A Freudian Study Of Self In The Film Fight Club

This thesis gives a psychological analysis of self in the film Fight Club,especially of its male protagonist the unnamed narrator starred by Edward Norton and his split personality Tyler Durden portrayed by Brad Pitt mainly under the guidance of Freudian theories of the unconscious mind,id,ego and super-ego,the interpretation of dreams,libido and death drives.Centering on the characteristics and the formation of the two distinct personalities of one man,the unnamed narrator,the paper provides a clear observation of the main personality which is under the strict control of an over-powering super-ego and the split personality which listens only to the call of id.More importantly,this paper also divides the psychological transformation of the film protagonist into four phases and through examining the incidents,speeches and mental activities of the unnamed narrator's,and the interactions between the two personalities in each stage so as to offer an incisive and detailed dissection of the studied subject.In addition,four outstanding symptoms have been looked into with Freudian thoughts on libido and death drive as a compliment to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the self in this film.This paper concludes that after a painful struggle inside the protagonist's mind which is reflected from his words,illusions,and disastrous conducts,eventually he manages to face up to his reality,to break out excessive constraints set by his own conscience and the society,and to grasp the opportunity to strike the right balance between his unruly desires and moral sense and then lead a normal life.