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White Noise
In the center of Don DeLillo’s novel, White Noise, lies the fear of death. The main
character, Jack, teaches at the College-on-the-Hill where he is also the department chair of Hitler
Studies which he developed in 1968. The novel shows Jack and his wife Babette struggling to
live their lives, while distracting themselves from reality. Throughout the novel, Jack considers
death as nothing more than an eternal hum of white noise. Jack has multiple encounters with
death which makes it ironic that he is afraid of it. Jack is afraid of death because he has yet to
find his purpose in life. He does not want to lose his identity. He does not want to become white
noise.
Jack is lead to Hitler Studies because of his desperation for answers. To Jack, Hitler is a
man who died for a purpose. Jack looks to find his purpose in being the best at his profession of
