The first examples was stated directly to the camera and shows a great technique that the director used to reach the audience that would have trouble understanding the whole movie. Tyler said, "You"re not the contains of your wallet you"re not the car you drive, not the size of your bank account, you"re not your khakis." The next thing he says is a little harder to understand and is found in a conversation between him and Jack about life. He says, "We"re consumers. We"re by-products of a lifestyle obsession. Murder, crime, poverty - these things don't concern me. What concerns me is celebrity magazines, television with five hundred channels, some guy's name on my underwear," then later goes on to say, "The things you own end up owning you." The message stated here is repeated many times throughout the movie, to not let material objects rule your life. More so, throughout the film the way Jack and Tyler encounter things is an example to show how people might want to act in the situation (Tyler), and to show how they do act (Jack). .
Another main character in the movie is Marla who also is an extended metaphor. Marla in the film represents society and people in society. The way that Jack views, thinks about, and interacts with Marla shows how people view, think, and interact with their society or people in their society. Jack joins many support groups in the movie because it shows his need to be accepted, and Marla starts out as a threat to Jack as she starts invading his support groups for the same reasons. The relationship between the two is ver complex in that each of them tries to show how they are not like the other, sometimes showing how they are better than the other, while also trying to relate to one another. Many times Tyler will make peace with or use Marla for his own personal pleasure while Jack only get frustrated and angry with her. And in the end Jack realizes that in fact it was him who was at peace with Marla too, and realizes his love and need for Marla despite the frustration.
