Collective Behavior In Fight Club

The movie Fight Club is a film revolving around the idea of collective behavior and the power one gains whilst a part of such behavior. Tyler’s character begins as a relatively weak and sociological “advanced” individual, with a penthouse, a stable job, and money. Although he was a satisfied person in terms of society's standards he was not happy with his life. You could visibly see the depression he felt and how unhappy Tyler was at the beginning of the film. Collective behavior, however, allowed Tyler to become the person he always wanted to be, no matter how this affected society. Collective behavior is one of the only things that allow people to feel as though they are a part of something no matter how they are in other areas of life. In the movie, Tyler narrates this statement, “Who you were in fight club was not who you were in the rest of the world” (Fincher). This allowed not only Tyler to be the man he always wanted to be, but many other men who also felt trapped in their way of life. Good intro.

This Fight Club was never thought to have been a part of real Tyler’s plan. However, Tyler’s alter ego thought this was what he needed. Originally it was only Tyler that showed up to the meetings, but then each time he met at the bar more people began to watch and participate. One character saying, “Can I be next?” (Fincher), referring to wanting to fight. The groups began so popularly because each member felt out of place in one way or another. A researcher saying this about collective behavior, “Episodes of collective behavior tend to be quite spontaneous, resulting from an experience shared by the members of the group that engenders a sense of common interest and identity” (Smelser). This explains that these people felt like themselves and a community when they fought. Great use of an outside source here, but afterward you should also put it into your own words and tie in some of the readings.

The collective behavior did not stop at the fighting though. There then became rules, the iconic rules that this film is known for. We learn this when Tyler says, “Every week Tyler gave the rules that he and I decided” (Fincher). One of these rules being “If this is your first night at fight club, you have to fight” and another being “you don’t talk about fight club” (Fincher). Good. This became an institution because of the rules and leadership role Tyler took, almost cult-like. Good, but go into more depth and define the institution and explain its importance. People worshipped and obeyed Tyler in a way that almost became disturbing. They would undergo brutal fights only to later tend to each others’ wounds. Each member had to go through the initiation and then to live in the house they had to stand outside of the house for 3 days with no food, water, or shelter, all while being told to go away and insults being thrown at them. This club became a lifestyle and they all followed the same rules and they all wore the same clothes. This collective behavior became an escape and a way of life for these men.

The real Tyler at one point said this, “Sooner or later we all became what Tyler wanted us to be” and “The house had become a living thing... planet Tyler” (Fincher). These people no longer were performing to be a part of an escape from reality, this became their reality. The lifestyle that formed from Fight Club was a way of life. These men became dependent on the obedience they were forced into and the way of life they performed while living at the house. Project Mayhem became their life and under no order were they to go against the plan. This is not only shown when Robert Paulson is shot but when Tyler tries to retract the project altogether. The men know to go on with the plan Robert must be hidden evidence, but the real Tyler is empathetic to the death of his friend. The members of the club acknowledge that Tyler is hurt by the death of this member and alter the rules only for Tyler. Stating, “in death in Project Mayhem, we have a name” than chanting one by one, until every member of the house is saying “his name is Robert Paulson” (Fincher). At this point, Tyler realizes that this project has gone too far and that something is not right. Tyler was so caught up in the act of being a part of something and the community he formed that he could not see the wrongs and craziness of the plan in general.

Collective behavior changes a person for the worse or better or both, in no particular order. The power collective behavior contains is a monstrous amount that could be detrimental to any society. Fight Club is a prime example of the power and change that collective behavior has the potential of creating and that is something that many have trouble understanding as a whole.