4。 The Technology—A Pivotal Factor in Spiritual Crisis 7

4。1 The Trigger of the Crisis 7

4。1。1 “Dylarama" Farce 7

4。1。2 The Airborne Toxic Event 7

5。 Conclusion 8

5。1 Summary of the Thesis 8

5。2 Limitation of the Thesis 8

References 9

1。 Introduction

1。1 Research Background

Along with the development of economy in postmodern times, people’s demands are no longer confined to material aspects。 Accordingly, their pursuit of the satisfaction of spiritual needs are also on the rise。 Any failures to achieve the two goals would affect the functioning of mentality and lead to mental disorders, of which the equivalent in the literature is the term called spiritual crisis。 Described as a form of grieving or loss, spiritual crisis is characterized by constant questioning of the meaning in life and thus leads to a significant alteration in the way life is viewed。 Possible causes for spiritual crisis can be from every sphere of life and its potential consequences may include physical and mental responses。                 

In the year of 1985, Don DeLillo (1936-now), one of the greatest contemporary American novelist, published White Noise。 Set at a bucolic Midwestern college known as The-College-on-the-Hill, White Noise follows a year in the life of Jack Gladney, a professor who has made his name by pioneering the field of Hitler studies and who has been married five times to four women and has reared a brood of children (Heinrich, Denise, Steffie, Wilder) with his current wife, Babette。 This novel consists of three parts。 The first part of White Noise, called "Waves and Radiation," is a chronicle of contemporary family life combined with academic satire。There is little plot development in this first section, which mainly serves as an introduction to the characters and themes and portrays a picture of American post-modern consumer society replete with grotesque and gaudy。来自优Y尔L论W文Q网wWw.YouERw.com 加QQ7520~18766

In the second part, "The Airborne Toxic Event,” is a chemical spill from a rail car which releases a black noxious cloud over Jack's home region, prompting an evacuation and directly bringing character in the novel into a series of trance condition。

In part three of the book, "Dylarama," Gladney discovers that his wife Babette has been cheating on him in order to gain access to a fictional drug called Dylar, an experimental treatment for the terror of death。 The novel becomes a meditation on modern society's fear of death and its obsession with technological cures。 However, Dylar does not work for Babette, and it has many possible side effects。 Hooked by his colleague Murray, Jack decides to test Murray's theory by tracking down and planning to kill the man who had given Dylar to Babette in exchange for sex。 After a black comedy scene of Jack driving and rehearsing, in his head, several ways in which their encounter might proceed, he successfully locates and shoots the drug-pusher, Willie Mink, who at that time is in a delirious state caused by his own Dylar addiction。 

Take a closer look at this novel, we can easily find some similarities between the scene of postmodern America in the eighties and situation of present times, such as the prevalence of consumer culture and the ubiquity of the mass media and the more advanced science and technology。 Thus, through analyzing the causes of spiritual crisis, we can have more reflection on the present and take precautions to prevent White Noise’s Tragedy from happening again。