Consumerism in DeLillo's White Noise
An Overview of the Theme of Materialism in Modern American Fiction
Dec 3, 2008
Don DeLillo's White Noise can be categorised as a 'blank fiction' novel. This style of literature tends to focus on the disaffection and dissatisfaction of contemporary life in a material driven society, and the extreme behaviours that this creates.
The novel shows what it means to live in a capitalist society. To consume is to be a part of America. The immediate realisation of this is through the importance placed on the supermarket. The supermarket is a smaller version of the ‘real’ world, the items on the shelves represent all aspects of American society. The items symbolise their culture. Not only are there a huge range of different products, but different versions of the same product. The price differences on the same products can be seen as highlighting the different classes in society; a person can choose how much they want to spend on an item depending on their budget.
A Shared Experience
Murray is fascinated by the low-price items that the supermarket offers and is entranced by their no-fuss, simple white packaging. The descriptions of the supermarket show the awe-inspiring and dazzling hold that it has over its customers. It is designed to appeal to the senses and it works in mesmerising its shoppers. The Gladney family visit the supermarket together and this turns it into a memorable event for them, a shared experience that binds them together. The buying of necessary items is less important than the visit itself. The supermarket is the arena in which they solve their problems, "In the supermarket, paying vivid attention to one another, the Gladneys tackle problems, renew affections and commitments, and orchestrate change", as explained by Young and Caveney in 'Shopping in Space'.
Supermarket Religion
A noticeable role of the supermarket is that for many it takes the place of religion. It is a routine, weekly event where the family may see other people that they know doing the same as them. This replacement of religion shows how consumerism has become more important than religious beliefs. Murray observes the supermarket and says "This place recharges us spiritually, it prepares us, it’s a gateway or a pathway. Look how bright. It’s full of psychic data."
Another shopping experience shows the same behaviour. In the department store we see an example of shopping for shopping’s sake. The spending of money rather than the goods purchased creates the family’s feelings of power. We are not told what Jack buys and he has no structure to his shopping, instead he looks at "merchandise I had no intention of buying, then buying it". The more he spends, the more his self-importance grows. "I traded money for goods. The more money I spent, the less important it seemed. I was bigger than these sums. These sums poured off my skin like so much rain. These sums infact came back to me in the form of existential credit". Jack spends to gain a form of fulfilment. In an essay titled 'Whole Families Shopping at Night!' in New Essays on White Noise, Ferraro writes that "By shopping with his family, he becomes one with his family".
Christmas
Jack’s children help him make decisions on what he should buy and he listens to them. He tells them to choose their Christmas presents even though it is only September. The early purchase of gifts for Christmas ofcourse offers us another interpretation of materialism. The consumerist element is in the idea of Christmas being only an event where people can receive belongings. He says "I gestured in what I felt was an expansive manner. I could tell they were impressed". This event helps give him both a sense of belonging and attachment to his family, but also the authority that he has in the gift giving by ‘impressing’ them.
This theme of materialism is ultimately represented as negative. Although DeLillo's consumerism brings the family together, it does so in a way that leaves them feeling empty. Shopping is used as a substitute for happiness.
Book used: DeLillo, Don. White Noise, 1999, Picador, 326 pages. (isbn: 0-330-29108-4)
