Chuck Palahniuk has managed to startle his readers since the 1996 release of Fight Club, continuously depicting the grotesque reality of contemporary American society. The film adaptation of Fight Club in 1999 garnered him a cult-like following. Palahniuk’s fame may be the result of his challenging current thought on what it means to be a “man.” His Postmodern Gothic style challenges the reader to redefine stereotypical definitions of masculinity in Fight Club and Survivor. Set in a post-generation X world, Fight Club depicts the internal rage men know as a direct result of societal repression and Survivor represents the ultimate social effects that choosing to not deal with such emasculation and repression can cause. Through these works, Palahniuk exposes the problems of gender essentialist thought and showcases the need for a society that recognizes the fluidity of gender identity.
