preview

Examples Of Existentialism In Fight Club

Decent Essays

The lives that many humans live are based off of social norms and the expectations of fulfilling other people’s wants, not what they themselves want to do. It is common for many seniors in high school to apply and eventually venture off to college where they expand their knowledge of several subjects. But, do these students really want to go to college for themselves or are they going because their parents want them to? Do they feel fulfillment in the actions that they are taking as a college student? The philosophy of existentialism highlights the absurdity of reality and the importance of human responsibility to make choices and face consequences. Specifically, the idea that existence precedes essence is quintessential in this philosophy; …show more content…

In one scene, Jack and Tyler harshly walk into a convenience store and take the clerk out back by the dumpster in oblivion. Tyler takes an unloaded gun and puts it against the young man’s head as he questions the man about his life choices. The man knelt on the floor, trembling with fear that he was going to die, but Tyler let go of him. As the man escaped, Tyler said "Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel's life. His breakfast will taste better than any meal you and I have ever tasted." This scene exemplifies the existentialist idea of choice and commitment as Tyler makes the clerk muse about his prior decisions which he had the right to choose and shaped his future to what it is now. Tyler enforced the idea that it is necessary to accept and be responsible for the choices that the clerk has made in his life. Furthermore, the idea of nothingness and death looms over the clerks head as he realizes that death can occur at any moment, bringing him sorrow as he has the want to live and do better with his life. Since Tyler enforced these ideas, it made the clerk appreciate his life more than he did before instead of taking things for

Get Access