Devolution in Fight Club Post Jack's Suspicions

As Tyler becomes more and more powerful, he is able to take over Jack's body more and more, and starts flying all over the country to spread the plans of Project Mayhem. Jack becomes irritated because he never sees Tyler anymore, but he sees signs of Tyler's presence everywhere: "And Tyler was never at home, but after a month a few of the space monkeys had Tyler's kiss burned into the back of their hand" (133).

Soon, he starts breaking Tyler's rule not to talk about him, and whether they've seen him. Jack says that they reply, "No, sir. Not hardly, sir. Nobody they know's ever met Tyler Durden. Friends of friends met Tyler Durden, and they founded this chapter of fight clubs, sir. And then they wink at me" (135).

Then, "Is it true, everybody asks. Is Tyler Durden building an army? That's the word. Does Tyler Durden only sleep one hour a night? Rumor has it that Tyler's on the road starting fight clubs all over the country" (135).

Later, Jack gets a clue that his body is doing things out of his own accord, because he realizes that his hands smell like gasoline, when to his knowledge, he has only been at work today. Then he says, "Here, I'm not sure if Tyler is my dream. Or if I am Tyler's dream" (138), but at this point, he's still not completely aware of what is going on. He finds all of Tyler's plane ticket stubs, and starts going everywhere that Tyler went. Eventually, he ends up in a bar, and finds a bartender who reveals who Tyler really is to Jack: (Movie script)

                             MAN'S VOICE (O.S.)
                       (from behind Jack)
                 Welcome back, sir.

     Jack whirls, startled -- facing the wounded BARTENDER, who
     wears a NECK BRACE, his nose a smashed eggplant.

                             WOUNDED BARTENDER
                 How have you been?

                             JACK
                 ... You know me?

                             WOUNDED BARTENDER
                 Is this a test, sir?

                             JACK
                 Yes... it's a test.

                             WOUNDED BARTENDER
                 You were in here last Thursday night.

                             JACK
                 What?

                             WOUNDED BARTENDER
                 You were standing right where you are
                 now, asking how good our security is.
                 It's tight as a drum.

                             JACK
                 Who do you think I am?

                             WOUNDED BARTENDER
                 Is this part of the test?

     Jack nods slowly.  The Bartender holds up his hand, shows
     the KISS SCAR on the back of his hand...

                             WOUNDED BARTENDER
                 You're the one who did this to me.
                 You're Mr. Durden, sir.  Tyler Durden.

Once Jack realizes that Tyler is really just another version of himself, he goes back to his hotel, where he finds Tyler. Tyler begins to explain things. I don't want to spoil EVERYTHING in the book, so here is an excerpt from the movie script where Tyler explains to Jack about the situation, That Tyler is Jack when Jack is sleeping, and that he doesn't really exist:

                             JACK
                 No!  This isn't true.  We... we were
                 around other people, together, both
                 of us...

                             TYLER
                 You never talked to me in front of
                 anyone else.

                             JACK
                 Wrong, wrong -- what about the car
                 crash... the two guys in the backseat?

                             TYLER
                 What about them?  They're lunatics.

                             JACK
                 You took me to the house.

                             TYLER
                 The house is rented in your name.

                             JACK
                 You have jobs.

                             TYLER
                 Night jobs -- while you were sleeping.

                             JACK
                 What about Marla?

                             TYLER
                 What about Marla?

                             JACK
                 She's... you... you're fucking her.

                             TYLER
                 Um, well... technically, no.

     Jack stands, trying to absorb, feeling ill, trying to find
     words, then -- he suddenly FAINTS to the floor, OUT COLD.