Well, that was unexpected.
I don't know quite what I thought a college English class would be like - there is a vague notion in my mind of lectures on participles - but this wasn't it. For once, my age-old formula for handling class - Read, Regurgitate, Repeat - wasn't going to work. The homework was nothing - the hard part of the class was that it forced you to think. That's a real change from high school.
To be sure, it wasn't all sunshine. The books and films - with the exception of V for Vendetta, of course - weren't quite what I would have picked. I never did enjoy violence. That is part of what college is, though, I suppose - exposure to new things and the broadenings of one's horizons.
Did I learn anything? Was the course useful? Yes! I did not learn to write, but rather to tailor my writing. I did not learn to read, but rather how to discuss what I had read. Instead of endless basic grammar and drills, we had a few papers that challenged us.
The most important thing about this course, though? It was interesting! One day we discussed whether it is wrong to do wrong to do right, the next day child soldiers. After lecture after lecture, this was a class that I could look forward to.
I wish I could retake it.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Female Fight Club
Fight Club is unarguably violent for no reason. People cannot fathom the idea of pain as a reliever. It is shunned by many; the majority label people that practice such violent acts lunatics or insane. Fight Club is more than simply a reliever or a run-away-from-your-problems paradise; it is equally fueled by the natural nature of men. Men are typically more aggressive and more physical than women are. Women typically are more emotional and more passive than men are. Stereotypes do not create truth, but they do inhibit perspectives.
Fight Club could have happened anywhere, at anytime, with anyone. For a second I am going to pretend, just imagine that, put my self in the mindset that maybe women would have a fight club. Except their fight club would consist of cute things like a tea party for instance. No really, a fight club type gathering for women today may not be that different from the fight club for men. It is becoming increasingly more popular for women to turn to violence to solve problems. Since that turning point of a movie titled “Enough” starring Jennifer Lopez, women have seemed to be more inclined to indulge in self-defense classes. Female boxing has become more popular. My high school had a female on the football team. The world is changing a little at a time.
It is highly possible that women would fight just as men would to relieve stress. Pain is nothing new to women. With things like anorexia and wrist cutting (not that these are only female things) women are more exposed to pain than ever before. They drink more alcohol and catfights are becoming more and more violent. Nowadays women fight men. With the way the country is evolving, we might as well cast Kirsten Dunst as Edward Norton’s character and Angelina Jolie as Brad Pitt’s character and let it run its course. Fight Club would be the same as male fight club in the world we live in.
Fight Club could have happened anywhere, at anytime, with anyone. For a second I am going to pretend, just imagine that, put my self in the mindset that maybe women would have a fight club. Except their fight club would consist of cute things like a tea party for instance. No really, a fight club type gathering for women today may not be that different from the fight club for men. It is becoming increasingly more popular for women to turn to violence to solve problems. Since that turning point of a movie titled “Enough” starring Jennifer Lopez, women have seemed to be more inclined to indulge in self-defense classes. Female boxing has become more popular. My high school had a female on the football team. The world is changing a little at a time.
It is highly possible that women would fight just as men would to relieve stress. Pain is nothing new to women. With things like anorexia and wrist cutting (not that these are only female things) women are more exposed to pain than ever before. They drink more alcohol and catfights are becoming more and more violent. Nowadays women fight men. With the way the country is evolving, we might as well cast Kirsten Dunst as Edward Norton’s character and Angelina Jolie as Brad Pitt’s character and let it run its course. Fight Club would be the same as male fight club in the world we live in.
Feminism
Fight Club is filled with manly defiant behavior. What would happen if they flipped the score and put women in charge? What would Fight Club and Project Mayhem turn into?
First off, women are not as concerned about being physically strong as men are. Most women in general could never overtake men in a physical fight. Women would be more likely to use their brains and their sex appeal to win battles. They would use deception and trickery to take over the world. Project Mayhem wouldn’t be about picking fights with men, it would be about seducing them or beating them in a debate. Women don’t need fighting or violence to feel significant. Women would not be trying to destroy the economy; they would be trying to take it over. Women wouldn’t want the economy to fail, but they would want to control it.
In a way, females have already had their “fight club” revolution; it was called the feminist revolution. That whole revolution was about empowering women and not settling for second best. It obviously wasn’t as extreme as the Fight Club in the story, but it was, and is, still a force to be reckoned with. Feminism started in late nineteenth century with women’s suffrage and it still continues today.
First off, women are not as concerned about being physically strong as men are. Most women in general could never overtake men in a physical fight. Women would be more likely to use their brains and their sex appeal to win battles. They would use deception and trickery to take over the world. Project Mayhem wouldn’t be about picking fights with men, it would be about seducing them or beating them in a debate. Women don’t need fighting or violence to feel significant. Women would not be trying to destroy the economy; they would be trying to take it over. Women wouldn’t want the economy to fail, but they would want to control it.
In a way, females have already had their “fight club” revolution; it was called the feminist revolution. That whole revolution was about empowering women and not settling for second best. It obviously wasn’t as extreme as the Fight Club in the story, but it was, and is, still a force to be reckoned with. Feminism started in late nineteenth century with women’s suffrage and it still continues today.
Different Sex, Different Goals.
As Dr. Phil would say, men and women are different. So it follows that if Fight Club were centered around the deviant behavior of a group of women, Fight Club would be different too. The men in Fight Club secretly meet and beat the hell out of each other. As Fight Club escalates into Project Mayhem, their activities expand into creating utter chaos through subversion, vandalism and various other crimes. These devious behaviors may be considered masculine activities, so in this case, what would women be doing in the context of Fight Club?
Women are generally perceived to be the weaker sex, and in many cultures are oppressed and forced into the subservient role. One could argue that deviant behavior for women would be any action that defies their gender role. Women could potentially meet and plan ways to overthrow the male-dominated culture. Of course, much of these could be similar to the actions undertaken in Fight Club's Project Mayhem, but with more gender oriented goals. Instead of the goal of pure mayhem and confusion, the members of this female Project Mayhem could instead look to plant the seeds of equality, or perhaps even female superiority. Fight Club would be different if the roles were reversed, but much of the same themes and plots would be present.
Women are generally perceived to be the weaker sex, and in many cultures are oppressed and forced into the subservient role. One could argue that deviant behavior for women would be any action that defies their gender role. Women could potentially meet and plan ways to overthrow the male-dominated culture. Of course, much of these could be similar to the actions undertaken in Fight Club's Project Mayhem, but with more gender oriented goals. Instead of the goal of pure mayhem and confusion, the members of this female Project Mayhem could instead look to plant the seeds of equality, or perhaps even female superiority. Fight Club would be different if the roles were reversed, but much of the same themes and plots would be present.
Fight Club...For Women
The general purpose behind fight club was to create a way for men to escape their everyday lives and truly be able to live. But what if that same type of escape had been made for women? It has always been obvious that men and women react differently to anger, so therefore the opportunity to escape from the everyday problems of life would be different according to gender.
In my opinion, if women were to form an escape similar to a fight club, they would form a group where the everyday worries of life, such as weight, financial matters, appearance, and relationships did not matter. This “Fight Club” could be anything, from manicures to makeovers to massages. However, if I were to create an escape, it would have to be a shopping spree. I think many women would relate to and therefore join a club if it consisted of an unlimited day of shopping. With no boundaries on the amount of items they could buy, shopping would be an enjoyable way for women to deviate from their normal lives.
When women are able to go shopping, whether they are alone or with other women, they have an opportunity to be defiant against society and, mainly, themselves. Most of these women buy things they don’t need at all with money that they really don’t have in their bank accounts. Therefore, they are being rebellious in their own way.
Truthfully, every person has their own way of being defiant. Just as not every woman wants to go shopping, not every man enjoys fighting. Some women take very negative approaches to being defiant; such as drugs, alcohol, and even inflicting physical pain on themselves. Other women throw themselves into sexual relationships as a way of being rebellious or disloyal. Whatever the case may be, almost every person has some type of deviant activity hidden deep inside of them.
In my opinion, if women were to form an escape similar to a fight club, they would form a group where the everyday worries of life, such as weight, financial matters, appearance, and relationships did not matter. This “Fight Club” could be anything, from manicures to makeovers to massages. However, if I were to create an escape, it would have to be a shopping spree. I think many women would relate to and therefore join a club if it consisted of an unlimited day of shopping. With no boundaries on the amount of items they could buy, shopping would be an enjoyable way for women to deviate from their normal lives.
When women are able to go shopping, whether they are alone or with other women, they have an opportunity to be defiant against society and, mainly, themselves. Most of these women buy things they don’t need at all with money that they really don’t have in their bank accounts. Therefore, they are being rebellious in their own way.
Truthfully, every person has their own way of being defiant. Just as not every woman wants to go shopping, not every man enjoys fighting. Some women take very negative approaches to being defiant; such as drugs, alcohol, and even inflicting physical pain on themselves. Other women throw themselves into sexual relationships as a way of being rebellious or disloyal. Whatever the case may be, almost every person has some type of deviant activity hidden deep inside of them.
Deviant women
| I think a women's Fight Club could look the same as the men's representation of Fight Club with just the opposite sex. Fight Club does not exist as a place for men to fight, it is a lifestyle. Fight Club is about a willingness to abandon everything from your past to start a more meaningful future. Women can definatly exist within this world. The author of Fight Club stated that the type of club wasn't the important factor in the book. He said it could have been anything. I think the sex of the characters is less important than the venue. Women and men aren't so different. The men in Fight Club are middle class Americans frustrated with thier position in life. Women know that frustration as well as men do. I do think that the relationships between characters would differ if women were involved. Men and women bond differently and I think that would be apparent in the female Fight Club. The women would have a stronger bond, they would care about each others feelings and progress. |
devience with women
In our society women are perceived a lot differently than men. I argue that deviant behavior among women would be more extreme than that of men. For males deviant behavior runs the gamut, but women are held more accountable for the decisions that they make. The difference between the two is often seen when either of the two are having relations with the opposite sex. If a man has relations with various women on many accounts, he is respected by his fellow male friends. If a woman were to do the same thing, she is automatically considered a slut or a whore and is treated negatively by most of society. Deviant behavior for women comes in the form of their sex lives/relations with the other sex. This behavior that is considered deviant now for women has always been considered to be deviant. Throughout many different cultures the ideas of deviance between sexes is a major issue. In the Muslim culture women are not allowed to show certain parts of their body, so they wear long dresses and shawls that cover their faces leaving only their eyes visible. If a woman were to wear the wrong clothing, she is subject to death for not upholding the beliefs of the people. The deviant behavior of women can be seen in various ways as some use sex appeal to get certain advantages. Women who use their sex appeal in the corporate world to get raises or types of bonuses are taking advantage of the surrounding males.
Female Fight Club
For me, the idea of "Fight Club" centering around a group of women rather then a group of men is not believable. It is not believable simply because none of us have ever seen it on a large scale. I for one can't even think of a single time that I have seen a women arrested for an act similar to project mayhem. When you turn on the news and see acts of terror or vandalism, the sex associated with those types of crimes is male. However, if forced to create a situation where there is a group of women beating each other into a pulp, "Fight Club" would be even more controversial then it already is. By historical standards, women just don't fight. Even dating back thousands of years, women have never been portrayed as violent or having the need to fight. We are just now getting out of a society where the women stayed at home with the kids and the father came home to cooked dinner every night. Women going out to fight clubs and coming back bruised and bloody is just about the exact opposite of staying home and watching your children. A book with this scenario is possible, but I don't think anyone would want to buy or read it because of it's lack of realism. In the violent situations of "Fight Club", I don't think you can just switch the gender of all the characters in the book while maintaining a similar plot and expect the same results. Men and women are too inherently different biologically and psychologically and the result of a female "Fight Club" would be unbelievable and ineffective at making the same points as male "Fight Club".
Fight Club Female-style
Though Fight Club has an odd storyline, I believe that there is a way that the book could become even more abnormal. All of the male roles could become female roles, and all of the female roles could become male roles. Just imagine, a group of women secretly meeting every week to unload their emotions by beating the crap out of each other. This would be strange indeed! But why is it that this would be considered so strange? I hold the view that it would be strange simply because this sort of behavior would deviate from that of today’s ordinary female behavior. As this thought is developed further, it becomes stranger still. How odd would it be for a support group exclusively for women to allow a single male figure to attend? Also, since when does an organized group of women go and perform random acts of planned and violent destruction? Questions such as these help me to realize how abnormal Fight Club would appear should the male and female parts be reversed.
All of these examples are situations of deviant female behavior taken to an extreme. Society equates normal female behavior to acting according to the feminine stereotype. Females should be emotional beings, slightly less stable than males, more dependent, and should abstain from wild and crazy acts, especially violence. This “normal female” should enjoy calm, peaceful activities, and when she does experience an emotional overload of some sort, whether it be anger, stress, or some other form, should unload it by shedding some tears, eating some chocolate, or receiving comfort another female. Seeing as the “women version” of Fight Club described above would drastically contradict this definition of female normalcy, it is easy to see why it would be met with such skepticism.
All of these examples are situations of deviant female behavior taken to an extreme. Society equates normal female behavior to acting according to the feminine stereotype. Females should be emotional beings, slightly less stable than males, more dependent, and should abstain from wild and crazy acts, especially violence. This “normal female” should enjoy calm, peaceful activities, and when she does experience an emotional overload of some sort, whether it be anger, stress, or some other form, should unload it by shedding some tears, eating some chocolate, or receiving comfort another female. Seeing as the “women version” of Fight Club described above would drastically contradict this definition of female normalcy, it is easy to see why it would be met with such skepticism.
Fight Club, Lite
In Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club, the novel focuses around groups of men involved in deviant behavior. The men meet monthly, weekly, nightly - however often is needed to fight off the demons of society that trouble them, mostly focusing on materialism and various aspects of money. While this type of behavior is not typical for men, it is not extraordinarily different, because men have been known to fight on occasion. But, in these cases, they are not fighting to defend their honor or pride, they are simply fighting to relieve stress.
For women, Fight Club would have a different feel. Engaging regularly in violent behavior is not something that would ever be expected from women, whereas it is somewhat typical in men. Rather, women engage in more silent types of violence, such as gossip. Weekly meetings to stand in a circle exchanging juicy stories about one another does not necessarily make for a good storyline, though. Part of the appeal of fight club is its action and gore – a less violent story would create a less interesting plot.
Although women are not typically physically violent, they can potentially be verbally violent. Instead of beating each other up, a female fight club could entail women yelling at each other. It sounds bizarre, to be sure, but women are typically put under pressure of being constantly pleased and soft-spoken. Rather than punching out their anger on another person, they could simply yell and scream their pain away in the middle of the night in the basement of a bar. And perhaps, like the narrator’s beloved support groups, they could end with a heart-felt hug and a good cry.
Female Fight Club: An Abnormal Deviancy
According to Webster's Dictionary the definition of deviant is having behavior or characteristics differing from which is normal or expected. In our society deviant behavior for males and females is different. An example of male deviant behavior is fighting and example of female deviant behavior is perniciousness. Usually male and female types of deviancy do not intermingle. However, when they do it brings controversy, resentment and shock.
In the movie Fight Club the men participated in brutal fights with each other. Although their behavior was deviant, it was not uncommon and shocking to see men getting together to enjoy fighting. Wrestling and boxing are both sports that entail this kind of entertainment. However, if a group of females got together and started a Fight Club it would be looked upon as strange and unacceptable. In our society it is a stereotype that women do not enjoy fighting and therefore have no business fighting. This stereotype is why a female Fight Club would be unusual and viewed as socially unacceptable.
Society viewed the male Fight Club as a threat and serious situation. However, a women's Fight Club probably would not be taken as seriously because women are often viewed as not having as much strength and power to cause damage as males. Not only would a female Fight Club not be taken as seriously, but it would probably be taken as a joke. Also, females in a Fight Club would be deemed as unfeminine and unconventional. This can be seen in society’s attitude towards female body-builders and wrestlers. They are looked at as taboo and are not always welcomed in the male dominated world of bodybuilding and wrestling. This reinforces the fact that society is not always welcome to female fighters and would view a female Fight Club as abnormal deviancy.
In the movie Fight Club the men participated in brutal fights with each other. Although their behavior was deviant, it was not uncommon and shocking to see men getting together to enjoy fighting. Wrestling and boxing are both sports that entail this kind of entertainment. However, if a group of females got together and started a Fight Club it would be looked upon as strange and unacceptable. In our society it is a stereotype that women do not enjoy fighting and therefore have no business fighting. This stereotype is why a female Fight Club would be unusual and viewed as socially unacceptable.
Society viewed the male Fight Club as a threat and serious situation. However, a women's Fight Club probably would not be taken as seriously because women are often viewed as not having as much strength and power to cause damage as males. Not only would a female Fight Club not be taken as seriously, but it would probably be taken as a joke. Also, females in a Fight Club would be deemed as unfeminine and unconventional. This can be seen in society’s attitude towards female body-builders and wrestlers. They are looked at as taboo and are not always welcomed in the male dominated world of bodybuilding and wrestling. This reinforces the fact that society is not always welcome to female fighters and would view a female Fight Club as abnormal deviancy.
Fight Club Role Reversal
To adequately address the changes that Fight Club would undergo if women were placed in the roles of the men in the novel, it is first necessary to describe the purpose of the deviant behavior. The primary concern in Project Mayhem, whether realized or not, is exposing the materialistic nature of society and causing its downfall. This goal could be achieved as well, if not better, by women.
While the means of achieving this goal and the targets of the deviant behavior may change, the results would be no less satisfactory. Instead of attacking the status symbols associated with males, credit card companies and coffee houses, women may feel that ending establishments that typify them, such as swanky clothing stores, may be more in line with their goals.
The method of destruction when implemented by women would no doubt be more refined. Instead of blowing up buildings and starting fights in public, women may be more inclined to take down their targets with a little more eloquence, and have more symbolic meaning behind their attacks. The attacks by men, albeit more practical, would be less devastating overall than a well orchestrated offensive campaign. Buildings can be rebuilt, but the damage to the psyche of so many witnesses is hard to reverse.
As I am concluding this blog, I have come to the realization that I have convinced myself that Fight Club would benefit from reversing the roles of men and women. I have come to believe that the impact of the book and the message that goes with it would be much more powerful if seen from the standpoint of the stereotypically more docile of the sexes.
Quilt Klub
A women’s version of fight club would be completely different from the men’s version. Firstly, women would call their organization “quilt club” or something like it (and of course it sounds good, with both words beginning with a “kuh” sound. They might even change the “c” to a “k” and spell it “klub,” just to make it look cute.). Also, this group would not meet in a basement of a bar, or somewhere on the street. You would find these women in a library, or perhaps the backroom of a craft store (probably Michaels or JoAnne Fabric).
For a woman, deviance would not be fighting or getting involved with any sort of violence. In this club, everyone would have to bring a dish of something to pass around, and they would most likely sit in a circle discussing why Sandra’s husband was SUCH a jerk on Wednesday, or what Lily’s 6-year-old son did on Saturday that was just TOO adorable. It would be a way for them to get out of the house on certain nights; to stop thinking about all the problems back home with their husbands and kids. They would also talk about money, and ways that women could be more powerful influential on the earth today, whether it be through different jobs, or taking control of their families, or perhaps even ruling the world one day.
This club would be more about women’s rights than about anything else. And while they would have to come up with excuses for why they had to leave the house every Friday night at precisely 8:15pm, women would find a way to meet privately and discuss all these compelling issues.
For a woman, deviance would not be fighting or getting involved with any sort of violence. In this club, everyone would have to bring a dish of something to pass around, and they would most likely sit in a circle discussing why Sandra’s husband was SUCH a jerk on Wednesday, or what Lily’s 6-year-old son did on Saturday that was just TOO adorable. It would be a way for them to get out of the house on certain nights; to stop thinking about all the problems back home with their husbands and kids. They would also talk about money, and ways that women could be more powerful influential on the earth today, whether it be through different jobs, or taking control of their families, or perhaps even ruling the world one day.
This club would be more about women’s rights than about anything else. And while they would have to come up with excuses for why they had to leave the house every Friday night at precisely 8:15pm, women would find a way to meet privately and discuss all these compelling issues.
Deviant Behavior in Women
When someone thinks of deviant behavior he or she is often thinking about deviant behavior in men. With books and movies like Fight Club expressing the definition of deviance in a masculine and violent way, it is clear why women are usually not associated with such terms. Women are supposed to be fragile and delicate. There's no way they'd be involved in such violent acts as those portrayed in this story. The ideas of Fight Club centers around the need to give up material possessions and essentially lose yourself in order to truly find yourself. The men in this novel did this through fighting and other forms of violence. There were no women involved in Fight Club but that does not mean that women don't also express deviant behavior. It's just in a different form.
The characters in Fight Club chose to take out their aggression by fighting each other. Causing harm to not only themselves, but to others. A woman's form of deviant behavior centers more around one person - the self. Drug and alcohol abuse are prevalent in both men and women. They use drugs and alcohol as a way of "hitting bottom" just like the men in Fight Club did through violence. They are completely disregarding the standards set by society of how women are supposed to act. In many ways women will also take the standards set by society to the extreme in order to hit bottom. For example many women suffer from eating disorders. It is true that there are many factors that lead to such disorders, but it is also a way of showing society about the ridiculous standards set by society for women.
The characters in Fight Club chose to take out their aggression by fighting each other. Causing harm to not only themselves, but to others. A woman's form of deviant behavior centers more around one person - the self. Drug and alcohol abuse are prevalent in both men and women. They use drugs and alcohol as a way of "hitting bottom" just like the men in Fight Club did through violence. They are completely disregarding the standards set by society of how women are supposed to act. In many ways women will also take the standards set by society to the extreme in order to hit bottom. For example many women suffer from eating disorders. It is true that there are many factors that lead to such disorders, but it is also a way of showing society about the ridiculous standards set by society for women.
Acts of Feminine Social Deviance
Since this assignment was announced, I've been trying to think of what these acts might be, and, similarly to sexual deviance at Halloween, I have no idea how to approach this, as I have no experience with it whatsoever. I can't say I have a lot of female friends, and that would probably be the most common outlet in which to witness this kind of behavior. Another problem I have is the concept deviance in our current society. I don't think deviance can be judged in black and white like it used to be. There are now many different lifestyles that are accepted in our culture, just look at all of the different social groups of a typical high school. My point is social deviance from one group could be typical in another, and who can say which is correct and which is deviant? Though this is not gender specific to femininity, it can explain why social groups are segregated as much as they currently are. Let's say we accept the concept of deviance. Are there things that span the social gaps? An example of this would be love. Is the idea of love the same for men and women? For different social groups? I can't really answer these questions, and I don't see how any one person really could without imposing their own personal beliefs and biases.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Fightback Mountain Club: A glimpse into the lives of men who fight on a mountain, who are also gay.
The female characters in both Fight Club and Brokeback Mountain aren't exactly what I'd call one-dimensional. I think it would be much closer to the truth to say that we only see these women in relation to the men, rather than characters in their own right. They could have thoughts and feelings that aren't expressed out in the open, but since we don't have their perspectives, we assume that they are just objects.
The wives in Brokeback Mountain only seem like bad people because they're getting in the way of true love. Marla seems like a sex-crazed, drug-addled pessimist, but only in relation to the narrator. It all comes down to perspective. If we could see into the minds of these fictional characters, maybe we'd get a glimpse of something more.
And I understand the fact that they don't seem like real characters; these two books are very character-driven, and they can't be allowed to take the focus off of the main characters, who are in this case, men. But that doesn't mean that the writers are treating women any differently; when writing a story about men, they need women who fit their purpose. And I think the women in these two books are shining examples of that.
The wives in Brokeback Mountain only seem like bad people because they're getting in the way of true love. Marla seems like a sex-crazed, drug-addled pessimist, but only in relation to the narrator. It all comes down to perspective. If we could see into the minds of these fictional characters, maybe we'd get a glimpse of something more.
And I understand the fact that they don't seem like real characters; these two books are very character-driven, and they can't be allowed to take the focus off of the main characters, who are in this case, men. But that doesn't mean that the writers are treating women any differently; when writing a story about men, they need women who fit their purpose. And I think the women in these two books are shining examples of that.
Burdens
The women in Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club are portrayed similarly in their insignificance. Granted, both books are based primarily on male characters and male interactions, but the women in both books are rather non-consequential outside of the bedroom. Essentially, the women in both books are exploited by the men for what they can get out of them, whether that be sex, financial stability, or social normalcy, none of the men are truly interested in the women for who they are or what they have to offer as people.
In Brokeback Mountain, neither Ennis nor Jack married for love, as they were far too in love with each other to have any real interest in their wives. Ennis married because that was what people did, simple as that. You get married, you have kids, what else was he supposed to do? Jack married because Jack was poor and his wife was rich. Both were then later portrayed as obstacles to Jack and Ennis's relationship. The women had become burdens to their husbands, and Ennis felt he could never break away from this life to pursue a relationship with Jack.
In Fight Club, Marla Singer is, for the greater first part of the book portrayed as a demon, a thorn in the narrator's side. Just when he thinks he is rid of her, she starts screwing with his best friend Tyler. The narrator is livid, as this woman has become an intruder on his relationship with Tyler. In both Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club, the women are seen only as sex symbols and burdens. The men both feel as though they need them, but in reality they hold them back from pursuing their true desires.
In Brokeback Mountain, neither Ennis nor Jack married for love, as they were far too in love with each other to have any real interest in their wives. Ennis married because that was what people did, simple as that. You get married, you have kids, what else was he supposed to do? Jack married because Jack was poor and his wife was rich. Both were then later portrayed as obstacles to Jack and Ennis's relationship. The women had become burdens to their husbands, and Ennis felt he could never break away from this life to pursue a relationship with Jack.
In Fight Club, Marla Singer is, for the greater first part of the book portrayed as a demon, a thorn in the narrator's side. Just when he thinks he is rid of her, she starts screwing with his best friend Tyler. The narrator is livid, as this woman has become an intruder on his relationship with Tyler. In both Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club, the women are seen only as sex symbols and burdens. The men both feel as though they need them, but in reality they hold them back from pursuing their true desires.
The American Dream (Or Nightmare Depending on Your Outlook)
I think the representation of women in both Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club can come across as outside the norm that we are used to due to the portrayal of what is supposed to be the standard life of the American and how it has evolved in the characters' minds. Many people even today still carry a stereotype of the All-American life as being occupationally successful as well as having a family and children. This is easily identified in Brokeback Mountain, because both of the characters carried on so-called "normal" lives, even though presumably they both wished to be together. It can be argued that this facade was not merely kept up for the external reasons of their safety in the intolerant Post-War America that they lived in, but it was also maintained because ingrained in each of them was this feeling of failure if they did not accomplish the goals society laid out for them. Fight Club also deals with this topic of women in the American Dream. There is an entire scene devoted to it in the movie, where Tyler and the Narrator discuss their upbringings and how they effected their futures. Tyler's father tells him he must go to college and get married, but he doesn't share this interest. The narrator who mostly without a father, never had it to start with. "I can't get married, I'm a thirty-year-old boy." Even though I particularly don't understand that attitude, I can see where with no guide to tell you what you should want, a family may not enter into your goals. Women in both stories are portrayed as outcasts which, no matter how the characters may try, can never be clearly communicated to or understood.
Womens roles in "The Hours", "V for Vendetta", "Brokeback Mountain", and "Fight Club"
In the first two novels we read for English 108, "The Hours" and "V for Vendetta", the novel's plots revolved around strong females characters. However, in the past two novels we have read, "Brokeback Mountain" and "Fight Club", the women are portrayed like tools that simply address the needs of male characters. Just because in the past two novels we have read the women don't play strong central roles, that doesn't necessarily mean the authors were trying to portray women as weak, it was just because the novel's purposes revolved around men.
In "Fight Club", a book specifically written for men, the only main female character of the book is Marla. For most of the novel, she basically serves the hedonistic pleasures of Tyler Durden. In "Brokeback Mountain", Lureen and Elma serve as fake wife figures for Jack and Ennis, just so that they can appear to have a normal lifestyle. The women in both novels are treated badly because the men of both novels don't have the courage to live their ideal lifestyles.
However, in "The Hours", the plot completely revolves around the lives of Virginia, Laura, and Clarissa. In, "The Hours", it is the women who are seeking happier lifestyles. They are portrayed as being strong because they are making actions which they feel will help them become happier. The same is true in "V for Vendetta". Although at the beginning of the graphic novel Evie is weak and must be saved by V, after V captures her she reaches a point of enlightenment and becomes empowered. By the end of the novel, Evie is strong enough to take over for V and the graphic novel alludes to Evie continuing V's mission of transforming society back to one without fascism and dictatorial government.
In "Fight Club", a book specifically written for men, the only main female character of the book is Marla. For most of the novel, she basically serves the hedonistic pleasures of Tyler Durden. In "Brokeback Mountain", Lureen and Elma serve as fake wife figures for Jack and Ennis, just so that they can appear to have a normal lifestyle. The women in both novels are treated badly because the men of both novels don't have the courage to live their ideal lifestyles.
However, in "The Hours", the plot completely revolves around the lives of Virginia, Laura, and Clarissa. In, "The Hours", it is the women who are seeking happier lifestyles. They are portrayed as being strong because they are making actions which they feel will help them become happier. The same is true in "V for Vendetta". Although at the beginning of the graphic novel Evie is weak and must be saved by V, after V captures her she reaches a point of enlightenment and becomes empowered. By the end of the novel, Evie is strong enough to take over for V and the graphic novel alludes to Evie continuing V's mission of transforming society back to one without fascism and dictatorial government.
The Lets-Trade-Cooking-Tips-And-Innocently-Discuss-Family-Values-Over-A-Cup-Of-Tea Club
There are two types of deviant behavior: the irrational and the rational. The former category can’t easily be characterized; the actions of those that fall into it have no real reasoning behind them and serve no clear-cut purpose. The latter category, on the other hand, can be described as such: those belonging to it have a particular goal, but are not particularly prudish in their method of reaching it. Fight Club falls into this category. Its goal – the goal of each individual member – is power. A women’s version of Fight Club would, no doubt, fall into this category as well. It would probably have the same goal – power – although its means of defining “power” and attaining “power” would be different.
First off, Women’s Fight Club would most probably associate power with wealth and money rather than strength and force. This assumption is based off the cultural stereotype that women value financial security/are materialistic/are money-oriented, much like the original Fight Club is based off the cultural stereotype that men value strength/like to fight/are violent.
Second off, Women’s Fight Club would have nothing to do with terrorism/violence/fighting. This is because the women would feel powerful through the growth of their wealth, rather than through wreaking mayhem. They could increase their wealth much more easily through indirect means, such as embezzlement, extortion, blackmail, thievery, fraud, and dishonesty, rather than through direct means, such as the use of force.
Third of all, Women’s Fight Club would threaten its opponents with blackmail/scandals/smear campaigns rather than with cutting off their appendages. Overall, it would use psychological threats rather than physical ones. Again, this goes back to the use of what’s easier.
Last of all, the name of Women’s Fight Club would probably be something random (since naming a criminal organization “Embezzlers, Inc.” kind of sends up a red flag).
First off, Women’s Fight Club would most probably associate power with wealth and money rather than strength and force. This assumption is based off the cultural stereotype that women value financial security/are materialistic/are money-oriented, much like the original Fight Club is based off the cultural stereotype that men value strength/like to fight/are violent.
Second off, Women’s Fight Club would have nothing to do with terrorism/violence/fighting. This is because the women would feel powerful through the growth of their wealth, rather than through wreaking mayhem. They could increase their wealth much more easily through indirect means, such as embezzlement, extortion, blackmail, thievery, fraud, and dishonesty, rather than through direct means, such as the use of force.
Third of all, Women’s Fight Club would threaten its opponents with blackmail/scandals/smear campaigns rather than with cutting off their appendages. Overall, it would use psychological threats rather than physical ones. Again, this goes back to the use of what’s easier.
Last of all, the name of Women’s Fight Club would probably be something random (since naming a criminal organization “Embezzlers, Inc.” kind of sends up a red flag).
The Women of Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club
Regardless of their insignificance to the plot, the existence of women is required in these two works. They are there, because they are supposed to be there, because men are supposed to have families – a wife and children – or a girlfriend – or at the least a love interest of some sort. As the women play their respective roles of wife/girlfriend/love interest, the men are able to play theirs of husband/father/typical guy. At the same time, however, there are minor differences in the way in which women are presented in Brokeback Mountain and in Fight Club. Due to the audiences at which these two works are targeted at, the women have different degrees of depth to their characters...
In the case of Fight Club – a book written primarily for a male audience – the female characters almost entirely lack depth and personality; have them change their names and dress in black, and they might as well be Space Monkeys in Project Mayhem. Chloe, for example, does nothing notable aside from sleeping with the main character. She wants only to be laid. She might as well be a sickly, dying version of Tyler. Marla is no better off, even though she is a more prominent character. She is the narrator’s girlfriend, wants only to be the narrator’s girlfriend, and, at many times, she seems to be like a female version of the narrator, acting and speaking much in the same way that he does. Overall, the women in Fight Club are not much different from the men. In addition to that, they don’t have subplots of their own; they are merely a part of the main plot revolving around the narrator.
In the case of Brokeback Mountain – a novelette written for a more general audience – the female characters have mercifully been given distinct personalities and some depth. Alma, for example, does actually do something on her own: she leaves her husband. Lureen, it could be argued, also does something about her husband. These women have some influence on the plot, although their primary function and the main way in which they are defined is still in relation to Ennis and Jack.
In the case of Fight Club – a book written primarily for a male audience – the female characters almost entirely lack depth and personality; have them change their names and dress in black, and they might as well be Space Monkeys in Project Mayhem. Chloe, for example, does nothing notable aside from sleeping with the main character. She wants only to be laid. She might as well be a sickly, dying version of Tyler. Marla is no better off, even though she is a more prominent character. She is the narrator’s girlfriend, wants only to be the narrator’s girlfriend, and, at many times, she seems to be like a female version of the narrator, acting and speaking much in the same way that he does. Overall, the women in Fight Club are not much different from the men. In addition to that, they don’t have subplots of their own; they are merely a part of the main plot revolving around the narrator.
In the case of Brokeback Mountain – a novelette written for a more general audience – the female characters have mercifully been given distinct personalities and some depth. Alma, for example, does actually do something on her own: she leaves her husband. Lureen, it could be argued, also does something about her husband. These women have some influence on the plot, although their primary function and the main way in which they are defined is still in relation to Ennis and Jack.
Women and Their Roles in Male Based Novels
Women are portrayed very differently in both Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club. Because these are mostly male based novels, the roles these women play are very different from the roles of women in previous novels we have read for this class. Especially in Fight Club, it seems that female characters were kind of thrown into the story, just to have women present.
In Brokeback Mountain, there are the roles of Alma and Lureen. These two women play typical wives…they take care of the kids, have a job and provide for the family, but they don’t ever seem to have any control over their husbands. They are portrayed almost as someone for Ennis and Jack to fall back on…their purpose is so that the men feel like they are in a traditional marriage. And even though Alma knows what it going on with Ennis and Jack, her role in society makes her keep her mouth shut, and she is powerless. By saying anything, she may have risked the lives of herself and her children, and she would never have been able to support herself without Ennis.
In Fight Club, the main female character is Marla, who is placed in the novel almost as a sex object. Her sole purpose is sleeping with Tyler. She is not told about any of the plans involving fight club, and therefore neither Tyler nor the narrator have any sense of emotional affection for her. The other woman in Fight Club is Chloe, whose one wish before she dies is to have sex a final time. Again, she is portrayed as a sexual being. And while she may not have gotten her wish, that is only because she was too hideous and sick for anyone to want or be attracted to.
Neither of these novels seem to portray women as if they are equal to men, and they are certainly not seen in a good light. But then again, what do you expect from male based stories?
In Brokeback Mountain, there are the roles of Alma and Lureen. These two women play typical wives…they take care of the kids, have a job and provide for the family, but they don’t ever seem to have any control over their husbands. They are portrayed almost as someone for Ennis and Jack to fall back on…their purpose is so that the men feel like they are in a traditional marriage. And even though Alma knows what it going on with Ennis and Jack, her role in society makes her keep her mouth shut, and she is powerless. By saying anything, she may have risked the lives of herself and her children, and she would never have been able to support herself without Ennis.
In Fight Club, the main female character is Marla, who is placed in the novel almost as a sex object. Her sole purpose is sleeping with Tyler. She is not told about any of the plans involving fight club, and therefore neither Tyler nor the narrator have any sense of emotional affection for her. The other woman in Fight Club is Chloe, whose one wish before she dies is to have sex a final time. Again, she is portrayed as a sexual being. And while she may not have gotten her wish, that is only because she was too hideous and sick for anyone to want or be attracted to.
Neither of these novels seem to portray women as if they are equal to men, and they are certainly not seen in a good light. But then again, what do you expect from male based stories?
Women, where?
| The women in Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club, although not the center of attention, play important roles. Both books and movies are written with male leads and centered around the masculine, however, the females provide a necessary contrast. Without the women, the stories would be much less dynamic. In Brokeback Mountain the wives show the consequences of Ennis' and Jacks actions. The show the importance of love in a relationship. I think lack of love in the mens' relationships with their wives makes it easier for the reader/viewer to grasp the intensity of thier love for each other. In Brokeback Mountain this is crucial because people are less likely and willing to accept a gay partnership let alone the concept of love and the contrast between the male/female and male/male relationships is so great it is impossible to ignore the men's love for one another. Fight Club depicts a man's world. The novel was written with men in mind and the movie follows suit. Marla plays an important role in the movie/book even if it is relativly small. Marla again shows some of the consequences of the narrarators condition. She is used as a tool. In both Fight Club and Brokeback Mountain the women are strong individuals with small parts. There are very few women, but they are important. I think it is very important to see these strong personalities behind the main characters, it gives the books/movies depth and gives the audience a better grasp on the situations. |
Women in a Man's World
The women in both Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club are secondary characters. They are supporting characters, used to help the story along for their male leads. In all three stories each women is viewed as more of an object than a character, a space-filler that has only one particular purpose and is only there to fill a specific role. The men in the story just use the women to achieve some kind of means.
The first woman we meet in Brokeback Mountain is Alma, Ennis’ wife. She is a typical 60’s era housewife. She cooks and cleans and watches the kid while Ennis goes to work and makes the money. Even though she finds out about Ennis’ affair, she keeps quiet about it and doesn’t call him out on it. She does this because she is afraid of embarrassment. She also relies on Ennis for her well being; she doesn’t want to lose him.
Jack’s wife, Lureen, is also definitely a supporting character. She appears sporadically in the story, signifying that she is not a very reliable sense of comfort and love for Jack. She comes off as very cold and calculating, without much feeling and depth. Jack marries her out of convenience more than anything else. By the end of the story, the relationship is nothing but going through the motions.
Finally, in Fight Club we meet Marla. She is a troubled soul who is just looking for a connection with someone, anyone. She has no faith in herself and is worried life is passing her by. Tyler accidentally gets her swept up in his world and she becomes a pawn in his game.
All three women struggle to navigate through the masculine community and feel that somehow they don’t quite fit or belong.
The first woman we meet in Brokeback Mountain is Alma, Ennis’ wife. She is a typical 60’s era housewife. She cooks and cleans and watches the kid while Ennis goes to work and makes the money. Even though she finds out about Ennis’ affair, she keeps quiet about it and doesn’t call him out on it. She does this because she is afraid of embarrassment. She also relies on Ennis for her well being; she doesn’t want to lose him.
Jack’s wife, Lureen, is also definitely a supporting character. She appears sporadically in the story, signifying that she is not a very reliable sense of comfort and love for Jack. She comes off as very cold and calculating, without much feeling and depth. Jack marries her out of convenience more than anything else. By the end of the story, the relationship is nothing but going through the motions.
Finally, in Fight Club we meet Marla. She is a troubled soul who is just looking for a connection with someone, anyone. She has no faith in herself and is worried life is passing her by. Tyler accidentally gets her swept up in his world and she becomes a pawn in his game.
All three women struggle to navigate through the masculine community and feel that somehow they don’t quite fit or belong.
Roles of women in Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club
In both
In Brokeback Mountain Laureen and Alma take a backseat to the intense relationship between Jack and Ennis. The wives are used to maintain an outward appearance of normalcy for the men, and have relatively little to do with the storyline. Their lack of involvement in the storyline is most likely to not detract from the powerful connection between Jack and Ennis, and the message that is conveyed therein. The fact that so little can be said regarding the characters of Laureen and Alma speaks of how they, and women in general, are portrayed in the novel.
More obviously in Fight Club, the male targets, males wishing to rebel against society, are able to see parallels in their relationships with women. Those that objectify women, see Tyler Durden’s interaction with Marla Singer, and find a common bond that links them to the storyline.
All of the women in both of the novels are objectified in some way. The use of women in such a negative manner portrays the men in the novel negatively as well, which fits the purpose of Fight Club, but degrades the message in
The Women of the Last Two Stories
In both Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club, the women played secondary roles. Ennis Del Mar’s wife was the prime example of secondary. She took care of the children and the house all while working a job at the grocery store. It seems that Ennis was only concerned with Jack Twist and the only thing keeping him at home was the well being of his two daughters. Both of their wives were submissive; they both knew what was going on with their husbands on the side, but kept quiet for years. The women are portrayed as weak and malleable. Even the girlfriend that Ennis meets is remembered by her last scene where she exits unsatisfied, lacking control, in an emotional breakdown. Despite the homosexuality, the men are still shown as strong, even when they cry, they also fight. Bottom line, masculinity prevails over both sexuality and femininity.
In Fight Club we have the privilege of meeting the adventure that is Marla Singer. She is a foul, sex-driven, walking cancerous tumor that seems to metastasize everywhere she goes. Her entire purpose in the plot is to come between the narrator and his alter ego, only further complicating things. She is nothing more than an object of sexual fantasy; her actual self is completely untapped in the story. Then there is Chloe, she died, but while she was still alive sex was her last wish. It is simply demoralizing to place a human being’s last wishes in the bed sheets of anyone willing to have sex with them. The men are basically like manikins to sex, unfazed by the weakness associated with sexual addiction.
In Fight Club we have the privilege of meeting the adventure that is Marla Singer. She is a foul, sex-driven, walking cancerous tumor that seems to metastasize everywhere she goes. Her entire purpose in the plot is to come between the narrator and his alter ego, only further complicating things. She is nothing more than an object of sexual fantasy; her actual self is completely untapped in the story. Then there is Chloe, she died, but while she was still alive sex was her last wish. It is simply demoralizing to place a human being’s last wishes in the bed sheets of anyone willing to have sex with them. The men are basically like manikins to sex, unfazed by the weakness associated with sexual addiction.
Women in Brokeback/Fight Club
In a society which declares women as equals to men, some of my male friends are sometimes surprised when I take offense at their degrading comments. “Stephanie, it was just a joke,” they declare, “Why are you girls so sensitive about everything?” I don’t consider myself overly touchy about the situation; I would simply rather be treated as a human being than a potential one night stand. The women in Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club are in essentially the same situation – they are sub-par to the men, subject to a man’s mood swings, and kept around more as a showpiece or sexual partner than anything else.
When considering Fight Club’s Tyler Durden as a separate entity rather than a part of the narrator’s mind, he is a perfect example of this situation. To him, Marla is simply someone to call and use for sex. He explicitly tells the narrator that, other than these nocturnal meetings, he does not want to see or talk to Marla at all. And before the narrator himself starts falling for Marla, he too wants nothing to do with her. He is hardly even civil because of his jealousy of Tyler and Marla’s relationship.
In Brokeback Mountain, the wives Alma and Lureen are mostly background characters to the intense relationship between Ennis and Jack. The two marriages are more obligatory than loving. Alma accepts her position as subordinate to Ennis and also manages the household, a stereotypically female role. Lureen and Jack seldom talk and simply stay in their marriage because it is familiar to them. The women, like Marla, are simply part of the surroundings of the men’s world.
When considering Fight Club’s Tyler Durden as a separate entity rather than a part of the narrator’s mind, he is a perfect example of this situation. To him, Marla is simply someone to call and use for sex. He explicitly tells the narrator that, other than these nocturnal meetings, he does not want to see or talk to Marla at all. And before the narrator himself starts falling for Marla, he too wants nothing to do with her. He is hardly even civil because of his jealousy of Tyler and Marla’s relationship.
In Brokeback Mountain, the wives Alma and Lureen are mostly background characters to the intense relationship between Ennis and Jack. The two marriages are more obligatory than loving. Alma accepts her position as subordinate to Ennis and also manages the household, a stereotypically female role. Lureen and Jack seldom talk and simply stay in their marriage because it is familiar to them. The women, like Marla, are simply part of the surroundings of the men’s world.
Fight Club/Brokeback Mountain: Where do the Women Stand?
In the movies Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club the women were shut out from the masculine world. Although they tried to enter this world, they were put back in their place by their male peers. The women were always on the outside, prevented from getting to close to their male companions. The men shutting the women out of their world made their relationships extremely difficult. As the women tried to get close the men they would only push them away. This caused rifts among the relationships and ultimately made them impossible to sustain.
In Brokeback Mountain the women sat quietly, accepting their place in their male companions world. They realized that they would never truly be able to exist in this world; that they would always have to watch from the outside. This created an environmen were there was little love and great distance. Ennis Del Mar's wife, Alma Beers, could not take living like that anymore and she divorced him. Also, Jack Twist admitted to Ennis that he and his wife could do their relationship over the telephone. The men's marriages were so unsuccessful because the women played such a passive role. The men wold not let them in and the women resented them for it.
In Fight Club Marla Singer was the only women who had a significant role in the movie. Although the men shut her out, she did not sit quietly and just let it happen. She argued and fought about not being let into Tyler Durden's world. However, ultimately she was forced to realize that her role was to sit on the outside and look in. She had to accept her place in the male world surrounding Fight Club and know that she would never fully be accepted into Tyler's life. After realizing this she refused to talk to Tyler and even told him that he was the worst thing that happened to her. The relationship failed because, like the male-female relationship of Brokeback Mountain, Marla tried to be a part of Tyler's life but he kept pushing her away. This realization was too much for Marla and she realized that the hope for a fulfilling relationship with Tyler was impossible.
In Brokeback Mountain the women sat quietly, accepting their place in their male companions world. They realized that they would never truly be able to exist in this world; that they would always have to watch from the outside. This created an environmen were there was little love and great distance. Ennis Del Mar's wife, Alma Beers, could not take living like that anymore and she divorced him. Also, Jack Twist admitted to Ennis that he and his wife could do their relationship over the telephone. The men's marriages were so unsuccessful because the women played such a passive role. The men wold not let them in and the women resented them for it.
In Fight Club Marla Singer was the only women who had a significant role in the movie. Although the men shut her out, she did not sit quietly and just let it happen. She argued and fought about not being let into Tyler Durden's world. However, ultimately she was forced to realize that her role was to sit on the outside and look in. She had to accept her place in the male world surrounding Fight Club and know that she would never fully be accepted into Tyler's life. After realizing this she refused to talk to Tyler and even told him that he was the worst thing that happened to her. The relationship failed because, like the male-female relationship of Brokeback Mountain, Marla tried to be a part of Tyler's life but he kept pushing her away. This realization was too much for Marla and she realized that the hope for a fulfilling relationship with Tyler was impossible.
Women Don't Belong
Both Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club, and Annie Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain depict stories which are male-dominated. Men are the primary characters and the primary focus, and all of these men live in an atmosphere made up mostly by men. It is for this reason that it is interesting to investigate the roles that these few featured women played.
Neither Palahniuk, nor Annie Proulx tend to do women any favors as far as the image that they create for them. The only women who play roles large enough to provide for discussion are the two wives in Brokeback Mountain, Lureen and Alma, and in Fight Club, Marla Singer. All three women struggled to find their roles in the life that they found themselves in, and one cannot help but assume that it is for this reason that they rarely appear to be happy. Both authors do a masterful job describing the unique ways in which the female characters shift around, attempting to find their respective roles, but it appears that none of them ever achieve this feat.
Now let us examine each individual woman and delve a little deeper into their lives. Lureen appears to be Jack’s afterthought wife who keeps the house running and even steps in to help out the family income. In some ways, she appears to be Jack’s little doll that fears conflict and runs from the suspected truth. Clearly this does not represent women in a positive way. Despite Proulx’s rather weak representation through Lureen, she makes up for it with her inclusion of Alma in the movie. My first impression was that Alma was a soft-spoken, loving, pushover of a women. Yet, Alma refuted all of these claims, displaying strength, boldness, and firmness in her dealings with her husband Ennis during and after the divorce. Alma’s character shows that women can be strong and bold. In Fight Club, Marla Singer debases the image of a woman by being displayed as a mere object to be desired and used. Marla is put up with purely because Tyler Durden keeps her around to have sex. Marla lives a confused, abused, and uncomfortable life.
These books send the signal that women are not meant to exist in an all-guy atmosphere. The reader comes away noting that women are weak and deserve to wander around seeking a role that cannot exist in a world solely for men.
Neither Palahniuk, nor Annie Proulx tend to do women any favors as far as the image that they create for them. The only women who play roles large enough to provide for discussion are the two wives in Brokeback Mountain, Lureen and Alma, and in Fight Club, Marla Singer. All three women struggled to find their roles in the life that they found themselves in, and one cannot help but assume that it is for this reason that they rarely appear to be happy. Both authors do a masterful job describing the unique ways in which the female characters shift around, attempting to find their respective roles, but it appears that none of them ever achieve this feat.
Now let us examine each individual woman and delve a little deeper into their lives. Lureen appears to be Jack’s afterthought wife who keeps the house running and even steps in to help out the family income. In some ways, she appears to be Jack’s little doll that fears conflict and runs from the suspected truth. Clearly this does not represent women in a positive way. Despite Proulx’s rather weak representation through Lureen, she makes up for it with her inclusion of Alma in the movie. My first impression was that Alma was a soft-spoken, loving, pushover of a women. Yet, Alma refuted all of these claims, displaying strength, boldness, and firmness in her dealings with her husband Ennis during and after the divorce. Alma’s character shows that women can be strong and bold. In Fight Club, Marla Singer debases the image of a woman by being displayed as a mere object to be desired and used. Marla is put up with purely because Tyler Durden keeps her around to have sex. Marla lives a confused, abused, and uncomfortable life.
These books send the signal that women are not meant to exist in an all-guy atmosphere. The reader comes away noting that women are weak and deserve to wander around seeking a role that cannot exist in a world solely for men.
Friday, November 9, 2007
"The First Rule of Knitting Circle is, you tell everyone about Knitting Circle."
Fight Club showcased the deviant behavior of a group of men. What if it had centered around a group of women instead? Jill instead of Joe, Tyra instead of Tyler, Marlon instead of Marla.
The simplest, and not coincidentally the most boring answer, is that it would not have to change too much. Violence is considered every bit as deviant as for women as for men, if not more so. A sort of "reverse image" might be constructed, with a women replacing every male character and vice-versa.
More realistically, however, there would be changes. A film involving women beating each other up? There's not an advertising director anywhere in the world that could possibly resist slapping the word "catfight" all over every copy of the film. Sexuality would no doubt play a much more prominent role in the film than in the book, simply due to Hollywood standards.
Fight Club might not even remain a fight club. There's a popular conception that women are less violent than men, and a film or a book that doesn't fit people's stereotypes won't be received as well. My facetious title aside, I am not sure what activity would be selected to replace violence. The violence and terrorism might simply be gentrified - the violence would have the blood removed, and the aftermath might be reduced to mere bruises. The terrorism would have the destruction downplayed in favor of the comedy - the pigeon assault and rolling globe are definite candidates here. In short, it would probably become a Frankinsteinian assemblage - the plot of Fight Club with the production values of Charlie's Angels.
Turn up the cheesecake and turn down the blood. It'd turn a film that had most of its message left intact into another piece of low-grade entertainment. It may not be right, but that's how Hollywood would treat females in this piece.
The simplest, and not coincidentally the most boring answer, is that it would not have to change too much. Violence is considered every bit as deviant as for women as for men, if not more so. A sort of "reverse image" might be constructed, with a women replacing every male character and vice-versa.
More realistically, however, there would be changes. A film involving women beating each other up? There's not an advertising director anywhere in the world that could possibly resist slapping the word "catfight" all over every copy of the film. Sexuality would no doubt play a much more prominent role in the film than in the book, simply due to Hollywood standards.
Fight Club might not even remain a fight club. There's a popular conception that women are less violent than men, and a film or a book that doesn't fit people's stereotypes won't be received as well. My facetious title aside, I am not sure what activity would be selected to replace violence. The violence and terrorism might simply be gentrified - the violence would have the blood removed, and the aftermath might be reduced to mere bruises. The terrorism would have the destruction downplayed in favor of the comedy - the pigeon assault and rolling globe are definite candidates here. In short, it would probably become a Frankinsteinian assemblage - the plot of Fight Club with the production values of Charlie's Angels.
Turn up the cheesecake and turn down the blood. It'd turn a film that had most of its message left intact into another piece of low-grade entertainment. It may not be right, but that's how Hollywood would treat females in this piece.
Ipseity
There are many women in Fight Club and Brokeback Mountain. Restricting to only those characters that are central enough to have enough lines to allow analysis leaves us with only three - Marla, Alma, and Lureen. These three women all have problems with the men in their lives, but handle those problems in very different ways.
Marla can hardly be used as a model of sanity and well-adjustment, yet her idiosyncrasies pale beside Tyler/Narrator's. Tyler/Narrator, to her, was loving one moment and resentful the next. Marla's strategy for coping with a man who would tell her to her face that he wasn't there was very interesting. She didn't. There was no compromise or strategy - she simply faced the problem head on. Marla screams at him, denounces him, and angrily leaves. Under the circumstances, that was probably one of the best choices she could have made. If she had only done it earlier, she might even have been spared involvement in Tyler's schemes. Not attempting to cope and acting in her own best interest served her well.
Lureen pursued a very different strategy to deal with her problems with Jack. While it is debatable whether or not she knew about his involvement with Ennis - I think that most would agree that she certainly at least had suspicions - Lureen dealt with these issues by pretending that they did not exist. In her final appearance, if Jack was murdered, then Lureen simply rewrote the past to suit her willful ignorance. If Jack honestly did die in an accident, then she merely ignored suspicion.
Alma certainly knew about Ennis and Jack. While many criticize her for leaving him, arguing that she should have been more supportive and forgiving and claiming that she was discriminatory, this ignores the fact that her husband was cheating on her. The fact that he was cheating on her with a man, or that he believed himself to be in love with Jack, in no way ameliorates his crime. She did in fact wait for a time after she knew, but when the affair continued, she left. She dealt with the problem by leaving it behind.
There can be no one record of the methods these women used to deal with their problems, because each one of them was unique, and therefore their solutions were as well.
Marla can hardly be used as a model of sanity and well-adjustment, yet her idiosyncrasies pale beside Tyler/Narrator's. Tyler/Narrator, to her, was loving one moment and resentful the next. Marla's strategy for coping with a man who would tell her to her face that he wasn't there was very interesting. She didn't. There was no compromise or strategy - she simply faced the problem head on. Marla screams at him, denounces him, and angrily leaves. Under the circumstances, that was probably one of the best choices she could have made. If she had only done it earlier, she might even have been spared involvement in Tyler's schemes. Not attempting to cope and acting in her own best interest served her well.
Lureen pursued a very different strategy to deal with her problems with Jack. While it is debatable whether or not she knew about his involvement with Ennis - I think that most would agree that she certainly at least had suspicions - Lureen dealt with these issues by pretending that they did not exist. In her final appearance, if Jack was murdered, then Lureen simply rewrote the past to suit her willful ignorance. If Jack honestly did die in an accident, then she merely ignored suspicion.
Alma certainly knew about Ennis and Jack. While many criticize her for leaving him, arguing that she should have been more supportive and forgiving and claiming that she was discriminatory, this ignores the fact that her husband was cheating on her. The fact that he was cheating on her with a man, or that he believed himself to be in love with Jack, in no way ameliorates his crime. She did in fact wait for a time after she knew, but when the affair continued, she left. She dealt with the problem by leaving it behind.
There can be no one record of the methods these women used to deal with their problems, because each one of them was unique, and therefore their solutions were as well.
The Role of Women
It seems since the women's rights movement, women are portrayed as much stronger and able people as previously thought of in books and movies. Hollywood has also evolved in its portrayal of strong female characters and seems much more willing to place females in the lead role. With such great actresses as Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman, and Julianne Moore people are willing to watch movies centered around women. Fight Club and Brokeback Mountain however, are not two of these movies or books. Both portray women as simple pawns pushed around by the men that the real story centers around.
Brokeback Mountain makes a stark and obvious contrast between the conventional family life and the relationship between Jack and Ennis. Family life is considered a chore or obligation and both wives are considered annoying and bothersome while the relationship between Jack and Ennis is considered blissful and captivating. It is interesting the way Jack and Ennis's wives chose to deal with their role as a supporting character to their husbands' lives. Alma knew of Ennis's infidelity and still chose to stay with him emphasizing the portrayal of the need for women to be with a man, even a cheating one, at that time. Jack's wife is portrayed as stronger than Alma. She runs a business and is very good at it but coincidently she is also portrayed as coldhearted. Apparently women can't be both strong and compassionate.
In Fight Club, Marla Singer is the only woman who plays a key role in the book and she is still only secondary to the narrator and Tyler Durden. Marla is basically passed around like some kind of toy in this story. Neither the narrator nor Tyler, at least in the beginning, have any real feelings for her. She is only used for sex and not considered important enough to expend any substantial feelings on. Marla seems to realize this but decides it is easier just to accept her meager existence, perhaps thinking it would be too difficult to make people think otherwise.
Brokeback Mountain makes a stark and obvious contrast between the conventional family life and the relationship between Jack and Ennis. Family life is considered a chore or obligation and both wives are considered annoying and bothersome while the relationship between Jack and Ennis is considered blissful and captivating. It is interesting the way Jack and Ennis's wives chose to deal with their role as a supporting character to their husbands' lives. Alma knew of Ennis's infidelity and still chose to stay with him emphasizing the portrayal of the need for women to be with a man, even a cheating one, at that time. Jack's wife is portrayed as stronger than Alma. She runs a business and is very good at it but coincidently she is also portrayed as coldhearted. Apparently women can't be both strong and compassionate.
In Fight Club, Marla Singer is the only woman who plays a key role in the book and she is still only secondary to the narrator and Tyler Durden. Marla is basically passed around like some kind of toy in this story. Neither the narrator nor Tyler, at least in the beginning, have any real feelings for her. She is only used for sex and not considered important enough to expend any substantial feelings on. Marla seems to realize this but decides it is easier just to accept her meager existence, perhaps thinking it would be too difficult to make people think otherwise.
Women in the Center of a Men's World
In the novels of Brokeback Mountain and Fight Club, women play very interesting roles that contribute to the overall plot of each story. The portrayal of women in both of these stories is not typical for a fictional story at all.
In Brokeback Mountain, for example, the wives of both Jack and Ennis are almost considered antagonists, since they are both serving as simple distractions that prevent Jack and Ennis from being together. For instance, Alma is portrayed as a very simple and fairly unattractive woman who Ennis seems to tolerate merely because that is what he was brought up to do, get married and have children. He never shows the audience that he loves her or truly cares for her at all. Furthermore, Lureen is portrayed as an attractive woman who was raised by a very wealthy family. Jack’s involvement with Lureen brings about more conflict since her father always alludes to the fact that Jack is not good enough for his daughter. In both of these relationships, the women are disfavored and unlovable, which is very unusual for a Hollywood story.
In Fight Club, the only woman who plays a substantial role in the plot is Marla Singer. In this story, she is portrayed as a very disheveled, insane, and overall trashy woman. Her character creates the furthest thing from an attractive female, which changes the entire relationship between her, the narrator, and Tyler. In the story, the narrator and Tyler both initially seem to find the idea of dating Marla disgusting and unthinkable. The relationship between Tyler and Marla in the beginning seems to be one of sheer desperation on Tyler’s part. He found a woman in need, and therefore decided to use her for sex. However, towards the end of the story, the narrator begins to fall in love with Marla, even though she is also portayed as unlovable. He realizes that he truly cares for her and wants to protect her from any harm, or especially from Tyler. Marla's role in this story is to further explain the narrator's Schizophrenia to the audience in that she has been there all along, and has seen both of Tyler Durden's personalities. In addition, Marla's character ties the narrator and Tyler together in that they both are involved with her throughout the story.
In Brokeback Mountain, for example, the wives of both Jack and Ennis are almost considered antagonists, since they are both serving as simple distractions that prevent Jack and Ennis from being together. For instance, Alma is portrayed as a very simple and fairly unattractive woman who Ennis seems to tolerate merely because that is what he was brought up to do, get married and have children. He never shows the audience that he loves her or truly cares for her at all. Furthermore, Lureen is portrayed as an attractive woman who was raised by a very wealthy family. Jack’s involvement with Lureen brings about more conflict since her father always alludes to the fact that Jack is not good enough for his daughter. In both of these relationships, the women are disfavored and unlovable, which is very unusual for a Hollywood story.
In Fight Club, the only woman who plays a substantial role in the plot is Marla Singer. In this story, she is portrayed as a very disheveled, insane, and overall trashy woman. Her character creates the furthest thing from an attractive female, which changes the entire relationship between her, the narrator, and Tyler. In the story, the narrator and Tyler both initially seem to find the idea of dating Marla disgusting and unthinkable. The relationship between Tyler and Marla in the beginning seems to be one of sheer desperation on Tyler’s part. He found a woman in need, and therefore decided to use her for sex. However, towards the end of the story, the narrator begins to fall in love with Marla, even though she is also portayed as unlovable. He realizes that he truly cares for her and wants to protect her from any harm, or especially from Tyler. Marla's role in this story is to further explain the narrator's Schizophrenia to the audience in that she has been there all along, and has seen both of Tyler Durden's personalities. In addition, Marla's character ties the narrator and Tyler together in that they both are involved with her throughout the story.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Movie Dominates Book
Fight Club, the movie, was all that I expected and more. It did an excellent job of following the book, and the selection of the cast was masterful. Brad Pitt absolutely captures the essence of Tyler Durden, and Edward Norton plays the narrator exactly as he should, a timid person, constantly getting pushed around and steadily building up his confidence until he ultimately finds himself and becomes his own person. Helena Bonham Carter personifies Marla Singer word for word according to her character in the book, and, more importantly, she carries the same flirtatious, flaunting body language. The book was decent, but I felt that the movie really improved upon the book in many ways. Perhaps my imagination is too dim to create the scenes that the movie portrayed, or perhaps the director just did that good of a job converting the book into such a classic film.
Seeing the characters speak the words that I had read in the book had a much greater effect on me. Quotes such as, “His name is Robert Paulson,” or, “Our great war is a spiritual war, and our depression is our lives!,” or, “On a long enough time frame, the survival rate of everyone drops to zero” really became ingrained in my head, rattling around endlessly, forcing me to think about their meanings. It was far more powerful for me to watch the face of the character as he or she uttered words that burned themselves in my mind. Overall, I would give the book a rating of a six, and the movie a rating of a seven-and-a-half.
Seeing the characters speak the words that I had read in the book had a much greater effect on me. Quotes such as, “His name is Robert Paulson,” or, “Our great war is a spiritual war, and our depression is our lives!,” or, “On a long enough time frame, the survival rate of everyone drops to zero” really became ingrained in my head, rattling around endlessly, forcing me to think about their meanings. It was far more powerful for me to watch the face of the character as he or she uttered words that burned themselves in my mind. Overall, I would give the book a rating of a six, and the movie a rating of a seven-and-a-half.
I am Jack's Incredible Sense of Awe
Before reading Fight Club for class, I knew only two things about it. The first was that, for some reason, I wasn’t supposed to talk about it, and the second was a quote from a dear, plot-spoiling friend of mine: “They turn out to be the same guy!” Although I knew I wouldn’t be able to experience the infamous plot twist with the same magnitude, I was still excited to finally see if the book and movie lived up to their reputations. However, both exceeded my expectations.
I knew from the beginning that the novel would not disappoint me, simply because it is by Chuck Palahniuk. That being said, I had no idea I could enjoy a book about violence so much. Normally squeamish, I embraced page upon page of bruises, slashes, and pools of blood. I felt almost like a member of the club itself: I knew all the rules, was in close contact with Tyler Durden, and kept coming back for more. And while the film does an incredibly good job of depicting the men’s need for fight club, the book simply conveys that fact with more emotion. Instead of watching the men fight and connect, a reader is drawn into this underground world of secret stress-relief.
Regardless of which version was “better”, both the movie and film are incredibly original, thought-provoking, and worth the time to watch or read. Both use the rhetorical devices available to them to make readers and viewers question society, their relationships, and even themselves.
Fight Club
Having both seen and read Fight Club, I would have to say that I liked the book more. Although I did gain a greater appreciation for the movie the second time I read it, I still do not think that it compares to the depth and the intrigue of the novel.
I felt that with the novel, it was a little harder to infer that Tyler and the narrator are in fact the same person. I believe this enhanced the punch of the ending. I could be completely wrong, though, because I knew the ending before reading the book.
Another aspect that I think was better represented in the book was
All in all, I thought that the movie, though not quite as good as the book, did the book justice, unlike so many others before it. The movie beautifully recreated the troubled nature of the narrator’s mind as produced with the sporadic writing style in the book. The major themes of the novel were left intact while keeping the movie entertaining. The transition from book to movie, in this case, was a success.
Fight Club- Give it a Chance
I saw Fight Club for the first time about a year ago. I had heard all about for years, but the title itself just wasn’t appealing to me. I mean… a movie about fighting? That sounds like a lot of violence, pain, and blood and I had no interest in viewing all of that. But when I did finally did see it, I was at a birthday party surrounded by people who had all seen it before. And I have to admit, that night, I was totally lost as I watched the movie. I could not keep track of what was going on. And by the end of it, all of my friends asked me, “Wasn’t it good?” And I had to tell them, “Actually, I really don’t get what all the hype is about.”
Maybe it’s because I’ve read the book that the movie is easier to follow, or maybe it’s just the fact that I’m seeing it for a second time, but it is so much more interesting the second time around. And, when I watched it before, I didn’t get the overall message at all. To me, it was still just a film about fighting. Now I see exactly what the point of the story is, and because of this, I do enjoy it. Now I completely see what all the hype is about. This isn’t just a book/movie about hitting someone as hard as you can. It’s so much more than that, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It may take more than one try to really understand all of the hidden messages, but it is so worth reading/watching.
Maybe it’s because I’ve read the book that the movie is easier to follow, or maybe it’s just the fact that I’m seeing it for a second time, but it is so much more interesting the second time around. And, when I watched it before, I didn’t get the overall message at all. To me, it was still just a film about fighting. Now I see exactly what the point of the story is, and because of this, I do enjoy it. Now I completely see what all the hype is about. This isn’t just a book/movie about hitting someone as hard as you can. It’s so much more than that, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It may take more than one try to really understand all of the hidden messages, but it is so worth reading/watching.
I argue that the movie “Fight Club” portrays the same message of the book but in a different manner. Many of the lines from the movie are taken directly from the book. The movie puts other twist on the series of events that occur, that are very important. I actually like the movie more than the book; only because turning this book into a movie is really hard. What makes this book hard to turn into a movie is all thought process of the nameless narrator. The narrator has such a complex way of thinking which makes it hard to put that thought process in a movie, but the director managed to do it. What makes me like the movie so much is the way the director uses various techniques of filming to portray certain symbols, like the house or the way the space monkeys are portrayed. The book/ Chuck writing was sometimes confusing to me, I am not sure what it is but his writing causes me to re-read it a lot. Even with his other books I find myself re-reading sentences over and over. I really like how the movie incorporates ideas in the book into the making of the actual movie. If you look closely you can see blips of images that have been spliced in. In the book Tyler is a movie projectionist, who splices in images of pornography of dirty pictures of “body parts”. The movie actually has pretty gross stuff spliced in it, on occasion you can see a blip of Tyler standing next to the narrator, or you a see a huge penis that has been spliced in.
Fight Club's Adaptation from Book to Film
There's a problem with watching a movie before reading the book it was based upon. You can't help but read the book and then picture the characters as they were in the movie. This is exactly the case for me with Fight Club. Before reading this book in class, I had seen the movie probably 7 or 8 times because it was a favorite of mine and many close friends. Because of this, while I read Fight Club I couldn't help but picture Ed Norton and Brad Pitt. This is a huge problem because the book and the movie are very similar. Much of the dialog in the movie is even directly taken from the book. Even in the part of the book where the narrator meets Tyler Durden on a beach, a scene completely different from the movie, Edward Norton and Brad Pitt were acting the narrator and Tyler out for me.
To try and get around this problem, I tried to objectively focus on Palahniuk's writing style and whether or not it matched Norton and Pitt's acting. Palahniuk's sentences are short and choppy, much like the movie jumps around from scene to scene. Both the book and movie also give you just enough information to be very interested but you never quite understand what is going on until the conclusion. A tremendous amount of dialog is quoted from the book as well. Even though I was somewhat biased by having seen Fight Club prior to reading it, I think that Fight Club from book to movie is the best adaptation I have seen of this kind and trumps all the other book to movie adaptations our class has watched this year.
To try and get around this problem, I tried to objectively focus on Palahniuk's writing style and whether or not it matched Norton and Pitt's acting. Palahniuk's sentences are short and choppy, much like the movie jumps around from scene to scene. Both the book and movie also give you just enough information to be very interested but you never quite understand what is going on until the conclusion. A tremendous amount of dialog is quoted from the book as well. Even though I was somewhat biased by having seen Fight Club prior to reading it, I think that Fight Club from book to movie is the best adaptation I have seen of this kind and trumps all the other book to movie adaptations our class has watched this year.
Translation: Fight Club Rules.
Movie, Book, whatever, just experience Fight Club. The movie parallels the book very well in overall nature, and even a lot of the actual dialog, even if some of this is transposed to different characters and scenes. I love both of them. I originally saw the movie before I ever even knew of the book, learning of its existence a year later, but I absolutely loved the film. Fight Club blew me away like no other movie had before. The twist alone was enough to make me turn to my friend and say "That was the best movie ever."
Last year I read the book and I was thrilled with it. I realized that the dry and monotonous humor of the narrator wasn't just a creation of Edward Norton's, but could really be perceived from Palahniuk's writing. The characters are portrayed SO WELL in the film, that you can't help but give props to David Fincher and Jim Uhls for their translation of Palahniuk's words. The way in which the novel is narrated is such a unique and powerful aspect of Fight Club that the film would simply not be the same if it didn't make the leap to theaters. I am very grateful that it did.
The only big difference between the film and the book is the ending, (which I don't want to give away,) but even this change doesn't dramatically impact the message of Fight Club, which is what is most important.
Last year I read the book and I was thrilled with it. I realized that the dry and monotonous humor of the narrator wasn't just a creation of Edward Norton's, but could really be perceived from Palahniuk's writing. The characters are portrayed SO WELL in the film, that you can't help but give props to David Fincher and Jim Uhls for their translation of Palahniuk's words. The way in which the novel is narrated is such a unique and powerful aspect of Fight Club that the film would simply not be the same if it didn't make the leap to theaters. I am very grateful that it did.
The only big difference between the film and the book is the ending, (which I don't want to give away,) but even this change doesn't dramatically impact the message of Fight Club, which is what is most important.
Fight Club: Not Just for Bookworms, Anymore!
The thing about the movie version of fight club is that everybody loves it. It gets to the point where it sort of loses any kind of positive message it has, when everyone and their mom are thinking about starting a fight club of their own, to get rid of all the frustrations in their life. Which is all well and good, when so much of America gets into analyzing film for it's moral values.Except for the fact that, you know, THAT'S NOT THE MORAL. There are so many ways of analyzing this movie BESIDES the ONE surface element that EVERYONE is going to get. So instead of a million enlightened people striving for a better world, we get a million people getting together to punch each other in the collective face.
And I'm not trying to say that fight club isn't a good movie. As a matter of fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's a great movie. The production values are fantastic, the acting is amazing, and if I hadn't read the book I would have been blown away by the twist. The problem with it is that it perverts the message of the book, and THEN brings it to a huge audience. The good stuff is all there, it's just much harder to find. I think the real problem is the fact that the movie-going population of America doesn't understand what a "Satire" is.
So maybe Fight Club should have stayed a book. It would have kept it in the hands of people who read for pleasure instead of assignment, and it probably would have been understood much better. But then again, Edward Norton.
And I'm not trying to say that fight club isn't a good movie. As a matter of fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's a great movie. The production values are fantastic, the acting is amazing, and if I hadn't read the book I would have been blown away by the twist. The problem with it is that it perverts the message of the book, and THEN brings it to a huge audience. The good stuff is all there, it's just much harder to find. I think the real problem is the fact that the movie-going population of America doesn't understand what a "Satire" is.
So maybe Fight Club should have stayed a book. It would have kept it in the hands of people who read for pleasure instead of assignment, and it probably would have been understood much better. But then again, Edward Norton.
Fight Club.. what a movie
I thought Fight Club the movie was very good in different ways than the book. The movie kept the pace of the book, it's fast and demands the viewer's attention. This is very important. The movie does a great job of pulling the audience in and affecting the audience. You are moved by Tyler's speeches because you feel like you are part of the speech. The lighting is important and adds to the realistic feel of every scene. The house on Paper ST. always looks eerie during the day and night because of the lighting. Camera angles and sound effects bring you into every scene. When Fight Club is in session you feel like a part of the fight.
I found both the movie and the book to be very effective in different ways. I like to connect with a book and visualize all of the written imagery on my own. On the other hand the movie puts all of those details in your face and lets you concentrate on the message behind the words.
I found both the movie and the book to be very effective in different ways. I like to connect with a book and visualize all of the written imagery on my own. On the other hand the movie puts all of those details in your face and lets you concentrate on the message behind the words.
Fight Club: the Similarities and the Differences between David Fincher's and Chuck Palahniuk's Versions
The scenery, the plot, the characters, and the dialogue of the movie all have the feel of the book, but there are obvious differences between the two. As is always the case, the movie is a bit of a toned down version of the book.
In the movie, Tyler isn't quite as psychotic as he is in the book. Although he is still a terrorist and chaos is still his mission, he doesn't go as far in the movie as he does in the book. He doesn't kill anyone in the movie, whereas he kills the mayor’s special envoy in the book. He also never intends to kill anyone in the movie - his gun not being loaded when he threatens Raymond K. Hessel – while he wants twelve “human sacrifices” and explicitly tells the members of Project Mayhem, "and just so you don't worry about it, yes, you're going to have to kill someone" in the book. I suppose that this is done to make him more likeable. I still think that he’s a twit.
Marla isn’t as depraved in the movie either. She still rambles on about death and a few other strange things, but there is no mention of her telling Tyler that she, “wants his abortion.” I heard that producers begged for that line not to be included (although they weren’t too fond of the grade school line either). In any case, Marla is actually a lot more likeable in the movie than in the book.
Overall, though, the scenery fits the story, the actors fit their roles, and the whole thing - fight scenes included - looks realistic enough. There are minor deviations in the movie from the book – such as the first time that Tyler and the main character meet, the attack on the police commissioner at the banquet, and attack on the main character at the police station – but these all help with the flow of the storyline. The ending, most notably of all, is different. In the movie, it is a bit happier. This, I think, was a good move on David Fincher’s half. We – the “middle children” of the earth – need our superficial happy endings to fill in the voids of our sad, consumerist lives...
Hints regarding the identity of Tyler are presented as cleverly in the movie as they are in the book. In the latter, it is foreshadowed in the way that the main character is treated by strangers (they seem to recognize him and wink), while in the former, it is in the way that those close to him treat him (Marla acts like he’s the one she likes and Bob thanks him for Fight Club). In both the book and the movie, the main character himself also foreshadows the truth. He asks if it is possible to wake up as someone else, and mentions how his fight with himself reminds him of his first fight with Tyler.
The tongue-in-cheek humor of the book is translated very well into the movie. The fact that I didn’t notice the music at all must mean that it was well done (that sort of thing is only noticeable when it doesn’t go well with a movie, makes your ears bleed, or the movie in question is a musical). In general, this is one of the few good book-to-movie adaptations that Hollywood has successfully made.
In the movie, Tyler isn't quite as psychotic as he is in the book. Although he is still a terrorist and chaos is still his mission, he doesn't go as far in the movie as he does in the book. He doesn't kill anyone in the movie, whereas he kills the mayor’s special envoy in the book. He also never intends to kill anyone in the movie - his gun not being loaded when he threatens Raymond K. Hessel – while he wants twelve “human sacrifices” and explicitly tells the members of Project Mayhem, "and just so you don't worry about it, yes, you're going to have to kill someone" in the book. I suppose that this is done to make him more likeable. I still think that he’s a twit.
Marla isn’t as depraved in the movie either. She still rambles on about death and a few other strange things, but there is no mention of her telling Tyler that she, “wants his abortion.” I heard that producers begged for that line not to be included (although they weren’t too fond of the grade school line either). In any case, Marla is actually a lot more likeable in the movie than in the book.
Overall, though, the scenery fits the story, the actors fit their roles, and the whole thing - fight scenes included - looks realistic enough. There are minor deviations in the movie from the book – such as the first time that Tyler and the main character meet, the attack on the police commissioner at the banquet, and attack on the main character at the police station – but these all help with the flow of the storyline. The ending, most notably of all, is different. In the movie, it is a bit happier. This, I think, was a good move on David Fincher’s half. We – the “middle children” of the earth – need our superficial happy endings to fill in the voids of our sad, consumerist lives...
Hints regarding the identity of Tyler are presented as cleverly in the movie as they are in the book. In the latter, it is foreshadowed in the way that the main character is treated by strangers (they seem to recognize him and wink), while in the former, it is in the way that those close to him treat him (Marla acts like he’s the one she likes and Bob thanks him for Fight Club). In both the book and the movie, the main character himself also foreshadows the truth. He asks if it is possible to wake up as someone else, and mentions how his fight with himself reminds him of his first fight with Tyler.
The tongue-in-cheek humor of the book is translated very well into the movie. The fact that I didn’t notice the music at all must mean that it was well done (that sort of thing is only noticeable when it doesn’t go well with a movie, makes your ears bleed, or the movie in question is a musical). In general, this is one of the few good book-to-movie adaptations that Hollywood has successfully made.
Fight Club vs. Fight Club...Fight Club Wins!
The movie does an amazingly accurate job bringing the book to life. All of the characters were exactly how I expected them to be, and if not then better. Brad Pitt was the perfect alter ego for the narrator. Marla Singer looked just as foul as I imagined and her icky ways, visualized, made the narrators disgust of her more surreal. The narrator’s mental disorder was captured accurately and better depicted in the movie. In the beginning of the movie, there are flashes of Tyler Durden that are nearly invisible if one is unaware of what is slowly happening to the narrator’s mental health. Big Bob’s character was hilarious, though his man boobs were excessively larger than I imagined from reading the text. The narrator’s boss and all of the space monkeys from Project Mayhem were astonishing as well.
The book had an extremely intense pace that the movie captures well. The narrator’s mental disorder, whatever he has, is intensified by the camera and the music. The music was also beneficial during the actual fight club scenes. The sound of bones breaking and fists clashing does a lot more to the senses than the sheer imagination of those noises. The movie does an outstanding job of highlighting the fights so that everyone watching can feel the strength and intensity. The book is a story. The movie is an experience. This is the only movie we have seen all year that I feel does not lack anything from the book and there is nothing the book does better. The only limitation of the movie is that it absorbs you into the screen, therefore relinquishing your individual creativity and imagination.
The book had an extremely intense pace that the movie captures well. The narrator’s mental disorder, whatever he has, is intensified by the camera and the music. The music was also beneficial during the actual fight club scenes. The sound of bones breaking and fists clashing does a lot more to the senses than the sheer imagination of those noises. The movie does an outstanding job of highlighting the fights so that everyone watching can feel the strength and intensity. The book is a story. The movie is an experience. This is the only movie we have seen all year that I feel does not lack anything from the book and there is nothing the book does better. The only limitation of the movie is that it absorbs you into the screen, therefore relinquishing your individual creativity and imagination.
Fight Club
I had heard about the movie Fight Club from several male friends of mine. They would always rave about how awesome the movie was and I would always mean to go rent the movie. However, I never got around to doing it because some other movie would catch my eye and I would simply forget about Fight Club. That is why I was so delighted when I found out we were watching the movie and reading the book in class.
I found the book simply amazing. It was one of those reads that I did not want to put down. The twist was also unexpected and delightful. Overall the book was great and after reading it I could not wait to watch the movie but yet I was hesitant as to whether the movie would be just a great as the book. I was afraid that Hollywood would destroy the images I had already formed of the characters, settings and the meaning of the movie.
When we first began watching the movie I was disappointed and I don't even have a legitimate reason why I was disappointed. I believe I began watching the movie with the attitude that it would never live up to the standards of the book. However, after watching more of the movie I began to realize that it was not as bad I had thought it was going to be. In fact, I think the movie does the book justice. It is well written and follows the plot of the book fairly well. One of the things I loved was that Tyler's house was portrayed in the movie the same way I had imagined it while reading the book. This is an occurrence that rarely happens when books are brought to the big screen. Although I am still 100% convinced that the book is better, the movie does an excellent job of bringing the book to life.
I found the book simply amazing. It was one of those reads that I did not want to put down. The twist was also unexpected and delightful. Overall the book was great and after reading it I could not wait to watch the movie but yet I was hesitant as to whether the movie would be just a great as the book. I was afraid that Hollywood would destroy the images I had already formed of the characters, settings and the meaning of the movie.
When we first began watching the movie I was disappointed and I don't even have a legitimate reason why I was disappointed. I believe I began watching the movie with the attitude that it would never live up to the standards of the book. However, after watching more of the movie I began to realize that it was not as bad I had thought it was going to be. In fact, I think the movie does the book justice. It is well written and follows the plot of the book fairly well. One of the things I loved was that Tyler's house was portrayed in the movie the same way I had imagined it while reading the book. This is an occurrence that rarely happens when books are brought to the big screen. Although I am still 100% convinced that the book is better, the movie does an excellent job of bringing the book to life.
Fight Club
As of now, I am very happy with the movie and how well the book translated from page to screen. The movie did really well with the dual identity thing, much better than expected. I was nervous about how they would portray the narrator and Tyler as two separate people, and then eventually combine them into one, but I thought the movie handles it beautifully, making the narrator flash back and see what was really happening when he “fell asleep.”
I think the casting is amazing too. The narrator is just like I imagined him, all introverted and awkward, yet charming in a weird way that makes you feel for him. And Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden is perfect too. He’s so confident and self-assured, so opposite of the narrator. The two men work well together too; they compliment each other and play off each other in a really easy, unaffected way. They never seem like they are trying too hard to make the audience “get it.” Having read the book before seeing the movie, it was fun finding all of the little hints that the filmmakers hid in the movie about Tyler’s real identity. I love the quick flashes of Tyler in the beginning because that echoes what Tyler does to the movies he shows at his job. All of those fun little quirks kept me entertained and on my toes.
I love Marla in this movie too. I like her character better in the movie than in the book. In the book, she just seemed whiny and needy. In the movie they let her be a little tougher, and I like her better that way. I feel so sorry for her though; she’s always confused and puzzled trying to deal with Tyler’s two personalities. She is a character that you pull for, you want her to do well and be happy.
All in all, the movie really impressed me. The graphics are amazing, and the casting is perfect. I think I actually like it better than the book, but the book was amazing too.
I think the casting is amazing too. The narrator is just like I imagined him, all introverted and awkward, yet charming in a weird way that makes you feel for him. And Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden is perfect too. He’s so confident and self-assured, so opposite of the narrator. The two men work well together too; they compliment each other and play off each other in a really easy, unaffected way. They never seem like they are trying too hard to make the audience “get it.” Having read the book before seeing the movie, it was fun finding all of the little hints that the filmmakers hid in the movie about Tyler’s real identity. I love the quick flashes of Tyler in the beginning because that echoes what Tyler does to the movies he shows at his job. All of those fun little quirks kept me entertained and on my toes.
I love Marla in this movie too. I like her character better in the movie than in the book. In the book, she just seemed whiny and needy. In the movie they let her be a little tougher, and I like her better that way. I feel so sorry for her though; she’s always confused and puzzled trying to deal with Tyler’s two personalities. She is a character that you pull for, you want her to do well and be happy.
All in all, the movie really impressed me. The graphics are amazing, and the casting is perfect. I think I actually like it better than the book, but the book was amazing too.
And then, Tyler was Gone
Before entering this class, I had never seen or read anything about Fight Club. I had heard from a number of people (especially guys) that the movie was pretty cool, but it had never sparked my interest. However, after reading this novel and watching the movie, I would have to agree with them.
After reading the novel, the only thing I wanted to do was see the movie. I thought the plot twist was really neat and I couldn’t wait to see how the movie portrayed Tyler Durden and the narrator as two separate characters that eventually combine into one. In that aspect, I thought the director of this movie did a very good job of putting the written words into a film. I actually watched the whole movie with my friends a few days after I read the novel and they were all totally shocked when the narrator started discovering the truth about his life.
However, when I saw the ending of the movie, I was very disappointed. I should have figured Hollywood would have to do that to the story. Don’t get me wrong, I do love happy endings, and if the novel would have ended in a “Happily ever after” sort of way, I would have been content with both the novel and the movie. But, since the ending was changed just to make moviegoers feel warm and fuzzy inside, I was pretty upset.
Overall, I think the narrator did an excellent job of converting Fight Club from a novel to a film. The actors in this movie were perfect for the characters and most of the dialogue was straight from the novel. I was also very glad to see the director add a little more humor to the film version, especially from Tyler Durden’s character. I think that definitely made the movie more enjoyable than what it could have been.
Brooklyn’s Ratings: Fight Club novel: 8.1 Fight Club movie: 7.6
After reading the novel, the only thing I wanted to do was see the movie. I thought the plot twist was really neat and I couldn’t wait to see how the movie portrayed Tyler Durden and the narrator as two separate characters that eventually combine into one. In that aspect, I thought the director of this movie did a very good job of putting the written words into a film. I actually watched the whole movie with my friends a few days after I read the novel and they were all totally shocked when the narrator started discovering the truth about his life.
However, when I saw the ending of the movie, I was very disappointed. I should have figured Hollywood would have to do that to the story. Don’t get me wrong, I do love happy endings, and if the novel would have ended in a “Happily ever after” sort of way, I would have been content with both the novel and the movie. But, since the ending was changed just to make moviegoers feel warm and fuzzy inside, I was pretty upset.
Overall, I think the narrator did an excellent job of converting Fight Club from a novel to a film. The actors in this movie were perfect for the characters and most of the dialogue was straight from the novel. I was also very glad to see the director add a little more humor to the film version, especially from Tyler Durden’s character. I think that definitely made the movie more enjoyable than what it could have been.
Brooklyn’s Ratings: Fight Club novel: 8.1 Fight Club movie: 7.6
Friday, November 2, 2007
Fight Club
I never had any intention of reading or watching “Fight Club”. I heard about it of course. The movie quickly became such a phenomenon that still today stores sell t-shirts with “Paper Street Soap Company” and a fist printed on the front. I never understood what the big deal was. From what I understood it was just about a bunch of guys fighting. It didn’t help that most of the individuals who raved about the movie were men. I just thought it was another one of those “movies for men” that you see all the time on Spike TV. What could I possibly learn from a movie like that?
My naïveté surprises even me at times. Although clearly a book/movie targeted for male audiences, the broader theme is for everyone. It is clear that Fight Club is a statement about society and more specifically, awakening the power we all possess as individuals to change how society perceives those of the middle class. Although I enjoyed both the movie and the book, I liked the book more. Maybe it’s because I read it first, but the book seemed to hold so much more weight. Each chapter is written with such a sense of boldness that forced you to take an honest look at your own life. Plus it seemed a little hypocritical to watch famous movie stars act like “the middle children of history”. It’s easier to relate to the characters’ hardships if you’re not thinking about Brad Pitt’s million dollar house you saw last night on MTV’s Cribs. Both Brad Pitt and Edward Norton did a wonderful job acting, it just wasn't as believable.
Unfortunately I knew the ending prior to watching the movie and reading the book. (My family is full of spoilers). But I was still surprised by many of the scenes in the book. I loved the scene with Raymond K. Hessel (and not just because I hope to get into vet school one day). For some reason when the narrator (in the novel) or Tyler Durden (in the movie) stated “Raymond K. Hessel, your dinner is going to taste better than any meal you’ve ever eaten, and tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of your entire life” it really resonated with me. It’s such a powerful statement, but it also got me thinking. Are we really that afraid to follow our dreams that we have to have a gun to our head in order to do it? What happened to the Dead Poet's Society and Carpe Diem?
My naïveté surprises even me at times. Although clearly a book/movie targeted for male audiences, the broader theme is for everyone. It is clear that Fight Club is a statement about society and more specifically, awakening the power we all possess as individuals to change how society perceives those of the middle class. Although I enjoyed both the movie and the book, I liked the book more. Maybe it’s because I read it first, but the book seemed to hold so much more weight. Each chapter is written with such a sense of boldness that forced you to take an honest look at your own life. Plus it seemed a little hypocritical to watch famous movie stars act like “the middle children of history”. It’s easier to relate to the characters’ hardships if you’re not thinking about Brad Pitt’s million dollar house you saw last night on MTV’s Cribs. Both Brad Pitt and Edward Norton did a wonderful job acting, it just wasn't as believable.
Unfortunately I knew the ending prior to watching the movie and reading the book. (My family is full of spoilers). But I was still surprised by many of the scenes in the book. I loved the scene with Raymond K. Hessel (and not just because I hope to get into vet school one day). For some reason when the narrator (in the novel) or Tyler Durden (in the movie) stated “Raymond K. Hessel, your dinner is going to taste better than any meal you’ve ever eaten, and tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of your entire life” it really resonated with me. It’s such a powerful statement, but it also got me thinking. Are we really that afraid to follow our dreams that we have to have a gun to our head in order to do it? What happened to the Dead Poet's Society and Carpe Diem?
Now, here's a challenge - how to take a novel that switches viewpoints and voices so rapidly that a Thursday Next novel would seem drab by comparison; a novel that consists, in the main, of pure narration; a novel that never even bothers to provide a name for its main character - and turn it into a film. Surprisingly, especially with Hollywood's history of mangling book-to-film conversions, it turned out surprisingly well.
Thankfully, a narrator was used for this film. It would have been nightmarish to see this acted out without one. From what I've read of the movie's history, that was their original intention, and took a man named Fincher to change their mind. Bravo, Fincher.
The imagery was certainly done well. Tyler's house in particular was a perfect representation of what was depicted in the book, with every scene set in it subtly reinforcing its decrepit status. Violence was well-choreographed and the blood, sweat and injuries were all realistic.
Cinematography was quite inventive, adding a lot to the content of the novel. Tyler pointing at the mark on the screen in the scene about film operations was inspired. Other notable effects included the "watermark" on the flashback scenes
The truly amazing and unexpected surprise was the masterful handling of Tyler Durden. The movie subtly hinted at his unreality throughout the film, yet never openly declared it before the unveiling. Perhaps most impressive was the subliminal imaging that flickered his image in and out throughout the beginning of the film.
All in all, a fantastic adaption of book to film. I still prefer the novel to the film, but that's only my pro-print bias. If every book that was taken to film was converted with this much skill, I'd certainly watch more movies.
Thankfully, a narrator was used for this film. It would have been nightmarish to see this acted out without one. From what I've read of the movie's history, that was their original intention, and took a man named Fincher to change their mind. Bravo, Fincher.
The imagery was certainly done well. Tyler's house in particular was a perfect representation of what was depicted in the book, with every scene set in it subtly reinforcing its decrepit status. Violence was well-choreographed and the blood, sweat and injuries were all realistic.
Cinematography was quite inventive, adding a lot to the content of the novel. Tyler pointing at the mark on the screen in the scene about film operations was inspired. Other notable effects included the "watermark" on the flashback scenes
The truly amazing and unexpected surprise was the masterful handling of Tyler Durden. The movie subtly hinted at his unreality throughout the film, yet never openly declared it before the unveiling. Perhaps most impressive was the subliminal imaging that flickered his image in and out throughout the beginning of the film.
All in all, a fantastic adaption of book to film. I still prefer the novel to the film, but that's only my pro-print bias. If every book that was taken to film was converted with this much skill, I'd certainly watch more movies.
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