Fight Club Paradox of Conformity
Watching Fight Club, the central theme seemed to me to be an anti-capitalist, individualistic approach to life. Tyler rejects the idea that we should blindly follow the whims of our bosses and that we should not assert ourselves in society or repress our aggression.
That is why it seemed rather paradoxical to me that the group he organizes to attack society seems to exercise very similar conventions. Whenever someone asks about the plan, everyone simply responds with 'The first rule is not to discuss Project Mayhem'. Everyone falls into line to execute a plan designed from the top down. But what makes this so different from the society that they hate? It seems to me that a larger contrast could have easily been drawn had their group instead been composed of free individuals who make their own decision but collectively oppose the observed domination of the individual.
I think it was inconsistent to choose such a militaristic structure for their group in which the individual is put below the group.
That is why it seemed rather paradoxical to me that the group he organizes to attack society seems to exercise very similar conventions. Whenever someone asks about the plan, everyone simply responds with 'The first rule is not to discuss Project Mayhem'. Everyone falls into line to execute a plan designed from the top down. But what makes this so different from the society that they hate? It seems to me that a larger contrast could have easily been drawn had their group instead been composed of free individuals who make their own decision but collectively oppose the observed domination of the individual.
I think it was inconsistent to choose such a militaristic structure for their group in which the individual is put below the group.
This also bothered me, especially with the statement that "in project mayhem we don't have names," showing that the men surrender their identities in the same way that the nameless narrator does. However, I think there's an important idea behind their continued subservience. Even though everyone is discontented with society and following its conventions, very few people can actually come up with a better alternative. The truth that the film conveys is that people hate monotony but freedom is overrated: There is a lot more comfort and security in blindly following someone else's rebellion than actually deciding for yourself how you want to change your life. That's why Tyler Durden is so influential. He appeals to everyone's pent up frustration and takes advantage of their dependence on leadership.
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