Fight Club

Men in the novel gravitate toward Fight Club and Project Mayhem because they want to feel something real. The Narrator notes that even if he sees a fighter in public, they do not acknowledge fights when they are out in the “real” world. How does the novel define what is “real,” and how does this definition change as the story progresses?

Bob and Chloe’s bodies defy gender stereotypes. Compare the fates of these two characters and examine what the novel offers its reader regarding bodies which exist outside traditional binary norms.

Midway through the novel, the Narrator begins writing haiku poems. At first, he faxes them to the other employees in his office, but then he begins to write them in his head during times of stress. Select one of the Narrator’s haikus and explore its connections to the novel.