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From all above, it can see the main theme of the novel is death. On the other hand, with the arrival of science and technology, the novel reveals the contemporary American life and their fear of death. No matter what themes to talk about, they all reveal the life of contemporary American society.
II. The Fear of Death in White Noise
In White Noise, “death” is the highest frequency word. Characters in this novel do not refuse to talk about death, on contrary, they talk a lot. But it does not mean that they do not fear the death. In fact they are afraid of death. Jack and his wife Babette discuss the question “who will die first” everyday. That question comes up from time to time, just like asking where the car keys are. While for Babette, the fear of death is also always haunting her. “Sometimes it sweeps over me;” she said. “Sometimes it insinuates itself into my mind, little by little. I try to talk to it. Not now, Death.” In addition to Jack and Babette, several other characters in White Noise exhibit their fear of death. Children in White Noise also have fear of death, too. Babette’s youngest son Wilder, a toddler who is just two years old show his fear of death in a deferent way.
2.1 Jack’s Spirit Performance and Rebellion
One night, Jack is wondering what death is like, then he supposes it to be a swan pe, graceful, white-winged and smooth. Another night, Jack wakes from a nightmare finding that he can not defenseless against his own racking fears. Sometimes when Jack wakes up in the midnight, he will connect the odd number in the clock with the death. Jack wanted to die first because he is accustomed to everything with Babette, so his life would be incomplete without her. Besides, Jack often woke from the nightmare, he felt fear and suffering, and however, he could not control and overcome it. “Death is odd-numbered. That’s what the Sikh told me. The holy man in Iron City.” The fear of death existed in Jack’s mind, just like the nightmare. After he had known that Dylar can cure the fear of death, he stopped at nothing to get it.
In White Noise, Jack was a famous professor of Hitler studies in the department. Jack becomes known for innovating Hitler on and off campus. The college also becomes famous internationally. Hitler is a notorious figure who caused disaster to mankind in history. In White Noise, “Hitler” is also very influential though not in a same way. It becomes the exclusive property of Jack. Just as what is said in White Noise, Gladney’s Hitler has established a wonderful thing with Hitler. It is him who created it, nurtured it, and made it his own. Hitler belongs to the property of Professor Jack.
But as a Hitler scholar, he knows very little about Germany. Behind this ridiculous phenomenon, it reveals Jack regarded the Hitler study as a way to escape the fear of death. Just as what is said in White Noise. “As the most prominent figure in Hitler studies, I had tried to conceal the fact that I did not know German. I could not speak or read it. The least of my colleagues knew some German; the others were either fluent in the language. No one could major in Hitler studies without a minimum of one year of German at the College. In a short, I was living on the edge of vast shame”(12;ch.3).
From above selection, it can find that Jack regarded Hitler Jack as a way to escape from his fear of death. He wanted to get some power from the Hitler studies, and he thought Hitler could help him become strong and away from death.