Fight Club

by

Chuck Palahniuk

Tyler Durden Character Analysis

Tyler Durden is the Narrator’s imaginary alter ego, the embodiment of his “death drive” and repressed masculinity. In many ways, though, Tyler is more “real” than the Narrator himself, as suggested by the fact that he has a name and the Narrator does not. Tyler is charismatic, cunning, and ambitious, and when “the Narrator” (speaking as Tyler Durden) speaks to the members of fight club, they respect him enormously; indeed, they refer to the Narrator as “Mr. Durden” (since, from their perspective, the Narrator and Tyler are one and the same). Tyler’s lack of inhibition and his desire to be “real” leads him to embrace pain and danger at all times. Eventually, Tyler becomes more powerful than the Narrator, to the point where he takes control of the Narrator’s body for most of the time (when the Narrator is supposedly sleeping), and sends members of fight club and Project Mayhem on increasingly dangerous and destructive missions. In the end, the Narrator seems to “defeat” Tyler by shooting himself in the head—suggesting that the Narrator has embraced his “death drive” and perhaps become one with Tyler.

Tyler Durden Quotes in Fight Club

The Fight Club quotes below are all either spoken by Tyler Durden or refer to Tyler Durden. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Consumerism, Perfection, and Modernity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

I know this because Tyler knows this.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden
Page Number: 12
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5 Quotes

Tyler said, "I want you to hit me as hard as you can."

Related Characters: Tyler Durden (speaker), The Narrator
Page Number: 46
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

The first night we fought was a Sunday night, and Tyler hadn't shaved all weekend so my knuckles burned raw from his weekend beard. Lying on our backs in the parking lot, staring up at the one star that came through the streetlights, I asked Tyler what he'd been fighting. Tyler said, his father.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden
Page Number: 53
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

"You have to see," Tyler says, "how the first soap was made of heroes."
Think about the animals used in product testing.
Think about the monkeys shot into space.
"Without their death, their pain, without their sacrifice," Tyler says, "we would have nothing."

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden (speaker)
Related Symbols: Soap
Page Number: 78
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

After the union president had slugged Tyler to the floor, after mister president saw Tyler wasn't fighting back, his honor with his big Cadillac body bigger and stronger than he would ever really need, his honor hauled his wingtip back and kicked Tyler in the ribs and Tyler laughed. His honor shot the wingtip into Tyler's kidneys after Tyler curled into a ball, but Tyler was still laughing.
"Get it out," Tyler said. "Trust me. You'll feel a lot better. You'll feel great."

Related Characters: Tyler Durden (speaker)
Page Number: 115
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16 Quotes

When Tyler invented Project Mayhem, Tyler said the goal of Project Mayhem had nothing to do with other people. Tyler didn't care if other people got hurt or not. The goal was to teach each man in the project that he had the power to control history. We, each of us, can take control of the world.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden
Page Number: 122
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

"What it is," Tyler says, "is we have police who come to fight at fight club and really like it. We have newspaper reporters and law clerks and lawyers, and we know everything before it's going to happen."
We were going to be shut down.
"At least in Seattle," Tyler says.
I ask what did Tyler do about it.
"What did we do about it," Tyler says.
We called an Assault Committee meeting.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden (speaker)
Page Number: 164
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26 Quotes

The three ways to make napalm. I knew Tyler was going to kill my boss. The second I smelled gasoline on my hands, when I said I wanted out of my job, I was giving him permission. Be my guest.
Kill my boss.
Oh, Tyler.
I know a computer blew up.
I know this because Tyler knows this.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden, The Narrator’s boss
Page Number: 185
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29 Quotes

Tyler says, "The last thing we have to do is your martyrdom thing. Your big death thing."

Related Characters: Tyler Durden (speaker), The Narrator
Page Number: 203
Explanation and Analysis:
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Tyler Durden Quotes in Fight Club

The Fight Club quotes below are all either spoken by Tyler Durden or refer to Tyler Durden. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Consumerism, Perfection, and Modernity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

I know this because Tyler knows this.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden
Page Number: 12
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5 Quotes

Tyler said, "I want you to hit me as hard as you can."

Related Characters: Tyler Durden (speaker), The Narrator
Page Number: 46
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

The first night we fought was a Sunday night, and Tyler hadn't shaved all weekend so my knuckles burned raw from his weekend beard. Lying on our backs in the parking lot, staring up at the one star that came through the streetlights, I asked Tyler what he'd been fighting. Tyler said, his father.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden
Page Number: 53
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

"You have to see," Tyler says, "how the first soap was made of heroes."
Think about the animals used in product testing.
Think about the monkeys shot into space.
"Without their death, their pain, without their sacrifice," Tyler says, "we would have nothing."

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden (speaker)
Related Symbols: Soap
Page Number: 78
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

After the union president had slugged Tyler to the floor, after mister president saw Tyler wasn't fighting back, his honor with his big Cadillac body bigger and stronger than he would ever really need, his honor hauled his wingtip back and kicked Tyler in the ribs and Tyler laughed. His honor shot the wingtip into Tyler's kidneys after Tyler curled into a ball, but Tyler was still laughing.
"Get it out," Tyler said. "Trust me. You'll feel a lot better. You'll feel great."

Related Characters: Tyler Durden (speaker)
Page Number: 115
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16 Quotes

When Tyler invented Project Mayhem, Tyler said the goal of Project Mayhem had nothing to do with other people. Tyler didn't care if other people got hurt or not. The goal was to teach each man in the project that he had the power to control history. We, each of us, can take control of the world.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden
Page Number: 122
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

"What it is," Tyler says, "is we have police who come to fight at fight club and really like it. We have newspaper reporters and law clerks and lawyers, and we know everything before it's going to happen."
We were going to be shut down.
"At least in Seattle," Tyler says.
I ask what did Tyler do about it.
"What did we do about it," Tyler says.
We called an Assault Committee meeting.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden (speaker)
Page Number: 164
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26 Quotes

The three ways to make napalm. I knew Tyler was going to kill my boss. The second I smelled gasoline on my hands, when I said I wanted out of my job, I was giving him permission. Be my guest.
Kill my boss.
Oh, Tyler.
I know a computer blew up.
I know this because Tyler knows this.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Tyler Durden, The Narrator’s boss
Page Number: 185
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29 Quotes

Tyler says, "The last thing we have to do is your martyrdom thing. Your big death thing."

Related Characters: Tyler Durden (speaker), The Narrator
Page Number: 203
Explanation and Analysis: