White Noise Fear Of Death

1227 Words3 Pages

White Noise by Don Delillo uses the unusual story of Jack Gladney and his family to illustrate the postmodern ideas of death. The influence of death's presence on the character's mentality, consumerist behavior and everyday life, manipulates the thought process and actions that the characters display. Those which are most conscious of death such as Jack Gladney and Babette are more connected to and consumed by it. They are both so controlled by the fear of death that their normal thought process is altered by it. Throughout the novel Jack and Babette experience and react to the fear of death in different ways, which affects their perspective on everything surrounding them. This shows how a universal thing such as death causes a reaction that …show more content…

Because the fear of death is constantly smothering the characters they find that a means of escape is essential. Babbete does everything she can to escape death and comfort herself from the constant fear that grips her: "it involves an indiscretion. This was the only way I could get Mr. Gray to let me use the drug. It was my last resort my last hope. First I'd offer him my mind. Now I offered my body" (84). Babette is so obsessed with escaping death and freeing her mind from its constant barrage that she begins to take a pill called Dylar. A remedy that makes her forget her fear of death, but in doing so causes her to lose hold of reality, of which death is an inevitable part. When Babette’s pills are withdrawn, the fear of the thoughts of death returning, drive her to an affair, to again get Dylar. This fear of death pushes her to take faulty actions so she doesn't have to face the reality, which is she is going to encounter death. Dylar is a way for Don Delillo to demonstrate how we create and seek distractions to avoid thinking and feeling, about what is waiting for us at the end of the line. These diversions are present not only in the novel but in our everyday life. Pills, media, alcohol, and sex are all devices used by a culture looking for easy answers and a way to numb reality. Therefore, like the characters they don't have to face the truth such as death and an ultimate

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