Consumerist Culture And Morality In Don Delillo’s White Noise: A Modernist Analysis Through Jean Baudrillard's Theory

Abstract

The paper attempts to investigate the depiction of consumerist culture and its close relationship with mortality concerning White Noise by Don DeLillo. Through the employment of a post-modernist lens and Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality, simulation as well as simulacrum, an attempt will be made to explore how the character’s perception of reality, as well as death, are shaped throughout the novel. The present exploration will deal with the intricacies of current trends and their subsequent impacts on modern man while dealing with the uprising consumer culture through the integration of Baudrillard’s theory. Also, the struggles of the characters will be examined in terms of their construction of reality in the face of excessive symbols and unchecked repetition of simulacra. The character’s disorientated view of reality blurs the line between what is real and otherwise thereby creating the ultimate hyper-real existence. Notable events for instance the airborne toxic event and the most photographed barn in America will be analyzed to highlight the pervasiveness of simulacra, producing a community that struggles with the notions of existence and mortality The paper will highlight the modern man’s fixation on excessive consumption by the investigation of notable themes, characters as well as the writing technique present within the novel.