Throughout Don DeLillo’s White Noise, there are many characters who find themselves in an unnatural relationship with death. Most simply worry about death and the effect it will have on their lives and the world around them. The two characters who death effects the most are Babbette and Jack, who throughout the novel try and find different ways to cope with the thought of dying and their obsession can be seen on other members of their family.
The character whose death obsession is most evident is Jack. Because Jack is the narrator of the novel we get much more insight from him and are able to see the effects it is having on him. Author and scholar Cornel Bonca, describes DeLillo’s White Noise and the character of Jack specifically by saying that it is “Contemporary man’s deepest expression of his death fear, a strange and genuinely awe-inspiring response to the fear of mortality in the postmodern world” (Bonca, 27). We can see this not only through Jack but through his wife Babette as well. Early in the novel only Jack’s obsession is the most evident as he reveals little fears early in the novel. For example, early in the story when Jack is asked a question about the Valkyrie plot to murder Hitler Jack responds “’All plots tend to move deathward. That is the nature of plots.’” Jack’s bemusing seem to startle him as he later asks himself “Is this true? Why did I say it? What does it mean?” It is clear early in the story that Jack has an unnatural attraction towards thinking about death.
As the novel continues, Jack’s obsession with death begins to grow more public. For example, in chapter fifteen he begins to share his thoughts of death with his colleagues as it relates to the deaths of Elvis Presley and Adolf Hitler. With this his obsession becomes more open, eventually leaing ot an open discussion about it with his wife. After the death of the Treadwells Jack and Babette’s feelings of death become more open, for example Jack says “Who will die first? She says she wants to die first because she would feel unbearably lonely and sad without me, especially if the children were grown and living elsewhere” (DeLillo, 100). This becomes obvious that both Jack and Babette have become fixated on death.
The couples continuous thoughts of death can be seen in their family dynamic. One author, Leonard Wilcox, says that the two are attempting to “preserve earlier notions of an authentic ad coherent identity by observing the tribalistic rituals of family life” (Wilcox, 348). What makes the dynamic interesting is how the parent’s fears of death play into these “tribalistic rituals.” Babette’s obsessions cause Denise to worry for her mother telling her what to eat and why she shouldn’t chew bubble gum. Jack’s oddities lead his son Heinrich to become cynical towards him and the whole family. And the both of their fears of death lead them to hoping for the preservation of their youngest son, who they openly hope will stay the age he is forever.
The pair’s fear of death culminates when Jack finds out about the Dylar and shifts his obsession with death to an obsession with obtaining the medicine. “I was ready to kill him now,” Jack says this in the closing chapters of the book, speaking of Mr. Gray (DeLillo, 304). This simple sentence shows how Jack’s fear of death has morphed so much that he is willing to confront it head on in order to avoid it.
Don DeLillo’s White Noise speak volumes on commercialism, the twentieth century and death. The fear of death is held by many characters in the novel and morphs to create the tension of the story as well as a strong social commentary.
Bonca, Cornell, Don DeLillo's White Noise: The Natural Language of the Species College Literature, Vol. 23, No. 2 (Jun., 1996). Published by: College Literature
DeLilli, Don. White Noise. Viking Penguin Inc. 1985. Copyright Mark Osteen. New York. NY.
Leonard, Wilcox. Baudrillard, DeLillo's "White Noise," and the End of Heroic Narrative Contemporary Literature, Vol. 32, No. 3 (Autumn, 1991). Published by: University of Wisconsin Press
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