Introduction: Don DeLillo is an American writer born in 1936. Delillo is a postmodernist and written eleven books receiving various awards for his work. The title of DeLillo’s eighth novel, White Noise, brings many assumptions towards the overall meaning of the book. White noise is when there is a combination of sound waves together creating a constant buzz. The buzz can produce a relaxing or overwhelming feeling. Although, it depends if it refers to a repetitive noise one is trying to avoid or perhaps noise one is trying to embrace. DeLillo’s White Noise is set in the twentieth century. It is a story about a professor of the Hitler Studies at College-on-the-Hill, name Jack Gladney. Throughout the novel, it is evident that Jack is the main
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As a result, Jack went through many obstacles as he tries to avoid, cope, and confront the thought of death while diminishing the white noise that he is trying to escape.
Paragraph 1: Avoidance: choosing to hide from the inevitable truth instead of accepting the thought of death. In the first part of the novel, Jack Gladney is an average working man who has to earn an income to support his family. Babette, his wife, and children play a significant role in Jack’s overall guidance to avoid the thought of death. Jack 's personality allows him to “shelter love ones from the truth” (DeLillo 8). This is evident when the smoke alarm goes off in the house, “either to let us know the battery had just died or the house was on fire” (DeLillo 8). Jack and Babette did not process the fatal thought of potentially dying in the house with their children but continue to eat their “lunch in silence” (DeLillo 8). Silence such relates to “white noise” by the ringing of the smoke alarm, which prevents Jack and Babette from leaving. In this moment, there is a sense that Jack wants to preserve his children’s innocence while he still can. Although, Jack 's fear of death is slowly increasing. Furthermore, another …show more content…
As previously mention, Murray’s guidance for Jack plays an important part throughout the novel. When Jack experiences difficulties in his life, he can turn to Murray to gain insight and opinions to help steer him back onto the right path. In the third part of the novel, Jack turns to Murray to discuss the thought of death and the consequences. Murray tells Jack, “Every death is premature. There’s no scientific reason why we can’t live a hundred and fifty years.” (DeLillo 283). By Jack discussing death with Murray it allows Jack to understand that the overall thought of death may be terrifying but it does indeed happen. In addition, Murray later states, “violence is a form of rebirth” (DeLillo 290), thus showing that before Jack makes any irrational decisions Jack must reconsider all his options. Going to Murray for advice helps develop and shape Jack as an individual in the novel. Another way Jack tries to cope with the idea of death is when he discusses the meaning of repression. Jack states, “Repression causes tension, anxiety, unhappiness, a hundred diseases, and conditions” (DeLillo 296). During the whole lapse of the novel, Jack always tried to repress the thought of death. The constant thought causes him to be overwhelmed with the idea that he thought he could never overcome. All of a sudden the “white noise” in the background during his conversations with Murray prevents the buzzing
As a result, Jack went through many obstacles as he tries to avoid, cope, and confront the thought of death while diminishing the white noise that he is trying to escape.
Paragraph 1: Avoidance: choosing to hide from the inevitable truth instead of accepting the thought of death. In the first part of the novel, Jack Gladney is an average working man who has to earn an income to support his family. Babette, his wife, and children play a significant role in Jack’s overall guidance to avoid the thought of death. Jack 's personality allows him to “shelter love ones from the truth” (DeLillo 8). This is evident when the smoke alarm goes off in the house, “either to let us know the battery had just died or the house was on fire” (DeLillo 8). Jack and Babette did not process the fatal thought of potentially dying in the house with their children but continue to eat their “lunch in silence” (DeLillo 8). Silence such relates to “white noise” by the ringing of the smoke alarm, which prevents Jack and Babette from leaving. In this moment, there is a sense that Jack wants to preserve his children’s innocence while he still can. Although, Jack 's fear of death is slowly increasing. Furthermore, another …show more content…
As previously mention, Murray’s guidance for Jack plays an important part throughout the novel. When Jack experiences difficulties in his life, he can turn to Murray to gain insight and opinions to help steer him back onto the right path. In the third part of the novel, Jack turns to Murray to discuss the thought of death and the consequences. Murray tells Jack, “Every death is premature. There’s no scientific reason why we can’t live a hundred and fifty years.” (DeLillo 283). By Jack discussing death with Murray it allows Jack to understand that the overall thought of death may be terrifying but it does indeed happen. In addition, Murray later states, “violence is a form of rebirth” (DeLillo 290), thus showing that before Jack makes any irrational decisions Jack must reconsider all his options. Going to Murray for advice helps develop and shape Jack as an individual in the novel. Another way Jack tries to cope with the idea of death is when he discusses the meaning of repression. Jack states, “Repression causes tension, anxiety, unhappiness, a hundred diseases, and conditions” (DeLillo 296). During the whole lapse of the novel, Jack always tried to repress the thought of death. The constant thought causes him to be overwhelmed with the idea that he thought he could never overcome. All of a sudden the “white noise” in the background during his conversations with Murray prevents the buzzing