The Dualism of Human Nature in “Fight Club” Dennis Odhiambo 12th Grade

Societal notions tend to allude that an individual is either one thing or the other and not both; however, this contradicts our very basic human nature, as we possess and can find duality within ourselves. Human nature is imbued with conflict and duplicity, and the battle between our dual selves molds us to who we are. In the classic film Fight Club, this notion is brought to life vividly and in an allegorical manner that fully explores it. The film follows the unnamed narrator (Edward Norton) who is disgruntled with the life of consumerism and white-collar jobs and becomes entangled in a rapport with Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). As the film later reveals Tyler Durden as a manifestation of the protagonist’s unhinged persona, the audience understands the entire conflict between the characters is an internal mental battle. Thus, dualism, a system of thought that polarizes our perceptions, creating opposing antitheses that views the other as an enemy and strives to conquer. In Freudian thought, the psyche is made up of id as the instinctual impulses, the superego as the moral conscience and the ego which balances both demands. The protagonist, as the ego, fails to compromise between the two. Subsequently, ends up identifying with the...