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White Noise Satire

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Don Delillo utilizes satire of the postmodern novel to critique issues which continue to plague American society. Although Don Delillo’s novel White Noise is complex and full of implicit meaning, the protagonist Jack Gladney communicates the central idea of the narrative, “All plots tend to move deathward. This is the nature of plots (Delillo 26)”. The novel does not take on a linear storyline for most of the novel but there is more impact in its collection of vignettes. The majority of the novel portrays Jack’s daily routine which effectively illustrates the pervasive nature of the materialistic society Delillo creates. The activities Jack’s family engage in, from grocery shopping to family dinners gives them the appearance that their thoughts and experiences are that of most families. …show more content…

The Gladney’s live in a world where simulations and images are substituted for the reality. This issue is present in White Noise and Delillo uses it to bring attention to the blurring effect of materialistic society on the border between reality and artificiality. This can be seen in his depiction of the German language, the airborne toxic event, and Babbete’s class. This issue continues to pervade American society. It can be seen in the increasing popularity of virtual reality technology, historical reenactments, and the power of branding. This suggests that the American culture is losing a value for reality. These examples show how modern power structures are that of the consumer yielding to the producers and the

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