Fight Club Analysis

Laura CalderoneProfessor Chute

General Psychology 101-001November 7, 2008

Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt)

• Schizophrenia – Split from reality in thinking, perceptions, emotion and action –

Character displays positive symptoms• Perception – hallucinations (imagines Tyler is there with him)• Inappropriate emotions and actions – extreme violence• Lives in private inner world preoccupied with illogical ideas and

unreal images – existence of Tyler • Issues come from a decline of brain waves, low activity in the

frontal lobe, problems in thalamus and amygdala• Can cause deficiencies in memory

You Wake Up in Philadelphia…• Insomnia

– The main character woke up in various cities not remembering what happened

– Had issues with sleeping – apparent in opening scene with the phone

• Symptoms of Insomnia that he Possessed– Difficulty with memory– Irritability and impaired

social interaction• Typically would be

arguable – can’t socialize properly with the girl (Marla)

• Possible Causes– Jet lag– Could be related to

schizophrenia, stress, and mania

“I Know This Because Tyler Knows This”

• Dissociative Identity Disorder– Narcissitic Personality

Disorder – Tyler is stronger more powerful character that is obsessed with himself

– Personalities have different behavior and sometimes even physical characteristics

– Used as a defense mechanism – character wants to be tougher so he creates a tougher personality

• Symptoms– Amnesia or time loss (forget

what happened)– Visual/auditory hallucinations– Identity issues – doesn’t

know who he really is by the end – Is he actually Tyler?

Works Cited• Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality

Disorder). 2004. Medicine Net. 5 Nov. 2008 <http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=38077>.

• Insomnia. 2008. EMedicineHealth. 5 Nov. 2008 <http://www.emedicinehealth.com/insomnia/article_em.htm>.

• Myers, David G. "Dissociative and Personality Disorders." Psychology. 8th ed. United States of America: Worth, 2007. 662-65.

• Myers, David G. “Schizophrenia." Psychology. 8th ed. United States of America: Worth, 2007. 678-684.