
Erik Rankin
Fight Club 1-29
Fight Club- Intro
• Chuck Palahniuk- The author
• The Characters
– The narrator
– Tyler Durden
– Marla Singer
– Bob
• Setting
– Modern day (too modern if you ask Tyler)
Fight Club- pg 1-29
• Chapter I
– Introduction to characters Tyler, narrator, and Marla
– Opens with a gun in the narrators mouth that apparently
belongs to Tyler
– “We wont really die.”
– “I know this because Tyler knows this.”
– Space Monkeys
– Short destructive snippets throughout the entire book i.e..
How to make napalm, soap, blasting gelatin, etc…
– Plot is revealed, they are going to blow up numerous
financial buildings, & historical relics
– This is our world, now, our world,” Tyler says, “and those
ancient people are dead.”
Fight Club- pg.1-29
– “I want Tyler. Tyler wants Marla. Marla wants
me.”
• Chapter II
– Introduced to Bob
– What does Bob represent?
– Introduced to the various help groups that the
narrator attends
– Why is the narrator at these help groups?
– How long has he done this?
– Vague upbeat names (lies or propaganda?)
– Discussion of pills (candy)
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• “On a long enough time line, the survival rate
for everyone will drop to zero.”
• Why does the author insert this type of
statement?
• Discussion of insomnia
• Narrators version of freedom (p.12)
• Introduction of Marla
– Why does the narrator hate Marla?
– Why is this a vacation for the narrator?
Fight Club- pg.1-29
• So the narrator has a wicked case of
insomnia…how does he want to correct it?
• Doctor actually suggested where to see real pain..
Which was?
• Minor character Chloe is introduced
• Description of Bob’s condition
• These groups allow the narrator to relax, he can
sleep again
• Not just any sleep, “Babies don’t sleep this well.”
• Freedom is to lose all hope, according to the
narrator
• Then Marla shows up…”Her lie reflects my lie”
Fight Club- pg.1-29
• Chapter III
– Introduction of Tyler
– Who is he and where does he work…according to this
point in time?
– Some people are night people….
– You wake up at Dulles, O'Hare…..
– The narrators obsession with the plane crashing, why?
– I know this because Tyler knows this
– His description of the airline seat card
– Tiny life or the movie version of single servings
– Lose and hour, gain and hour
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• The narrators job
• Who does he work for?
• What does he do?
– Apply the formula? A times B times C equals X
– Its time for a vacation
– Movie departure: A nude beach?
– If I could wake up in a different place, at a
different time, could I wake up as a different
person?
– Perfect moment (fascist timeline analogy)
Fight Club- pg.1-29
• Chapter 4
– Discussion of positive medical state
– Death of Chloe
– Power animal
– Is the narrator convincing you that he hates
Marla?
– Marla doesn’t have testicular cancer
– What did Marla do for a living?
– Why did no one catch the narrator?