Fight Club – Battle of the Id, Ego, Superego

Throughout the course of Fight Club we see an internal battle occurring within the mind of our narrator. From start to finish, our narrator remains unnamed, implying a lost sense of identity and a disconnection with his own mind. Using Sigmund Freud’s model of the three-part mind (e.g. – id, ego, superego), you will analyze the narrator’s mental conflict in order to understand how and why this battle unfolds. Ultimately, you will explain what this conflict represents for the book and for society at large. 

Paragraph #1: Defining the 3-part mind (6-7 sentences) 

Sentence starter → In the 1920’s neurologist Sigmund Freud developed a theory of the mind which explained that the formation of an individual’s personality was dependent on three independent identities known as the id, ego, and superego.

• In your own words, provide a definition for what Freud describes as the “id”. What is the role of the id?
• In your own words, provide a definition for what Freud describes as the “superego”. What is the role of the superego?
• In your own words, provide a definition for what Freud describes as the “ego”. What is the role of the ego?
• According to Freud, how should an individual balance these three parts of the mind? What part should be in control? Why?

Paragraph #2 – Representation in the Fight Club (6-7 sentences)

Sentence starter → In “Fight Club”, we see the three parts of the Freudian mind at work. In the book, the id is represented by…

• Now, think about Fight Club. Which character represents the id? What big idea(s) are reflected in this part of the narrator’s mind? Why do you believe this? Give two specific examples from the text to back up your answer.
• What influences the narrator’s superego? What big idea(s) are reflected in this part of the narrator’s mind? Why do you believe this? Give two specific examples from the text to back up your answer.
• Which character represents the ego? Why do you believe this? Give one specific example from the text to back up your answer.

Paragraph #3 – Balance of power (6-7 sentences) 

Sentence starter → Throughout Fight Club the balance of power in the narrator’s mind…

• How does the balance of power shift between these parts of the mind throughout the story? 
• Who is in charge in the beginning, middle, and end? 
• How do they battle in the text? Why?
• Why does the narrator’s id take such a prominent role? What does the narrator’s id allow him to do/be? 

Paragraph #4 – Benefits and drawbacks of id/superego (6-7 sentences)

Sentence starter → Both the narrator’s id and superego affect his life in various ways.

• How does the narrator’s id affect his life? What does it make him do? Is this positive for him? 
• Describe the narrator’s life before his id begins to dominate his life. Describe the narrator’s life after his id begins to dominate his life. 
• Name three ways the narrator’s id made his life better. Name three ways the narrator’s id made his life worse. Was the narrator’s id good for him? Why or why not?
• How does the narrator’s superego affect his life? What does it make him do? What does it stop him from doing? Is this positive for him?

Paragraph #5 – What is the point? (5-6 sentences)

Sentence starter → Over the course of Fight Club we come to learn… 

• What is the ultimate message of Fight Club? 
• Consider what each part of the narrator’s mind tells us about the big ideas in the book (e.g. – masculinity, consumerism, anarchy, and existentialism). 
• In the end, what does the narrator learn from his id, ego, and superego?