White Noise (Don DeLillo)

In the world today, it can be difficult to differentiate between real and artificial. Nowadays, for every genuine thing, there are about a million replicas serving as synthetic substitutions. In the novel "White Noise," DeLillo points out this relationship between appearance and reality through the example of Jack. While Jack has an unhealthy fear of death, he seeks ways to distract and escape from the inevitable. He creates a persona through the wearing of his academic robes and use of glasses. He even changes his name to sound more credible and professional.  However, Jack remains aware this is merely a fasade and not reality. He even decides to learn German in order to maintain the appearance and reputation he has created for himself.

On the other hand, Murray tends to act as if there is no difference between appearance and substance. When discussing the most photographed barn in America, Murray states, "No one sees the barn... Once you've seen the signs about the barn, it becomes impossible to see the barn," (DeLillo 5). Here Murray is discussing that it does not matter if the barn is real or not, for its authenticity comes from the aura created around it. When someone reads the sign announcing the significance, peoples views become skewed for they are made aware of the importance. Every time a person photographs the barn, the aura and energy around the barn is sustained; making the landmark relevant due to the number of people who have captured and maintained the aura surrounding it.

The idea of reality comes into play when considering simulation. With the airborne toxic event, the people are influenced by the media which produces symptoms such as déjà vu. When Jack is told that he has been exposed, despite a lack of real evidence or way to test the theory, he believes he is infected and death is inevitable for him. Then as SIMUVAC begins running simulations centered around actual disasters, it becomes difficult to discern the actual reality from a pretend run-through. It seems DeLillo includes these examples as commentary on the modern-day ability to replicate, especially with advancements in technology.

In addition, referring back to what Murray calls the "aura,"--we discussed in class the idea of artwork and replication. Does an exact replica hold the same aura as the original? If people were told an artificial duplication of a piece was in fact the original, would someone be able to discern the truth? At the end of the novel it says, "Only the generic food is where it was, white packages plainly labeled," (DeLillo 148). I found this sentence curious. My mom has always bought the generic brand of everything, assuring us kids that it was exactly the same as name brand (although I assure you Stars and Marshmallows is NOT the same as Lucky Charms). When considering replication and aura it comes into effect here as well--appearance can create a false sense of aura. However, just as Jack creates a persona for himself that may seem real, like Stars and Marshmallows... it's only a matter of time before the false aura fades and the reality of the situation remains.