Literary Analysis of White Noise

Literary Analysis of White Noise

The novel White Noise is set in a small arts college in Middle America oftenly named College-on-the-Hill. The novel presents all aspects of popular culture and death that underlies it. The showiness of culture attempts to hide death under the surfaces which eventually causes mankind to temporarily forget or be dulled towards it.

This novel entitled White Noise presents Mr. Jack Gladney who is the main character and a protagonist, his wife Babette, his colleague Mr. Murray and the rest of the characters are preoccupied with death and seem to avoid it at all costs. At the very end, the manifestation of death becomes so evident when there is a confrontation between Will and Jack where the former is eventually shot by the latter.

From chapter one, Jack Gladney - a professor of Hitler studies and the protagonist is introduced. The Hitler Studies play a role since it is symbolic of death. Ones can note that Hitler is used purposely to hide unimaginable death. Jack happens to fear death as it is seen that he focuses on the celebrity and trivia rather than the homosexuals, disabled, the six million Jews and the gypsies who were killed under Hitler's order.

As we move to the second chapter, we are introduced to Babette, Jacks wife. From the name itself, Babette is just a pretty wife who is a dummy. It is seen that she exercises typical American actions. She is so much worried about death that she believes by buying food alone, and not even eating it, can affect someone.

There is a discussion between Jack and Bebette about death and the rich, it was a just a way of describing death without making it personal. This talk excludes them from the fear of dying and makes them feel secure. Jack is noted saying that many of people no longer understand the physicality of death; for them it merely entails changing something in a computer file or filing papers. This is in reference to the fact that he believes death has disappeared in the culture he is in.

In chapter three, one finds out that Hitler Studies Department is in the same block as Popular Culture Department. Jack happens to like Mr. Murray Jay Siskid who is a professor of popular Culture who has specialized on living icons. He states that he is envious of Jack for how he has made a career out of himself and somehow making Hitler his own. The Irony is that, Hitler Studies is placed in Popular Culture Building rather than in Historical building. Jack is not interested in knowing Second World War but rather interested in how one packages death and becomes a celebrity. Hitler was a sex idol as well as a superstar in German. This is what jack was interested in. Murray therefore redefines greatness by copying what Jack has done with respect to what he changed Hitler to, for him he wants to change Elvis into the same thing, and hence bring him happiness.

On the same note, an important scene comes up when Jack and Murray take a short trip to see 'The Most Photographed Ban in America.' It implies that Americans do imitate rather than come up with original ideas. Those who photograph the ban eventually make it the most photographed and in turn, they gain group fame by merely participating in the exercise. This sounds strange since there is nothing special about the ban rather than the fame it brings.

In chapter four, death becomes so evident in Jack and Babettes's Relationship since the question 'Who will die first?' appears in conversations out of the blue. There is irony on Babettes deglamorization theory. This is because, TV was blamed for glamorization of crime, drugs and gangs among others, and there after there is family TV day so one wonders whether the children watch it as well.

In chapter six, there is a topic on mass appeal in the class Advanced Nazism. In response to a question asked by one of the students on the plot to assassinate Hitler, Jack categorically puts it that all plots are deathward. This is the nature of plots; Political plots, terrorist plots, lovers' plots, narrative plots, plots that are part of children's games. He says people must edge nearer death every time we plot." What is learned from that statement is that Jack is only interested the appeal around Hitler and how he gained his celebrity and status of power. Jack's focus is evident if one analyses his comment on plots towards death.

In chapter seven one grasps that culture uses good grooming as a way to word death. This comment signifies that he believes culture hides death through use of its appearance. In his opinion he believes that the society seeks to mask or avoid death. Further towards the end of the chapter Jack suggests that death can become a repression through repression of sex. In his statement Jack asks "What is the thrill for those who write their imagined erotic experiences: is it the imagining or the seeing it in print?"(Delillo,168). This reveals that if there is repression of sex then death is not what one will find first under the surface but sex. Therefore if one can not dig dip below the surface then he/she can not discover that sex underlies culture.

Chapter eight reveals that the Jack does not know German. He hides it yet this fact remains evident. Students are required to have a year in the language training. Jack repeatedly takes lessons though he seems not to improve. Jack lack of knowledge on German implies that he has shallow knowledge about Hitler. In turn the entire enterprise he owns is all about masking and hiding the realty. It implies that Hitler studies are about avoiding reality rather than learning about it.

From chapter nine, the school is evacuated because there are unexpected reactions. The evacuation is not because of any threat but rather unusual things are occurring. Here, it is learned that there is a misconception about the events occurring. There after at the supermarket Jack meets Murray. The packaging and noise is made noticeable. The supermarket is important since it makes readers understand the novel further with respect to how Jack behaves while there (Delillo, 206). Murray says that shopping has become its own religion in America to the extent that shopping is a way to deny death. It basically implies that if