changes to the human condition
by Spencer H. of HIgh Tech High International '14
Chuck Palahniuk addresses how change can completely flip life upside down. Palahniuk include interesting characters who must find ways to adapt to the changes in their lives. Some characters changed for the better, and some for the worse.
Palahniuk writes in a very interesting way. To some, "interesting" could be interpreted as "confusing." But if you take time to understand the message, there is a lot to learn from Chuck Palahniuk. |
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Invisible Monsters Remix
by Chuck Palahniuk - 320 pages A person’s looks can drive someone to the point of insanity. Especially when you are a model and your jaw happens to fall off due to a bullet that just had to steal a kiss. Shannon McFarland has to overcome having her beauty literally ripped from her face. While spending time with her still-modeling friends, she makes a slow, but effective change. She went from as shallow as a kiddy pool to as humble as the deep ocean. She, of course, loses friends along the way, making her change that much more of a challenge. His Invisible Monsters Remix is told in non-chronological order, made to emulate the structure of a magazine. It’s confusing, but adds to Pahlahniuk’s message. |
Rant by Chuck Palahniuk - 320 pages Born a killer--a killer without a choice. Say you sneezed in the market; then, two weeks later, a family of four dropped dead because they just had to have the Granny Smith apples. Buster “Rant” Casey was born a murderer, but it was unknown to him for the first chunk of his life. When the drastic change happened, Rant had to make a choice of what to do with his “superpower.” His choice really reflects his apathetic view towards the people of the world. Palahniuk’s message in this story is that death changes people. |
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk - 224 pages Wake up. Go to work. Go to sleep. Repeat. Doing this everyday for your life is not the best way to keep a healthy mental state. Perhaps that's why our narrator, an insomniac, and his accomplice, Tyler Durden, chose to beat and get beaten by complete strangers in an underground fight club. All the while, working, manufacturing the best soap in town, attending support groups while pretending to have cancer, and last but not least making some bombs. The changes in his life ended up causing a roller coaster of emotions with an end of positivity. Palahniuk’s message in this novel is that finding an outlet can save your life, even if it means getting your face bashed in. |