Immortality

In White Noise there is an underlying theme of death that the main character and narrator is obsessed with. Jack Gladney as we are informed often asks himself "Who will die first?". But with this obsession with death comes with an obsession of something else entirely.

This theme of "modern" death appears throughout the text. The book takes place, from what we can infer, sometime in the mid 80s. This is the Cold War period in American history--the red scare is rampant, Chernobyl has recently happened and Apple has come out with new and innovative technology--it is the period of newer, more modern ways to die.

If we consider the "modern" death than we must also consider the "modern" immortality. Jack Gladney wishes he was immortal--not in a sparkly un-dead kind of way--but rather he wishes to be remembered. His legacy begins with changing his name for academic texts to J. A. K. Gladney believing that the extra initial gives him something special, something more to be remembered by. When he is teaching he wears academic robes and dark glasses, giving himself an aura. We remember auras. We remember details like someone's "signature" clothing. In this way Jack immortalizes himself.

When Babette is reading the tabloids to the old people during the Airborne Toxic Event, we see more Jack's obsession with becoming "immortal". The stories she's reading all appeal to Jack's obsession. "Life After Death Guaranteed with Bonus Coupons" and "The ghost of Elvis Presley...", "The spirit of Lyndon B Johnson...", "From beyond the grave, dead living legend John Wayne..." are the titles that Jack pays attention to (139-141).

Jack's obsessions with death and with immortality are invariably intertwined in this novel. His fear of death could be considered more a fear of being forgotten--of not having his legacy to live on.