Fight Club and Nietzsche’s, The Gay Science

This paper aims to show how the film, Fight Club represents Nietzschean themes specifically mentioned in his book, The Gay Science. The main character, Jack, experiences psychological breaks from reality after developing depression from his unsatisfying life-style. In doing so, he imagines a character named Tyler Durdin, who influences him to rebel against the capitalist structures that promote conformity. Together, they go on to create an underground club where men fight one another to cope with their mundane lives, and reject authority. However, Nietzsche warns readers about the difficulty of accepting the freedom that follows consequently from the basis of God’s death, insinuating that no preacher, tragedian, higher power, virtue or objective moral compass is dependable. Invariably, this kind of rejection results in two possible scenarios: One, the newfound freedom would grant a person the prerogative to use their creativity in becoming their most authentic self, or two, the person feeling overwhelmed by their freedom would submit to nihilism. In the latter case, perceiving the world’s grim realities–accepting the death of God–would instead lead them towards a new and unconventional authority. By returning to their comfortable instinct, they would likely alienate for a common cause. Fight Club depicts both scenarios and yet, the characters fail to escape the consequences of nihilism, and use their freedom unwisely.

Sofia (She/Her) is a philosophy major and English minor at Boston University, who is interested in ethics, existentialism, and aesthetics. Additionally, she is an author in the BU Pre-Law Review journal and is involved in the BU Student Government.