Themes

On the following pages, you can read about some of the main themes of the novel Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk.

Alienation

Alienation is a central theme in Chuck Palahniuk's novel Fight Club. The novel explores the sense of disconnection that many people experience in modern society, and how that alienation can lead to extreme and destructive behavior.

One way that the theme of alienation is explored in the novel is through the narrator's sense of isolation and loneliness. The narrator is an unnamed, middle-class man who feels disconnected from the world around him. This sense of disconnection is strengthened by the narrator’s severe insomnia, which means he struggles to experience normal human emotions and generally does not feel like an active part of the world he lives in. 

Another way that the theme of alienation is explored in the novel is through the character of Tyler Durden, the narrator's alternative personality. Tyler is a charismatic and rebellious figure who encourages the narrator to reject the consumerist values of modern society and embrace a more primal, violent way of life. Tyler embodies the narrator's desire to break free from his meaningless existence and find a sens...