Fight Club

Watching the movie Fight Club allows the watcher to experience non-conformity and "over the line" behavior while having a sense that these behaviors are acceptable by the community. To relax and get ready to sleep, attending terminal illness groups is not conforming to normal social behavior when you don't have a terminal illness. A line is crossed when it is acceptable to point a gun to someone's head. This film allows the watcher to explore what level of non conformity is acceptable for them.

The Narrator goes to the doctor because he can't sleep. Extreme dislike for his job and the many plain flights leaves him an insomniac. The Narrator discovers that if he attends terminal illness support groups that he is able to cry and the release from crying sends home to a good night’s sleep. This is not conforming to what normal society rules as acceptable behavior. The Narrator never shares that he isn't dying, or hasn't had cancer. He lies to these people by allowing them to think they are just like him. This behavior isn't socially acceptable; it is non-conforming to the rules of support groups.

Tyler Durden goes beyond not conforming to society; he blatantly crosses the line when he takes out a gun. Goes into a convenient store, and forces the clerk, Raymond K Hessel out the back of the store. While pointing the gun at his head and tells him he is going to die. Durden uses the contents of Hessel’s wallet to drill him about his previous attempts to go to Community College. Durden forcibly reminds Hessel his dream of being a Veterinarian. Durden lets him go but not before telling Hessel that he will be checked on in six weeks and he had better be on the way to his dream. It is never okay to put a gun to someone’s head and tell them they are going to die. Even when you gun isn’t loaded. It is called assault. It is over the line of acceptable behavior. Even though the reason for pointing the gun at them, maybe to free them from fear of death and motive them towards a life they really want, it is "over the line." Durden justifies his actions by explaining that Hessel will have the best tasting meal of his entire life, the following morning. Releasing fear, or by creating extreme fear is a foundation that leads to complete social dysfunction. Durden wants to help others not be defined by fear.

Fight Club is a film that challenges the watchers personal a perception of what is non-conformity and how that leads to someone stepping over the line. This film is about exposing the watcher to mental illness in a way that the watcher can relate to different characteristics of unacceptable behavior. The title of the movie shows us the foundation of this behavior. Fight club is a fighting club where you can go to fight. The basic rules are not to talk about it. Every sport out there has rules and protective equipment and is talked about on television. Do not talk about Fight Club, is the opposite of what is done after watching Fight Club. Enjoying conversations about why lines were crossed and when was too much is just what this movie leads the watcher to do. The discussions lead you to seeing that you forget that some of the behaviors aren't normal because other behaviors are so extreme they make you except the less extreme behaviors. This almost makes the less extreme behaviors seem socially acceptable.

Fight Club is a movie to watch and explore the differences between non-conforming behavior and what is crossing the line behavior. This movie can challenge what the watcher values to be acceptable in society and to think about what personal possessions say about you and do they define you. This movie also makes you think about how your possessions can own you and define you as a person. Watching this film is a great way to explore mental health and why finding yourself is considered to be such an important thing to do in life.