During the Fight Club readings, Marla has been seen as both empowered and victimized. Take a position on Marla - is she a friend or a foe to feminism?
Rubric:
Use of Fight Club to support your ideas (specific references to the novel)
9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20
Use of the FC readings to support your ideas (specific references to the articles)
9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20
Use of grammar, voice and word choice
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Marla Singer can be considered a friend to feminism because she knows who she is and she presents herself in a manner that is realistic and brutally honest. She has hit "rock bottom" and can now act as she desires without judgement from other characters. Marla is a wise and the strongest character in Fight Club. Everything she does in the novel is primarily to make her feel alive even though most of the time she is at a support group feeling as if she is dying. She once says, "The girl is infectious human waste and she's confused and afraid to commit to the wrong thing so she won't commit to anything" (Palahniuk 61). By accepting the reality of her life and being content with who she has become, she can be seen as a feminist to the reader. Also, Marla is a key character in Fight Club because she exposes Jack's sensitive character trait and is the catalyst for the arrival of Tyler Durden. Jack says in the novel, "Marla is my power animal" (Palahnuik 35). Without Marla, Jack would be nothing more than a delusional human being and he realizes it in this moment. She is the one who makes Jack and Tyler drift apart and overall helps Jack realize who he must become in order to be content with his life. He must hit rock bottom, like she has, to truly know what it is like to live. Marla has thoroughly understood that consumerism and letting others and objects own you is the exact opposite of living happily. She rejects all ideas that Jack represented in the beginning of the novel. Another reason why Marla can be considered a friend to feminism is because of what Kesler explains in the article."Our society is as afraid of real men as they are of real women, and tricking us into thinking we're pitted against each other has been their greatest weapon all along. Our language doesn't bother giving us a way to talk about the importance of growing up to become a real women, because it's not considered a laudable goal" (Kesler 2). Marla can easily represent this quote because she realizes that being a woman is not considered an admirable goal in certain aspects, but she still portrays herself in society as a strong, independent woman. Fight Club and Project Mayhem are all about destroying capitalism and consumerism, and femininity within men. Jack and Tyler would not have been able to start these activities without the existence of Marla Singer. She represents feminism so tremendously that Jack and Tyler don't even realize what they strive to become is like Marla. She represents everything a woman and man should be. Strong, wise, and does not let others own her. Overall these are the reasons why she can be considered a friend to feminism. She is an inspiration to Jack throughout the novel even though he may not realize it.
ReplyDelete- Emily Al-Harazi
Marla Singer can be considered a friend to feminism because she knows who she is and presents herself in a manner that is realistic and brutally honest within society. She has hit "rock bottom" and can now act as she desires without judgement from other characters. Marla is the wisest and strongest character in Fight Club. Everything she does in the novel is primarily to make her feel alive even though most of the time she is at a support group feeling as if she is dying. She once says, "The girl is infectious human waste and she's confused and afraid to commit to the wrong thing so she won't commit to anything" (Palahniuk 61). By accepting the reality of her life and being content with who she has become, she can be seen as a feminist to the reader. Also, Marla is a key character in Fight Club because she exposes Jack's sensitive character trait and is the catalyst for the arrival of Tyler Durden. Jack says in the novel, "Marla is my power animal" (Palahnuik 35). Without Marla, Jack would be nothing more than a delusional human being and he realizes it in this moment. She is the one who makes Jack and Tyler drift apart and overall helps Jack realize who he must become in order to be content with his life. He must hit rock bottom, like she has, to truly know what it is like to live. Marla has thoroughly understood that consumerism and letting others and objects own you is the exact opposite of living happily. She rejects all ideas that Jack represented in the beginning of the novel. Another reason why Marla can be considered a friend to feminism is because of what Kesler explains in the article."Our society is as afraid of real men as they are of real women, and tricking us into thinking we're pitted against each other has been their greatest weapon all along. Our language doesn't bother giving us a way to talk about the importance of growing up to become a real women, because it's not considered a laudable goal" (Kesler 2). Marla can easily represent this quote because she realizes that being a woman is not considered an admirable goal in certain aspects, but she still portrays herself in society as a strong, independent woman. Fight Club and Project Mayhem are all about destroying capitalism, consumerism, and femininity within men. Jack and Tyler would not have been able to start these activities without the existence of Marla Singer. She represents feminism so tremendously that Jack and Tyler don't even realize what they strive to basically become like her. She represents everything a woman and man should be. Strong, powerful, and does not let others own her or let her suffer. Overall these are the reasons why she can be considered a friend to feminism. She is an inspiration to Jack throughout the novel because she encourages him to be who he aspires to be and let go of being the perfect person.
ReplyDelete- Emily Al-Harazi
At first glance, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk is a book that seems to focus on male dominance and the controversial and confusing reign of patriarchy in society; however, Marla, the only woman in the book, is a statement of feminine power in a society ruled men. Unlike the men in the story, Marla is in control of her own destiny and is able to fully embrace her “rock bottom”. This enables her to free herself from any ties to the consumerist society run by men’s ideals, which liberates her into becoming her own person. She recognizes herself for who she truly is and isn’t afraid to show it: "The girl is infectious human waste, and she's confused and afraid to commit to the wrong thing so she won't commit to anything. … has no faith in herself ... and she's worried that as she grows older, she'll have fewer and fewer options" (Palahniuk, 61). This keeps her in a powerful position over the men who are struggling to find their inner manhood in a society that constantly tells them what a man is. Marla’s self-awareness is not created out of other people’s ideals, but from her own desires. Ferris states that “she is re-marked as he “Other” in the male gaze, she fights the disadvantages this brings in a patriarchal society by giving up … materials and ideologies of the physical, patriarchal world” (Ferris, 3). She isn’t afraid to confront men who’ve mistreated her; whether it’s Tyler about her mother’s fat or Jack about his violent behaviour in front of everyone in the support group. Furthermore, the men in the novel constantly feel victimized: “We're the middle children of the history man, no purpose or place, we have no Great War, no Great depression, our great war is a spiritual war, our great depression is our lives” (165). Marla is facing a real life problem with the possibility of real cancer, unlike Jack’s birthmark on his foot, when she finds two lumps in her breast. She doesn't have the money or the health insurance to do anything about it, and yet she goes on living life, finding ways to feel alive, and is the physical representation of Tyler’s statement: “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we are free to do anything” (70). She finds power in embracing her flaws, and is truly independent as she “recognizes and rejects the patriarchal ideals of beauty, success and happiness” (Ferris, 3). Marla once again represents power as she is the reason Tyler Durden is created. Jack meets Marla in support group and his perfect consumer-driven life soon after falls apart when he meets Tyler. Marla brings out Jack’s true self, Tyler, who isn’t constantly controlled by society’s ideals, by consumerism and by the looming image of the feminized male. When Jack confronts her about support group, she states “I embrace my own festering diseased corruption” (65). Marla doesn’t need a split personality to control her confused emotions and is ultimately what Jack and Tyler both strive to become. Overall, Marla is a friend to feminism as she represents feminine power in a society dominated by confused men by standing up for what she believes in, by rejecting her place in society as a stereotypical woman, and by representing Tyler’s ideals of freedom.
ReplyDelete-Valesca de Groot
In the novel Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, I believe that Marla Singer is a friend to feminism. Michelle Ferris argues that “The feminine hope for “reciprocity and equality” is embodied by Marla, and it is this hope that is ultimately let down; the reactivity of this failed hope,” (Ferris 3). Marla is a friend to feminism because of the way she carries herself throughout the novel. During the expansion of the plot, Ferris states that “By creating an identity for herself that works against the grain, she recognizes and rejects the patriarchal ideals of beauty, success and happiness” (Ferris 3). Marla realizes her “rock bottom” situation. Her situation acts out as a resistance to societal norms, meaning that she grasps her failures the most out of any character: “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we are free to do anything” (Palahniuk 70). Tyler notices this about Marla and says “I’ll say his about Marla: At least she’s trying to hit bottom” (Palahniuk chapter 6). Marla creates her own phallic power throughout the novel, which means that she is the motivity of male society within Fight Club. She exposes Jack’s sensitivity and shows his true character. Quick into the novel Jack states: “Marla is my power animal” (Palahniuk 35). Ferris writes that “women [are] dealing with the confusion of men” (Ferris 3). This applies to Marla’s courage about how she doesn’t dwell on men’s flaws. The men in the novel often feel deceived; though, Marla is dealing with a possibility of having cancer, far from Jack’s excuse. This does not stop her from living her life the way she wants to. Marla states “I embrace my own festering diseased corruption” (Palahniuk 65). Jack approaches her about the support group when she says this, meaning that she does not require multiple personalities in order to control herself emotionally. Essentially this is what both Tyler and Jack are trying to become throughout the novel. Marla Singer is not afraid to show the world who she really is, which lets her remain with a dominant reputation. She has been mistreated by men many times and is not afraid to confront them, such as characters like Tyler. Though, Marla claims she has hit “rock bottom” she will continue enjoying her life the way she is; by refusing societal norms. She is able to control her fate and embraces her flaws; hitting “rock bottom”. This is why Marla is an essential character in the novel Fight Club.
ReplyDelete- Vicky Nikoltcheva
During the male-dominant novel involving almost only male characters in a patriarchal society, it may seem as though there are no opportunities for feminism to play a role. This is proven untrue through the character Marla Singer as she allows the reader to explore her contributions to feminism during Fight Club. Marla really stands out in Fight Club, not only because she is one of the only women in the entire novel, but also her sense of freedom and ability to hit “rock bottom”,which is recognized by Tyler: “At least she’s trying to hit bottom,” (Palahniuk, 69). Marla is seen in this state of “bottom” (69) during her suicide “cry-for-help-thing” (56) as she feels and vocalizes numerous hateful thoughts about herself. Tyler notices a sense of freedom in Marla that is not present in other characters. As discussed by Michelle Ferris, “She is the physical representation of Tyler’s feminist-gone-Zen statement, ‘It’s only after you’ve lost everything, that you’re free to do anything,’ (Palahniuk, 70),” (Ferris, 3). Marla’s life is at the point where she has lost everything, giving her the freedom to do whatever she wishes without the fear of losing something or someone in the process. The only character in the novel who displays this freedom is Marla and she embraces her state of “not-all” (Ferris). According to Ferris, Marla is not the only woman who embraces this freedom, “as they [women] are already excluded from the freedoms that are associated with the empowered maleness within a patriarchal social structure,” (Ferris). Marla is the representation in Fight Club of this freedom associated with being female, shedding light on the freedom aspect of feminism. An example of this aspect of feminism is women who wish to wear whatever they desire, such as the “crop top movement” we discussed in class. Due to this sense of freedom, Marla does not follow societal normalities, and “By creating an identity for herself that works against the grain, she recognizes and rejects the patriarchal ideals of beauty, success, and happiness. This allows her to begin (re)marking herself how she wishes, and she begins by reclaiming her own phallic power (Phelan 17)” (Ferris). This idea of “phallic power” being present in a woman is a foreign notion, therefore progressing feminism in Fight Club. The feminist movement involves females being equal to males in every way possible, and Ferris states that “for a truly equal system, all groups must be equal. This is represented in Fight Club’s end scene. Man and Woman (the narrator and Marla) stand together holding hands, watching the unmarking of power in present civilization,” (Ferris). The fact that Fight Club finishes with both man and woman standing equally watching the world collapse leaves the reader feeling as though there may be a chance for the feminist ideology of equality to thrive in a post-(post)-modern society. Marla’s contributions to feminism through her freedom and phallic power have allowed her to finish the novel in this position of equality.
ReplyDelete-Emily O'Doherty
On the surface, Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel Fight Club is solely about men and their search for masculinity; however, Marla Singer, one of the novel’s only female characters, is a feminist figure whose presence in the novel serves to highlight the power of the feminine in a patriarchal society. One of the main goals for the men in Fight Club is to overcome the hierarchy of consumer capitalism in order to find their true masculinity. In the novel it is revealed that Tyler Durden believes the way that people can achieve this goal is through “hitting rock bottom”. Tyler explains this philosophy to the Narrator when they are making soap, “‘It’s only after you’ve lost everything,’ Tyler says, ‘that you’re free to do anything’” (Palahniuk, 70). Of all the characters in the novel, it is Marla that fully embraces her “rock bottom”. Unlike the men in the novel, who are searching for their masculine identity in our society, Marla resists societal norms by recognizing her failures, which allows her to create her own identity. During her suicide attempt, it is clear that Marla has lost faith in herself as she voices her opinions about herself to the police “the girl who live is 8G used to be a lovely charming girl, but the girl is a monster bitch monster. the girl is infectious human waste” (Palahniuk, 61). Through this statement, Marla demonstrates that she lost everything as she no longer believes in even herself. In her article, Michelle Ferris discusses that it is this statement with which Marla begins to create her new identity: “By creating an identity for herself that works against the grain, [Marla] recognizes and rejects the patriarchal ideals of beauty, success and happiness. this allows her to begin (re)marking herself however she wishes” (Ferris, 3). By recognizing her faults Marla becomes the most powerful person in the novel as she is able to “act out her ‘rock bottom’ identity” (Ferris, 3). By giving up what society has decided is important, Marla fights against the patriarchy because she is able to be a strong woman, one who can stand up for herself if she has been wronged. Whereas the men in Fight Club victimize themselves, Marla is able to address those people who have harmed her. As she is “marked as ‘Other’ in the male gaze” (Ferris, 3), when Marla asks questions or confronts Tyler and the Narrator for abusing her trust, she emphasizes the inequality of power between men and women in patriarchal societies. Marla is ultimately a friend to feminism because she is a representation of female power in a male dominated society. She is the only character in Fight Club who is able to accept her flaws and her “rock bottom”, allowing her to resist typical female gender roles and become a strong female who exposes the injustices present in the patriarchal society she lives in.
ReplyDelete-Clare Wright
Although many things can be said about Marla Singer, calling her a friend to feminism is one thing that can’t be said. Marla’s victimization throughout Fight Club directly opposes the themes and points of feminism, while Marla herself is incompatible with many feminist ideals.
ReplyDeleteThe victimization of Marla starts with her suicide attempt. The attempt is portrayed as a call for attention; a way for Marla to feel a sense of worth by being “rescued” by Tyler. After leaving with Tyler, Marla tells the police in reference to herself “the girl is infectious human waste, and she’s confused and afraid to commit to the wrong thing”, “She has no faith in herself” (Palahniuk 61). Having said she was too afraid to commit, paired with the novel’s lack of mention of self harm, it can be assumed that Marla never intended to take her life. Marla’s victimization is apparent from this as her call to Jack was a clear plea for help; effectively showing she believes herself to be a victim. This is reaffirmed by her demeaning of herself in front of the police. Whereas feminists would like to see women empowered, Marla is victimized by both herself and others.
It isn’t only Marla’s victimization that defies feminist ideals though. The masculine idea that “ideal representations of women have become normative if not regulative, for our culture” (Auberg 290) is a belief inherently present in Marla. Michelle Harris argues that Marla acts out “rock bottom” as a form of resistance to societal norms; a sort of feminist endeavour. I believe though that rather than acting out “rock bottom” to resist societal norms, Marla does it because of her belief in ideal representations of women and her notion that she has fallen outside of them. This belief coupled with her loss of faith in herself has led her to acting out rock bottom because she feels she deserves rock bottom for falling outside of the ideal. Marla is particularly opposed to feminism in this way, having effectively conceded to phallic ideals.
Lastly, Marla seems indifferent to phallic power. Project Mayhem is an organization centered around phallic power and the fear of castration, yet despite this, Marla resides in the same house as many of the organization’s members and pays them little attention. According to Michelle Harris, “Feminist ideologies become imperative in correcting the over-emphasized phallic power” (Harris 7). Based on these ideologies, one would expect Marla to make some attempt to correct this over-emphasized phallic power. Marla does no such thing though and seems to disregard this major feminist ideal. This rejection/indifference toward general feminist values shows Marla is more of a foe to the cause than a hero.
In conclusion, Marla could be considered a foe to feminism. She allows herself to be defined as a victim while disregarding or rejecting major feminist ideals.
Phoenix Howe
When observing Fight Club, the novel written by Chuck Palahniuk one could say that the main focus of the novel is male dominance; however when the character Marla Singer is introduced, she changes that perspective into a more positive one: where she is a friend to feminism. The novel struggles to explore what the meaning of masculinity is; but when the only woman in the book is more in control of her own life, by embracing her “rock bottom” lifestyle the readers realize that femininity can be empowering. Being able to overcome consumer capitalism is one of the main goals the men in Fight Club attempt to overcome. Tyler Durden believes; “‘It’s only after you’ve lost everything,’ Tyler says, ‘that you’re free to do anything’” (Palahniuk, 70). What Tyler is referring to is the step in one’s life when they finally “hit rock bottom” and embrace it, that is when they’ve truly began to live. Unlike the men in the novel who are struggling with this concept, Marla is already there because she embraces her societal flaws by resisting the social norms. This gives Marla a certain empowerment over the men in the novel because she becomes the only one not searching for her identity in a society that tells her what a woman is. The article ‘Unmarked Men: Feminism in Fight Club’ states; ”she is re-marked as “Other” in the male gaze, she fights the disadvantages this brings in a patriarchal society by giving up” (Ferris, 3). Marla challenges the societal norms held for women, for example how they aren’t supposed to be the dominant figure in society. This is one of the many aspects of “how a female is supposed to act” that Marla challenges when she stands her ground and doesn’t back down. Although Marla has lost everything in her life and starts accepting her death, she is still the most free character in the novel. Her sense of freedom seems ironic considering she is the character that should feel most restricted due to her life situation but according to Ferris, “as they are already excluded from the freedoms that are associated with the empowered maleness within a patriarchal social structure,” (Ferris, 3). When Marla disregards this patriarchal social structure, she becomes the representation of freedom in Fight Club and feminism as a whole. Going back to Marla’s neglect for societal norms, she also challenges the idea of “phallic power”; “By creating an identity for herself that works against the grain, she recognizes and rejects the patriarchal ideals of beauty, success, and happiness. This allows her to begin (re)marking herself how she wishes, and she begins by reclaiming her own phallic power (Phelan 17)” (Ferris). The notion of “phallic power is completely unfamiliar to feminism so when Marla introduces it, this portrays the new found light in feminism. Marla Singer’s strong, empowering character contributes to feminism in Fight Club through her attempts at; challenging societal norms, her freedom, and phallic power have verified her a friend to feminism.
ReplyDelete-Mozna Elshafia
As stated by Michelle Ferris, “Fight Club is to be viewed with a nonconformist, anti patriarchal eye; it takes on the feminist cause, working to destroy the hierarchy of power that oppresses women,” (Ferris). The main character symbolizing the destruction of male power and a friend to feminism is Marla Singer, “I know all of this: the gun, the anarchy, the explosion is really about Marla Singer,” (Palahnick,14). Marla Singer is empowering character because she is a self-loathing women who rejects societal norms and traditional views of women, “by creating an identity for herself that works against the grain, she recognizes and rejects the patriarchal ideas of beauty, success, and happiness. This allows her to begin (re)marking herself how she wishes, and she begins by reclaiming her own phallic power" (Ferris). Usually being a self-loathing women would not be very empowering but in Fight Club by rejecting societal norms Marla is allowing herself to be freed from judgement and create a new self-image, which happens to be Tyler’s ideal goal for Jack. Tyler believes that one must destroy and free themselves from societal norms and conformities, like consumerism, to truly be able to rebuild yourself into something better. Tyler states, “Maybe self-improvement isn't the answer, maybe self-destruction is the answer,”(Palahnick,49). As Tyler is trying to help Jack self-destruct, Marla has already done this. When the cops come to the Regent Hotel, “Marla shouts to the police that the girl who lives in 8G used to be a lovely charming girl, but the girl is a monster bitch monster. The girl is infectious human waste, and she is confused and afraid to commit to the wrong thing so she won’t commit to anything,”(Palahnick,61). Since the girl in 8G is really Marla, she is evidently voicing her opinion of herself and how she has hit rock bottom, which is where Tyler and Jack desire to be. Marla’s resistance to normalities allows herself to rebuild because she is not tied down by the views of others and their opinions, ”Marla, having, 'lost faith in herself,' impels us to agree with her statement that she is, 'infectious human waste.' She is acting out her 'rock bottom' identity as a form of resistance to societal norms," (Ferris). By destroying herself, Marla becomes what Tyler desires Jack to be; therefore, Marla becomes an empowering female role in the novel and a friend to feminism.
ReplyDelete- Amanda
In Chuck Palahniuk's novel Fight Club, Marla Singer would be considered a friend to feminism because she destroys "the hierarchy of power that oppresses women" (Ferris). Jack, the main character, represents the destruction of phallic power while Marla represents female empowerment by rejecting social norms; Marla does this by "“ creating an identity for herself that works against the grain, she recognizes and rejects the patriarchal ideas of beauty, success, and happiness. This allows her to begin (re)marking herself how she wishes, and she begins by reclaiming her own phallic power" (Ferris). In this article we recognize that Marla is considered to be one of the "others" by not being a white male and in this novel it states: "“‘It’s only after you have lost everything,’ Tyler says, ‘that you’re free to do anything.’” (Palahniuk 70). By rejecting social norms in Fight Club we realize that Marla has already hit "rock bottom" and in doing this she allows herself to be free of judgment by creating her own image because she has nothing left to lose. Marla is the only female character in this novel and while all of the men around her are losing control over their lives, she is the only character in the book with total control of it. The men in this novel are constantly feeling victimized unlike Marla and this is shown when the book says: ““We're the middle children of the history man, no purpose or place, we have no Great War, no Great depression, our great war is a spiritual war, our great depression is our lives” (Palahniuk 165). Marla is still living her life fully while facing her ultimate demise as she finds two possibly cancerous lumps in her breasts while Jack is playing the victim because of the odd birthmark that is found on his foot. Fight Club, and subsequently Project Mayhem, would not be able to exist without Marla as both of their goals is to destroy the femininity in men. Tyler, Jack’s alter-ego, shows Jack’s true colors while Marla does not need another personality to show her emotions and by hitting rock bottom, Marla is what Jack desires to be. After reading Fight Club’s ending, it is obvious that this book demonstrates equality of the genders and shows that Marla is a friend to feminism because she and Jack both watch a building collapse together in the final chapter.
ReplyDelete-Shelby MacIntosh
ReplyDeleteMarla Singer is a friend to feminism because in Chuck Palahniuk's novel Fight Club she presents herself as the unique, strong female role that is not often seen in text. Marla Singer presents herself as a powerful person and a strong female character in the novel. She exemplifies traits that go against the ideal look and mentality that would be considered an ideal or typical woman. She wears black, she smokes, she lies, and snaps back when attacked (verbally). In Michelle Ferris’s article Unmarked Men:Feminism in Fight Club she states: “By creating an identity for herself that works against the grain, she recognizes and rejects the patriarchal ideals of beauty, success, and happiness” (Ferris 3). By Marla “creating an identity” it allows women to be shown in a different light that is not always presented in society. In my opinion Marla describes a new kind of power, a power other than sexual empowerment, and shows an honest side of every women that we all wish to express but simply do not. In Chapter four she breaks social norms and she does as she pleases, she attends testicular cancer meeting knowing that testicular cancer is not even possible for herself and that the support group are filled with males, but still she confidently attends knowing that people will look, question,and stare her down. But that does not matter to Marla. I found this to be the embodiment of feminism wherein she is a social equal men; even though she has no testicules, she believes she has the right to be there just as much as our narrator. “ You’re not dying either,” is what she saids rather than leaving, she stands her ground to get what she wants. By displaying both feminine and masculine traits Marla is a symbol of the rejection of patriarchal notions and she shows how gender is constructed by society. Furthermore, by dismissing gender grand narratives she is able to obtain what every male within Fight Club is searching desperately for: “phallic power”. The males who join/form the club are searching for masculinity in a feminized, consumer society. Unlike them, Marla does not try to perform restricting gender roles, but in contrast she is the most independent character within the novel because of this. Where as the men run from one social expectation to another gender expectation in hopes of liberating themselves and creating a more masculine selves.
-Asma Afrooz
Marla is a friend to feminism in Chuck Palahniuk's novel Fight Club. She is a friend to feminism because she rejects the idea of social norms. “Marla is fully aware that she is not all” (Ferris), she knows that she has hit rock bottom and is aware that she is “infectious human waste”. By creating her own identity she is rejecting patriarchal ideas of beauty, success and happiness. By doing this she is creating the way that she wants to be seen as not how society wants to see her and in doing so is also breaking social norms. She is also breaking social norms by attending a male support group when she is a women. In the book she says to Jack “I have more of a right to be there than you. You still have your balls” (Palahniuk). She is showing that women have more of a right to be at that meeting because they know what it is like to live without a penis. Marla is fighting against the social norm that only men should be attending that support group. Marla is also rejecting the idea of conforming to the beauty standards made by men. She doesn’t care how she presents herself to others, she steals meals on wheels from her neighbours and she fakes her own suicide on multiple occasions, by doing so Marla is creating her own phallic power. This means that she is breaking the idea of gender roles, and presenting woman as equal to the man, Ferris states that “she is re-marked as the ‘Other’ in the male gaze, she fights the disadvantages this brings in a patriarchal society by giving up what society deems worthwhile” (Ferris). Marla takes everything into her own hands and is a very strong character in the book, she knows what she wants and doesn’t care how others see her. She is constantly fighting social norms and the way that woman should be perceived in society. Marla Singer is the whole representation of feminism in Fight Club and is shown to help destruct the idea of masculinity. By the end of the book patriarchy has been destroyed because all groups seem to be made equal when Jack and Marla stand together holding hands watching the unmarking of power in present civilization (Ferris).
ReplyDelete-Cassandra Cugini