MovieChat Forums > Fight Club (1999) Discussion > Thoughts on Marla?

Thoughts on Marla?

posted 4 years ago by KillMangy66 (66)
11 replies | jump to latest

Anyone else believe in the theory that Marla wasn't real and was also a figment of Ed Norton's imagination?
I mean there were several detailed layered clues. After re watching the movie for around the 5th time, it expands your mind.

For one, her entire reason for "touring" those social groups in the start of the film made little sense. Notice how no other members of those group speak or interact with her. And the "testicular cancer support group"? That was clearly made up.

Then notice again in the beginning how she is able to "avoid" getting hit by cars in blatant traffic.

She also shows up in Ed Norton's character cave. She is his spirit animal.
Everything about her character seemed fake. The lack of interactions with others, and the similarities with her and Tyler Durden. Their clothing appearances and their constant smoking. Their overall demeanor and carefree attitude.

It's real simple. If Tyler Durden represents the kind of guy Norton wanted to be. Marla represents the kind of girl he thinks of having no chance with. This is why she is seemingly an unconventional type.

There are more subtle clues, but you get the gist.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

You may be right but I just want to address the testicular cancer support groups topic. I can't speak for that specific group but I know that AA is open to non-alcoholics who are trying to support alcoholics. It's even promoted by the group in a fashion. There are two kinds of AA meetings; open and closed. Open meetings are meant for anyone who feels a need for support while closed meetings are for alcoholics only. I can imagine non-cancer types being welcomed into cancer support groups for those that they're supporting.

[–] KatieVSBubbles (12) 3 years ago

Youre right. I think Marla is real. Jack has a job so why would he sell clothes? Why would he confuse one of his own characters that hes made up?

Also, as she says in the film. She technically has a right to be there because she doesnt have testicles

[–] chilone (17262) 3 years ago

How do they determine who is really an alcoholic?

[–] pjl69 (2430) 4 years ago

Sounds interesting. I have to rewatch...

[–] JaqenHgar (679) 4 years ago

Notice how no other members of those group speak or interact with her.

If I recall correctly, during the meeting when "Narrator" confronts Marla about being a fake and a tourist, there is a man coming towards her before "Narrator" reaches her and engages her (which causes the man to change direction and walk off). If Marla did not exist, that man would not have been approaching her as he was.

[–] arflexit (2376) 4 years ago

The narrator is insane and not a reliable source of information; so therefor literally anything could exist in the character's head and nowhere else; all the people 'following' his cause could imaginary, the fight club itself having members might be imaginary. In the book (if I remember correctly) Marla is pretty clearly 'real' as she works with a group of people (i forget who, I think one of the support groups) to stop the narrator's goal and he ends up in a mental institution (end of the movie is way better and more epic). There are several scenes from the film in which other characters are interacting with Marla; the diner scene the guy says something "I suggest the lady doesn't order the soup". At the end when they kidnap here she is brought in my 5 of Tyler Durton's guys, when he is sending her away on the bus the driver waits of her to get in all the way even after the narrator is not in front of the bus anymore. There is probably more examples then this but these are the ones I can think of.

As I said though, the narrator is not reliable because he is insane; technically speaking he could be making up many elaborate things including Marla; but I think we can assume that Marla is a 'real' person and not a figment of his imagination; because if she is than nearly everything that takes place in the film also might be imaginary (which is too close to the 'and it was all a dream' cliche for my preference).

[–] Rocky15 (489) 4 years ago

I’ve never thought of that but it’s actually quite a good theory.

I don’t think she interacts with anyone apart from the narrator and Tyler throughout the film and as the narrator is a unreliable source this could be true.

[–] davodikum (5970) 4 years ago

She sells clothes to a shopkeeper.

[–] spurtle467 (1498) 3 years ago

I don't buy it. She's clearly meant to be real. There's no reason for the Narrator to imagine her being confused when he acts like the 2 aren't having a relationship. She is genuinely confused because he is mistaking a person that isn't real being in a relationship with her. Plus him shooting himself in the head at the end is like the wake up call he needed to get rid of his imaginary alter-ego all together. Yet Marla is still around.

One thing that doesn't quite make sense is Marla's reaction to meeting Tyler at her place. She acts almost as if it's a new guy she hasn't seen before. It's probably put in there to not give away the fact Tyler is imaginary but it's an otherwise odd reaction to someone she knows who she called on the phone.

[–] Firestarter (40) 3 years ago

She is very drugged when he is at her place, that is why she does not recognize him. She was speaking to nobody at the other end all the time while he was driving to her.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

No.

Marla is 100% real.

What happened was this:

Jack experienced a connection with Marla but became too intimidated to form a relationship with her because of how "cool" she was and how unconventional her life was. He was afraid she might reject him because he was a dork. But he was also afraid that if she accepted him, she might make him live life too close to the edge. See, in spite of him complaining over and over about how dull his life was, he was too comfortable to snap out of his boring lifestyle.

There was a turning point in the movie when Jack had a chance to finally have a relationship with her. But he was so freaked out that he decided to reject her by creating an imaginary friend (Tyler Durden) in her place. The problem, though, is that Jack's desire to be with Marla was so strong that Tyler basically became a male version of her. This is why Marla looks and acts so much like Tyler.

Another reason why Jack invented Tyler was to give him the confidence to be with Marla. When he slipped into Tyler's personality, he dropped his dorky personality and became the cool, edgy bad boy he imagined she was into.