Existentialism The Novel Fight Club - 985 Words

By the definition of existentialism, it is the theory that one gives an action a value by the virtue of choosing said action to begin with. It is an approach that emphasizes any existence of an individual that is â€Å"condemned to be free† (McCutcheon, p. 91) and are therefore agents who have no other choice but to be accountable for those actions in which they produce. In a way, it is as if existentialism is contrary to essentialism. The idea that existence precedes essence manifests itself in the movie Fight Club. This movie shows many themes of existentialism, where the main character struggles between his â€Å"everyday self† and the â€Å"inner self† he longs to become. The Narrator soon learns that it is only when one strips away everything they thought they knew about themselves—down to an empty shell of who they are—that you may build back up into a new and complete person with a real identity and the capability of decision making. The thr ee themes of existentialism that the movie portrays are: (1)) the awareness of what you are and assuming responsibility, (2) the aspect of choosing how one may define themselves with respect to the world they exist in, and lastly, (3) the confrontation of mental pain in order to reach a genuine state of â€Å"being for itself†. For a quick overview of the beginning of the movie, Fight Club shows the mundane, routine life of a man—who is given no name, so we refer to him as The Narrator— who suffers from prolonged insomnia who fails to findShow MoreRelatedExistentialism And The Beliefs Of The Movement1454 Words   |  6 Pagesquotes in Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk that is a good summary of existentialism and the beliefs of the movement. Existentialism was a turning point for society and literature that advocated the expansion of the minds of authors and their readers so we could improve our thinking to be more enlightened and free. The movement sparked much al ternative thinking to allow our society to grow into what it is today and without it people would most likely be more close minded and less free. Existentialism was a