Death Anxiety in Don DeLillo’s White Noise

Abstract

Death is everywhere in White Noise. The title itself gives the reader clear idea that the novel presented something unpleasant, white is associated with and noise is something irritating. Throughout the novel the fear of death surrounded the main character. The fear of death lies at the centre of White Noise. Everything in the novel from the Hitler to the supermarket, from the air borne toxic event to the white noise of the novels title circle back to human beings’ primal, deep seated fear of dying. DeLillo’s novel details how modern life attempts to push this fear out of sight, and yet, as in the character of Jack Gladney, the fear continues to resurface and fills with dread.