283).
Furthermore,.
"it's bad enough to fear the unknown. Faced with the unknown, we can pretend it isn't there. Exact dates would drive many to suicide, if only to beat the system," Jack says (pg.285).
Jack despises the knowledge of when he will die or if he will ever die. Jack's hysteria on death is proportionally greater compared to normal people. This is because he has been diagnosed with an incurable illness. Clearly that by knowing the day he is going to die will destroy his life until his actual death. It would be a mad countdown till his time. How can anyone live normally if one's doctor tells the person that he/she will not live past this week? By utilizing Jack's situation, DeLillo illustrates to the readers that the continuous pondering of such a negative issue like death will only contribute to a pessimistic view of life. As Murray explains: "It's only your fear that makes you act this way" (Pg.287). The combination of both Murray's claim and his overwhelming fear of his death lead to Jack's actions in chapter 39 when he attempted murder on Willie Mink. Murray's claim:.
"to kill a person in direct confrontation. If he dies, you cannot. To kill him is to gain life-credit. The more people you kill, the more credit you store up." (Pg.290).
Moreover, Murray asks, "Are you a killer or a dier, Jack?" (pg.292). Jack admits that he is a dier. Nevertheless, Jack hopes that he can be like Hitler and his works. Jack wishes that he could use Hitler to grow strength in himself and perhaps become a killer so that he can escape death. Although a possible reason for Willie Mink's assassination can be originated from his rage for this man's underground relationship with his wife. The main point DeLillo is trying to interpret is Jack's desperate attempt in saving his own death from happening by causing another's.
Jack's wife, Babette, also suffers from her frequent fear of death. Babette says, "I do want to die first, but that doesn't mean I'm not afraid.
The failure of technology in this regard is the general subject of Don Delillo's book White Noise. ... In one sense, I think this is what White Noise is. ... They are white noise generators intended to put us to sleep. ... White Noise is a book obsessed with death at the hands of our own technology. ... This same white noise is, ironically, also responsible for the random occurrences which act to disrupt itself. ...
Garfinkel kept his word about how this class would operate, that is until our final book White Noise. ... Many of the references in White Noise is so outdated, it just falls short on making an impression on the younger generations of our time. ... However, the concerns of the characters and the themes within White Noise are unquestionably contemporary. ... Because death is a constant in our world, the aspect of death within White Noise makes it contemporary and relevant to everyone. ... Being that it was written in 1985, Don DeLillo's novel White Noise was something way ahead of its time...
Don DeLillo's White Noise is a science fiction novel that deals with this phenomenon as it relates to a particular American family. ... There are various scenes throughout the novel White Noise in which Don DeLillo makes it obvious that the characters are "feeding off of" consumerism and technology... White Noise deals largely with the side-effect of the technological age in which the Gladneys live. The characters in White Noise are familiar with death, and are also aware of how death results from many of the products and industries they have accepted. ...
Driven by the fear of death, Don Delillo's White Noise strategically attempts to uncover the underlining notion of death relating to all aspects of popular culture. ... In order to understand the relationship between culture and death as it is symbolically portrayed in White Noise, one must thoroughly examine the character roles of Jack and Babette Gladney and their representation of real life fears and concerns... One of the working complexities within White Noise is Jack and Babette's fear of dying first. ... There is a distinct parallel between Delillo's White Noise and popu...
White's, "Once More To the Lake", the author describes his struggle to come to terms with aging and to stop living in the familiarity of the past. ... Many of the symbols in White's essay deal with the past, future, or life in general. ... Yet, he goes on to contrast this with the description of present motors that made an unfamiliar nervous noise that was irritable. ... White clearly paints a picture, through his symbols, of his longing to return to the past. Throughout his story White's ideas are effectively related through his use of diction and symbolism. ...
White's, "Once More To the Lake", the author describes his struggle to come to terms with aging and to stop living in the familiarity of the past. ... Many of the symbols in White's essay deal with the past, future, or life in general. ... Yet, he goes on to contrast this with the description of present motors that made an unfamiliar nervous noise that was irritable. ... White clearly paints a picture, through his symbols, of his longing to return to the past. Throughout his story White's ideas are effectively related through his use of diction and symbolism. ...