All through high school I was taught the way to analyze a piece of literature. Character, setting , theme and plot were the basic concepts any novel could be judged upon. I had to sift through the information thrust at me and come up with some sort of coherent idea about the book. I did not enjoy the process. I thought that if this was what every book was about, then why does someone not just hand me an outline to reconstruct the book for myself? Everything about the novel seemed to formulaic. Tom Wolfe explains in his article, "Stalking the Billion Footed Beast", that others felt the same way in the 1970's. He quotes John Hawke as saying,"I began to write fiction on the assumption that the true enemies of the novel were plot, character, setting and theme (Wolfe 26)." Wolfe contends that the modern novel must become a type of report on society, specifically the relationship between the individual and society (Wolfe 27). It is a difficult task to define society, as Wolfe himself believes. He states that society is becoming diverse beyond the point of simple classification (Wolfe 32). The modern author has the responsibility to define his society and write about things more real than life, more searching and insightful aspects of the world we live in.
Wolfe is asking for a huge endeavor from authors. According to Wolfe, the new novel must include aspects of the city. The city, he believes, is intimately connected to the individual. He also believes that the city defines individuals in the same way they define the city. Wolfe thinks that the novel must reach beyond the scope of the media to find the true moments that define a society. White Noise by Don Delillo would not be considered a new novel by Wolfe. But Delillo does define society in a realistic way. His novel is a report on the signs of the times and the connection between society and the individual.
Commenting on Anna Karenina, Wolfe stated that one cannot move the characters into a modern setting because each was so effected by the society of their day. Though they do not live in a huge metropolis, the Gladneys have all the modern amenities associated with a city. The city has its suburban counterpart in television. The television moves around the house like a family pet, controlling much of the Gladney's attention. Much of the misinformation they spread to each their at dinner is gleaned from the television or radio. At one point Jack is talking to Heinrich about Heinrich's chess partner who is a convict. Heinrich explains that the man was sent to jail for killing six people after hearing voices coming from the television. The man heard the television tell him to "go down in history". Ironically, there is no media in Iron City and the man will never be famous. At first it seems that the man is deranged. The voices coming from the television are the same as those one can hear any time the television is turned on. Fame, fortune, glory and infinite beauty are constantly peddled to the unsuspecting viewer. The convict was only more susceptible to these messages than most. Society is defined by the eleven o'clock news and prime time sitcoms. Delillo writes, "CABLE HEALTH, CABLE WEATHER, CABLE NEWS, CABLE NATURE (Delillo 231)." The "CABLE NATURE" phrase encapsulates the most important part of the statement. Even nature becomes subject to the media as its cables, antennas, and radiation waves trespass into every home. Delillo is saying that reality is becoming defined by the television instead of actual events. The media is effecting individuals on an immediate and basic level. The recognition of this occurrence is an important part of the new novel. Society becomes the opinions of individuals on what they saw on television last night.
This point is makes the novel pertinent to our times and is strengthened by yet another point. Delillo closely looks at the way the modern family is structured. In part, the new structure goes back to media images. What people see happening on television becomes the new standard for conduct. The Gladneys are a group of overmarried parents with a collection of children. The continual divorces and shuttling of children between parents has become acceptable because society has ordained it all right to not take responsibility for one's choices. In the past divorces were frowned upon by the general public but now they are a daily occurrence. Tweedy, one of Jack's many wives, says that Bee, their daughter, is spending time with her father. To this Jack retorts that he is her father. Tweedy replies that Bee is spending time with her present husband (Delillo 85). This passage shows the ease with which people replace what is real with what is seen. The family structure is broken down to the point where familial allegiance is lost. Delillo demonstrates the effect of fear in a broken down family structure. Denise frightens her half sister Steffie that Steffie's mother will kidnap her. Jack replies that this would never happen but Denise insists (Delillo 269). Denise obviously heard some story of the like on the news. The media makes strange thoughts acceptable.
When the family sees Babette on the television teaching one of her classes, all are confused by the lack of sound. Heinrich tries to fix the problem but all become resigned to the fact that no sound is being sent. Jack feels ill at ease seeing Babette without being able to communicate back to her. The scene is almost surreal. The other children watch the screen in disbelief. Wilder, the youngest, has the most natural reaction of all. When the show ends he remains at the set crying. The others either run to meet Babette ate the door or slowly slink away. Wilder does not understand the transience of electronic media. The girls and Heinrich, and even Jack and Murray understand that it was only a mirage. Wilder wants what is real, the embrace of his mother (Delillo 105). The acceptance of an immediate but transient image by society has changed the way people approach each other and interact with the outside world.
Once the city was created, and with it a quicker, easier existence, the simplicity of life was lost. A need for fast access to the city soon cause the development of highways. The highway becomes a metaphor for life during the spill. The Gladneys pile into their car to escape the toxic cloud, only to be caught in a traffic jam. Jack muses," We were a parade of fools, open not only to the effects of chemical fallout but to the scornful judgment of other people (Delillo 121)." The overpass becomes a stage where life is acted out. The wreck on the road and the exposure Jack endures at the gas station symbolize the consequences for those who stray or fall behind the lead of society. At the end of the ride, Jack sits and waits to feel as though he has accomplished something. He finds that he does not feel any better than when he left his home, as though the trip was not worth the trouble (Delillo 128). The overpass is like modern life in that it is an inescapable trip that may not necessarily end well. As the cars inch along, so do the passenger in search for a better future. The close of the book tells of Wilder crossing the overpass on his tricycle. He was probably the only one of the family that could have done it. The overpass held no fear for him because he led a simple and truthful life, full of simple pleasures. He cries once he completes the trip, realizing that life is scary thing. In a way Wilder has conquered the fear of death his parents have by looking it straight in the eye. Wilder, Jack and Babette return to the overpass to watch the spectacular setting sun. Here they accept what life has to offer them and realize that they cannot escape the intrusion of the overpass, the toxic waste, or the white noise of the media in their lives.
Society powerfully influences each person in ways one does not even notice at times. Delillo develops this idea in White Noise. This book weaves the effects of modern society and the truthfulness of real life into its narrative. Delillo has created the new modern novel by representing society for what it is: an all encompassing force upon each individual.
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