The Search for Male Identity within Modern Society
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advertising that they have lost the ability to define themselves on their own.
Susan Faludi describes how Jack’s very utility as a member of the male sex has
come under attack: “Behind the extremities of his character is the modem male
predicament . . . Jack traverses a barren landscape familiar to many men who
must contend with a world stripped of socially useful male roles and saturated
with commercial images of masculinity” (89).
Once Fight Club is fully established, Tyler preaches this philosophy to
the members showing that it is not only an interpersonal belief but also a
convergence of beliefs among all group members. He explains, “You are not
your job .. . you are not how much money you have in the bank . . . not the car
you drive . . . not the contents of your wallet. You are not your fucking khakis.
We are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world” (Fincher). In addition to
the focus on an individual’s definition of identity based on the items they own,
Tyler and Fight Club members also address a much broader and less tangible
aspect of male identity associated with traditionally masculine actions and
attitudes:
What were once claimed to be manly virtues (heroism,
independence, courage, strength, rationality, will, backbone,
virility) have become masculine vices (abuse, destructive
aggression, coldness, emotional inarticulacy, detachment,
isolation, an inability to be flexible, to communicate, to
empathize, to be soft, supportive or life affirming). (Macinnes
313-14)
When Jack loses his condominium and all his belongings, Tyler
characterizes the situation in terms of male sexuality and the implicit power that
the phallus has. “You know man, it could be worse. A woman could cut off your
penis while you’re sleeping and toss it out the window of a moving car”
(Fincher). This sexualization of masculinity and its resulting impact on
male/female relationships is yet another method in which Tyler’s worldview
utilizes pre-women’s liberation stereotypes as a means to reaffirm the role of
men within society.
Promises Kept: Rhetorical Visions
The symbolic convergence that takes place between Jack and Tyler, as
well as within the confines of Fight Club, eventually forms a series of rhetorical
visions that then guide Fight Club from a small group interaction into the larger
social movement of Project Mayhem. These rhetorical visions become crucial to
this membership transfer because without the isolation of larger social themes,
there is no guarantee that Tyler’s vision of the world would gain momentum.
The first major rhetorical vision that gains footing within Fight Club is
the mythology and godlike status attributed to the founder, Tyler Durden. Two