Talk:White Noise (novel)

Preceded by / Followed by

It is my understanding that the Preceded by / Followed by element in the infobox should only be used for books that are part of a series, not simply to list the writer's other novels, which can appear as a category at the bottom of the page. If there is some link between all these books, I think it should be mentioned in the articles since it was not obvious to me, in the few DeLillo books I've read (on second thought, it is actually impossible for some of these books to occupy the same world as the others). AshcroftIleum 00:09, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Wrong publication date

According to my White Noise edition I am sitting with in my hands right now the book was "First published 1984 by Viking Penguin Inc., New York". It also says: "First published in Great Britain in paperback by Picador 1985". As the New York publishment came first this ought to be the correct year of publication as the New Yorkers could enjoy the book earlier than the Brits. Right? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.107.104.173 (talk) 09:51, 17 January 2011 (UTC)

Funny, mine says "First published in the United States of America by Viking Penguin Inc. 1985."12.186.80.1 (talk) 16:38, 26 January 2012 (UTC)

Edits made to White Noise Wiki Page

If anyone happens to read this, go check out the edits that I made here and let me know what you think! It is under the analysis subtitle and it is the last paragraph about religion! Thanks so much in advance. Aludke96 (talk) 03:30, 4 May 2016 (UTC)

Location

The Wiki states that the College-on-the-Hill is in a "Midwestern" town (Blacksmith), but it is stated in the novel that flights from the nearby Iron City connect through Boston's Logan airport. This would place Blacksmith in New England, not the Midwest. Further hints are in the name "College-on-the-Hill": the College on the Hill is a nickname for Dartmouth (in New Hampshire). The town also has a Congregational church, and these are common in New England but not in other parts of the country. So I am changing "Midwestern" to "New England." Zagraniczniak (talk) 10:01, 8 August 2019 (UTC)

Analysis Section

I am new to Wikipedia, so before editing this page, I thought it appropriate to open a talk page explaining the edit I think useful. I apologize if I am not proceeding correctly.

I believe the sentence "Additionally, the world of White Noise is an unsatisfactory imitation or substitute, also known as a simulacrum” should be revised and the content expanded because the definition is unclear to a general reader and overly simplified to a reader who knows that the term derives from Jean Baudrillard. Much has been written on it and its importance to an understanding of the novel. However, the entry could establish the direct relevance of the concept simply by referencing the passage on "the most photographed barn in America" which, according to Peter Knight, "has perhaps become “the ‘Most Discussed Scene in Postmodern Fiction’.” Source: Knight, Peter. “Delillo, Postmodernism, Postmodernity.” The Cambridge Companion to Don DeLillo. Ed. John N. Duvall. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2008. 27–41. Print. (I have to figure out how to cite this article from a book collection of essays correctly. This is not an option in the wizard.) Dwarner201 (talk) 18:12, 8 January 2020 (UTC)

@Dwarner201: please do. Very few on Wikipedia add useful literary criticism, with citations. Speaking of which, here's a citation template prepared for you, with that chapter. (Double-check it of course.) You can copy it to the article. Outriggr (talk) 04:34, 9 January 2020 (UTC)

Bibliography

• Bonca, Cornel (June 1996). ""Don DeLillo's White Noise: The Natural Language of the Species."". College Literature: A Journal of Critical Literary Studies. 23 (2). Retrieved 29 April 2021. Bonca starts the entry by sharing the successes that the novel has had within colleges around the country. Bonca moves on to share that language in the novel affects and influences speeches, names of characters, and the novel's Coda. She calls this the language of the species and the title of the novel further saturated these effects by aiming to share that all things eventually become white noise. Pittmanraven (talk) 22:04, 4 May 2021 (UTC)

• Brown, Mark (January 2020). ""The Boundary We Need: Death and the Challenge to Postmodernity in Don Delillo's White Noise."". Journal of English Studies. 18: 17–36. Retrieved 29 April 2021. Brown argues that White Noise is such a popular novel because it is about the postmodern themes of identity. Because of this, many of the characters are searching for certainties in their everyday lives. Abi sap (talk) 15:21, 29 April 2021 (UTC)

• Engles, Tim (1999). ""Who are You, Literally": Fantasies of the White Self in White Noise". 45 (3): 755–787. Retrieved 15 April 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) This article explores how the "white race' influenced peoples' everyday lives. Their identity was found in a 'white' society. Delillo brings to light the ignorance of the white man. He shames their naiveness towards the significance of race. The article contends that Delillo's primary focus is on culture and identity. Some state that he blurred the lines between the spiritual and physical. Anawimpy98 (talk) 03:46, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

• Wiese, Annjeanette (2012). "Rethinking Postmodern Narrativity: Narrative Construction and Identity Formation in Don DeLillo's White Noise". West Chester University. XXXIX (3): 1–26. Wiese's article focuses on and explores Delillo's impact of narrative within the novel. The article discusses how Jack does not just narrate, but he is ironically humorous. Overall, the article is informative and expresses valid information about Jack's character and his structure. haley.carter1 (talk)

• Wilcox, Leonard (1991). "Baudrillard, DeLillo's White Noise, and the end of Heroic Narrative". Contemporary Literature. 32 (3): 346–365. Retrieved April 15, 2021. This article goes into depth about How White Noise and other DeLillo novels have been about the relationship between American identity and mediascapes. White noise presents a view of life in contemporary America without a filter. The main Character Jack is a professor of Hitler studies and has an image he holds on to very strongly. Reading the novel, people start to get the sense that he is not as confident as he seems and he uses his professor persona as a shield. All of these elements within the main character is seen, as the article explains, End of Heroic Narrative.Jennifero2000 (talk) 02:35, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

• Zhao, Yuxin (2016). "The Ecological Analysis of White Noise by Don DeLillo" (PDF). Atlantis Press: 124–127. Retrieved April 19, 2021. This article examines the thesis that White Noise is focused on the natural crisis caused by industrialization. Zhao explores the ‘Airborne Toxic Event’ that takes place in the novel, and how it reflects in the way of a crisis. Ultimately, Zhao reflects that industrialization has caused human lives to deteriorate. RyanArian (talk)RyanArian (talk) 16:36, 19 April 2021 (UTC)

• Hoberek, Andrew (2012). ""Foreign Objects, or, DeLillo Minimalist"". Studies in American Fiction, Spring 2012. 37 (1): 101–125. Retrieved 21 April 2021. In this article Hoberek argues that "White Noise" and other novels by DeLillo should not be seen as post modernist. This is the standard interpretation of his works, but Hoberek believes this is an inaccurate, or at least incomplete, interpretation of DeLillo. He believes that DeLillo should be read as a minimalist writer. He points out that this style of writing was growing during the era of DeLillo's writing and publication of many of his novels. Hoberek points out how DeLillo is focused on objects in "White Noise" and that these particular objects hold meaning for the characters observing and interacting with them. This is a trademark example of the minimalist style of writing narratives. AnnaVorisek (talk) 17:43, 21 April 2021 (UTC)

Materialistic Obsession

In Adam Szetela's article materialism, idolization of self, and cultural compression opens the discussion into a society's corrosive standards inflicted upon unknowing participants. Jack Gladney's character forgoes a character arc because of the inability to seek change within himself. A diluted rationality escapes Jack because of his obsession with death. Death comes to every individual unbeknownst to themselves so a clear worry easily is understood though a distraction of possessions is not present with every individual. Material gain in the form of goods can irrevocably lead to an idolization of the self accented by the tapestries of life littered throughout a person's home. DeLillo pervades the reader's curiosity of Jack's purpose throughout the novel. His fear of death, safety provided by his glasses, robe and status as a professor of Hitler studies and his strange family dynamic highlights a problem of cultural influence within the novel that none of the characters can escape. Cultural identity roots itself within the individual on a deep cognitive level that can be difficult to divorce themselves from. DeLilo merely presents a question that threads throughout the novel being what is purpose if the motivation to change remains dormant. Gladney's character arc reaches no conclusion because no principle or lesson is learned within the novel. His culture cements him in a stagnant idolization of things around him. Curiously the same question could be asked of oneself. Sean.Robi733 (talk) 5:14, 4 May (UTC)

References