Study Of The Mid-don Delillo Novel, The Theme Of Death

Don DeLillo ranks among the most prolific and the most influential contemporary writers in America. Since 1960, he has published 13 novels, 4 plays, several short stories and essays. The subjects of his works are extensive, involving the American society, history, politics, economy, science and technology and environment, etc. Some of his works are even concerned with international subjects. Most of his works focus on American society and life in the post-industrial period, especially the influence of mass media, consumerism and ideology upon human behavior, thought, feelings and psychology. Therefore, DeLillo's works have gained favorable comments from the critics. The theme of "death", which underlies DeLillo's three novels, Names, White Noise, and Libra, is analyzed in this dissertation. The concept of death should be defined first, which not only refers to the end of the individual life, but also includes the threat of unbalanced natural ecosystem to human existence, the phenomena of social "death", the helplessness and fear toward death in human consciousness under the overwhelming pressure, plotting death, the use of violence and efforts made by human beings in order to get rid of death and the fear of death. In this dissertation, the origins of DeLillo's outlook on death will be traced at first in order to find out the causes of death in these three novels. Then the reaction of different characters when they are facing death and the limitations of their behavior will be analyzed. Finally, by following DeLillo's train of thought, further inquiry into the existential problems of human beings will be made from the perspective of ecosystem.