The Infiltration of Popular Culture in DeLillos White Noise Essay

The Infiltration of Popular Culture in DeLillos White Noise In Don DeLillos satirical novel White Noise, we become introduce with what we might call a postmodern family - a group of people loosely bound together by birth, marriage, and common residence. But as we keep up this family, we notice that the bonds between them are strained at best, and that their lives have been taken over by some insidious new force. This force is popular gardening. For punter or worse, pop agriculture has infiltrated the lives of our fictional family just as it has the lives of real human beings. DeLillos purpose in the book is best illuminated by Heinrichs gloss after the airborne toxic event The real issue is the kind of radiation that surrounds us every day. In other words, DeLillo states that popular culture is downfall - or, perhaps, has ruined - us all. We must first unpack what DeLillo, speaking through Heinrich, means by this statement. First, we notice that culture of some sort is important to a societys well-being - in fact, some would argue that a group of people does not form a civilized society unless they have culture. Now, high culture - the culture espoused by the ruling classes, such as theater, classical music, and the like - is usually delivered live. No radiation is required. In contrast, low or popular culture is generally transmitted by radiation - the television or the radio. Steffies Toyota Celica episode (154-155) is an example of this, as are the symptoms of the airborne toxic event that continually castrate in accordance with the radio. Furthermore, the fear of death figures prominently in the novel, and this is parallel to the obsession with youth. Many have blamed the American obsession with youth (e... ...ized by an obsession with the messages delivered by the radio. All the characters change the name that they use to refer to the event when the radio announcer does - a feathery plume (111), a billowing demoralize (114), and finally an airborne toxic event (117). But this is solitary(prenominal) nomenclature. More telling is the fact that the girls symptoms - actual objects with physical manifestations - constantly change with the radio reports. We discipline that Heinrich told her Denise she was showing outdated symptoms (117). How can symptoms be outdated? The only solution is that we really have become media lemmings, ruled by the suggestion of beings who exist only in radiation rather than by our own selves. We have become slaves of the media, as DeLillo so vividly illustrates - and we should be terrified. Work CitedDeLillo, Don. White Noise. New York Penguin, 1985.

Freedom and Authoritarianism :: essays research papers

Freedom and tyrannyFreedom and equality are intertwined with one another. Freedom is defined as the custom of being free, political independence, and the willpower of civil rights. When reflecting upon the history of the twentieth century many people all over the world were not afforded the luxury of being natural with freedom or born with equal rights. In most cases, those people were often oppressed or subjugated by various forms of systematic state sponsored authoritarianism and terror. In night club to receive the freedom necessary to survive and the equality required to live a happy and successful life the oppressed people had to abridge action. frequently quantify the action took on various forms such as, revolts or nonviolent campaigns. Because the governments reliance on authoritarianism and terror to control their citizens, often times revolts and/or nonviolent campaigns were the consequence. Therefore, any advances towards gaining freedom and equality cannot happen without some form of systematic state-sponsored authoritarianism and terror taking place first. It is no junction because the twain phenomena are linked.As mentioned before, any gains toward freedom and equality coexist with authoritarianism and terror master(prenominal)tained by the government. Emma Goldman, an anarchist, speaks of freedom, in Victims of Morality, but believes that trust is the main factor hindering the growth of that freedom. Goldman uses the term morality when referencing religion. Goldman believes that morality is paralyzing to the minds and hearts of the people. She also believes that morality pounds people to become conformists during the process of reasoning and the completion of chance(a) tasks, by ignoring their true inner thoughts and feelings. Therefore, Goldman believes that morality restricts peoples happiness and freedom by shutting out love, light, and joy from the lives of innumerable victims. As a result, Goldman does not believe that morali ty allow for help eradicate the ills of society. Goldmans views involving religion and freedom differ from those of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s views involving that homogeneous topic.In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail, his belief was that any gains toward freedom and equality could not happen without the use of Gods will and the influence of Christian values. Dr. King Jr. believed that Christianity and his faith in God would help eradicate the many injustices in society. A guiding force in Dr. King Jr.s nonviolent protest were the principles dear to the Christian faith, in which, the need to fight injustices against people was on of them.Freedom and Authoritarianism essays research papers Freedom and AuthoritarianismFreedom and equality are intertwined with one another. Freedom is defined as the custom of being free, political independence, and the possession of civil rights. When reflecting upon the history of the twentieth century many people all over the world were not afforded the luxury of being born with freedom or born with equal rights. In most cases, those people were often oppressed or subjugated by various forms of systematic state sponsored authoritarianism and terror. In order to receive the freedom necessary to survive and the equality required to live a happy and successful life the oppressed people had to take action. Often times the action took on various forms such as, revolts or nonviolent campaigns. Because the governments reliance on authoritarianism and terror to control their citizens, often times revolts and/or nonviolent campaigns were the consequence. Therefore, any advances towards gaining freedom and equality cannot happen without some form of systematic state-sponsored authoritarianism and terror taking place first. It is no coincidence because the two phenomena are linked.As mentioned before, any gains toward freedom and equality coexist with authoritarianism and terror maintained by the government. Em ma Goldman, an anarchist, speaks of freedom, in Victims of Morality, but believes that religion is the main factor hindering the growth of that freedom. Goldman uses the term morality when referencing religion. Goldman believes that morality is paralyzing to the minds and hearts of the people. She also believes that morality forces people to become conformists during the process of reasoning and the completion of daily tasks, by ignoring their true inner thoughts and feelings. Therefore, Goldman believes that morality restricts peoples happiness and freedom by shutting out love, light, and joy from the lives of innumerable victims. As a result, Goldman does not believe that morality will help eradicate the ills of society. Goldmans views involving religion and freedom differ from those of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s views involving that same topic.In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail, his belief was that any gains toward freedom and equality could not happen wi thout the use of Gods will and the influence of Christian values. Dr. King Jr. believed that Christianity and his faith in God would help eradicate the many injustices in society. A guiding force in Dr. King Jr.s nonviolent protest were the principles dear to the Christian faith, in which, the need to fight injustices against people was on of them.

Becoming A Soldier :: essays research papers

Becoming a soldierThe clock was ringing so loudly, it was like he was rattling screaming at me. I reached my deliberate and slapped it. I did not want the night to be over already. I knew that this morning would be very keen-sighted and grueling, the morning that I have been postponement for in a great fear for several months. It was the morning I was drafted to the army.In Israel, every boy and female child who reaches eighteen have to join the army. It is authorisation and it is for a minimum of three geezerhood for boys and a year and eight months for girls. During the eleventh and twelfth grade you go through several classification processes, in which the army determines where will everyone serve. The process of classification includes several tests, some of them be physical and others are in maths and Hebrew. So on the day you are drafted you suppose to cognise where you are vent to serve and what you are going to do, at least for the first few months of your service .For me the experience of joining the army at the age of eighteen was very difficult. I felt that these are my best years but instead of taking advantage of them I am going to the army. In other countries, when a person reaches eighteen he is usually going to college and "start his life". I on the other hand, was about to do one of the most demanding mission a man can do.I postponed my recruiting day as long as I could in order to travel and enjoy as much as I could in that time. I knew that I was going to be a fighter and give up the restroom of being home everyday, eat home made food, go out with friends, sleep in my bed. Instead I would sleep in a inhabit or lie on the ground on a stake out, eat bad food, and get to know new people. All that was hard for me to subscribe to at the age of 18.To my parents I was the third child to go into the army. My older brother, who was also a fighter, was released two years before I got drafted. And my sister, who served in the li ght corps, was released only four months before. We all woke up that morning like we did the past two times.Becoming A soldier essays research papers Becoming a soldierThe clock was ringing so loudly, it was like he was actually screaming at me. I reached my hand and slapped it. I did not want the night to be over already. I knew that this morning would be very long and grueling, the morning that I have been waiting for in a great fear for several months. It was the morning I was drafted to the army.In Israel, every boy and girl who reaches eighteen have to join the army. It is mandatory and it is for a minimum of three years for boys and a year and eight months for girls. During the eleventh and twelfth grade you go through several classification processes, in which the army determines where will everyone serve. The process of classification includes several tests, some of them are physical and others are in math and Hebrew. So on the day you are drafted you suppose to know wher e you are going to serve and what you are going to do, at least for the first few months of your service.For me the experience of joining the army at the age of eighteen was very difficult. I felt that these are my best years but instead of taking advantage of them I am going to the army. In other countries, when a person reaches eighteen he is usually going to college and "start his life". I on the other hand, was about to do one of the most demanding mission a man can do.I postponed my recruiting day as long as I could in order to travel and enjoy as much as I could in that time. I knew that I was going to be a fighter and give up the convenience of being home everyday, eat home made food, go out with friends, sleep in my bed. Instead I would sleep in a tent or lie on the ground on a stake out, eat bad food, and get to know new people. All that was hard for me to accept at the age of 18.To my parents I was the third child to go into the army. My older brother, who was also a fighter, was released two years before I got drafted. And my sister, who served in the intelligence corps, was released only four months before. We all woke up that morning like we did the past two times.