Glory And Shadow:A Comparative Study Of The Theme Of "Death" In White Noise And Last Orders

As a reoccurring literary theme, death, which encompasses a reflection on humanity and the meaning of life, has drawn a great deal of attention of writers. In the second half of the20th Century, American writer Don DeLillo and British writer Graham Swift chose the same theme:death. They are the authors of White Noise and Last Orders respectively. These two novels critically describe and analyze various social problems at that time. Moreover, Don DeLillo and Graham Swift express their understanding of death and life.Based on the previous studies, this thesis begins with an interpretation of the common theme of death, aiming at comparing the differences through detailed textual analysis. This thesis is composed of three chapters. In the first chapter, differences between the two novels in terms of the description of death can be summarized in the following three aspects:attitudes, ways of resistance and final results. The second chapter explores in detail how these differences between the two novels are manifested with respect to external and internal factors, which are the relationship between human beings, natural world and technology, social class distinction and beliefs from a historical point of view. The third chapter makes a comprehensive analysis of the similarities shared by the two novels that shape the views on life and death. They are disasters, superstition and parenthood.Although death is the common theme of these two works, these two writers are more likely to discuss the meaning and the purpose of life by describing death, because a better understanding of death leads to a clearer view on life. White Noise depicts the disturbing threats brought by high-technology and the spiritual barrenness in American society, while Last Orders envisions the rejuvenation of Britain by revisiting the history. Therefore, when writers from the same period of time dealing with the same theme, the differences in social environment will affect their writing style and form. Consequently, guided by the theme of death, DeLillo and Swift express their personal understanding of current social problems through different writing styles and forms.