Masculinity in Fig

Masculinity in Fig

• 1.
  MALE REPRESENTATION“We’re designedto be hunters and we’re in a society of shopping” - TylerObjectives:To analyse the representation of Masculinity in ‘Fight Club’. To outline and analyse the binary opposites that exist between the Narrator and Tyler.
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  StarterAnnotate the bodyoutline with the features, signifiers of traditional masculinity. Be as creative as you like
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  Masculinity: Social ContextFeminismTraditional male roles: Cowboy; Hunter; Defender; Achiever; Warrior; BreadwinnerExposed as myths by the feminist movementMen left without a clear identity after Feminism questioned the role of manTraditional Male roles/unachievable images of strength ALSO imprisoned men Repressed male rage – Frustration about:
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  The Feminization ofMan and an increase in ‘consumption’
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  Repressed ‘Raw’ Masculinity
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  The dehumanizing effectsof corporate consumer cultureThe ‘New Man’The ‘new man’ has lost touch with his masculine ‘core’
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  The ‘real man’has been lost by consumerism and the media
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  Film depicts mens’frustration at the media’s ‘feminisation’ of men
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  Mans obsession withconsumerism has replaced traditional male symbols: strength, honour
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  Attacks lack ofmale role models – men raised by women due to men working
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  Fight Club attemptsto reassert supposedly ‘obsolete’ Violent, Mindless MasculinityThe NarratorAs you watch the clip and with the knowledge we have already gained make notes on:How is the Narrator presented to us a ‘man in crisis’?What does the Narrator’s ‘Power Animal’ say about the state of contemporary masculinity?
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  Norton (The narrator)Introducedby credits hurtling through his brain
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  The ‘Unreliable Narrator’– gains audiences trust but is untrustworthy due to his mental state
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  The ‘new man’character – he is ‘emasculated’
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  Consumerist: Job +Possessions + Clothes + Car = Happiness
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  His male statusis an illusion – accumulation of possessions but no happiness
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  Traditional male roleis lost – no male friends, no sexual partner, no libido, no ‘action’ job
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  Fantasises about dyingMise en Scene & The NarratorMise en scene depicts the Narrator in a constricted, unsettled world
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  Spaces which constrainhim/give a sense of confinement; Low ceilings cluttered sets; no colour (chiaroscuro)
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  TRAPPED in hissuitThe Narrator’s ‘Power Animal’What does the Narrator’s ‘Power Animal’ say about the state of contemporary masculinity?
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  Power Animals: Lion?Tiger? Shark? Penguin
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  Connotations of thePenguin:
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  Small; Incapable ofFlight; Childish; Harmless; Tuxedo/wears a suit
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  Penguin is juxtaposedagainst Narrator’s dream of masculine empowerment Remaining Men TogetherWe are introduced to two men that have attempted to conform to traditional roles of masculinity and failed. In what ways have they both been emasculated?
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  BobBob’s character isseen through the eyes of the ‘Unreliable Narrator’ –
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  Norton’s unstable perspective:How he see’s contemporary man:
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  A muscleman withbreasts (Traditional Masculinity V’s the New Man)
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  In trying toattain ideal male physique gets breasts!
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  Gives maternal, femininecare to Narrator QuestionHow does the intro to Fight Club present the ‘new man’?15 minutes – use examples.
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  Starter/Re-capAnnotate the featuresof the new man presented to us by Fight Club all around the body outline. You can be as creative as you like.
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  TylerWatch the clip.What role does Tyler play in the narrative?What does he embody & how is he different to the Narrator?
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  TylerPlayed by BradPitt – the star most men would want to play them in a movie of their lifeMale aspiration figure for the Narrator – his care-free, hot ideal alter ego: answers to nobodyCreated from frustration and repressed rageIntroduced wearing sunglasses, leather jacket, chiseled jaw, spiked hair, a colourful juxtaposition against the ‘grey’ suited Narrator Everything the narrator isn’t:Charismatic, Sexually DominantAggressive, Powerful, in charge of his own destiny Tyler rejects consumerism/ materialistic lifestyle
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  Group TaskCreate alist of the binary opposites that exist between the Narrator and Tyler. Choose one of these and write up your notes in full sentences.
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  Male Binary OppositesOccupiescorporate spaces: Offices, Planes, Hotels
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  The same aseverybody else – just another grey suit (‘A copy of a copy of a copy’)
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  Occupies shadowy underworld
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  Outlandish, Flamboyant, Unique,Original – link to Anti Globalization themesHomework - The Fight ClubWatch the clip Intro to Fight Club from the U drive. Make notes on these questionsWhat type of man attends Fight Club?What seems to be the function of it in their lives?Analyse Tyler’s speech – what could this be likened to?How does this notion of masculinity differ from what we have previously been offered by the film?
• 38.
  The Fight ClubThecreation of ‘The Fight Club’ plays an essential role in freeing the narrator from his crisis of masculinity.Mostly filled by white middle class achievers who feel there material successes are empty, or working class men frustrated by their social status. It is almost like a ‘trial by fire’ initiation ritual for the modern man.The focus of fighting is endurance – taking the beating and defining one’s identity through the pain.Scenes of physical displays of violence in an attempt to find inner ‘man’
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  Men resort backto a tribal, raw masculinity = another empty roleQuestionWhat function does ‘The Fight Club’ play in the film?