Response to White Noise First Reading Discussion Questions

Chapter eleven question from She Said She Said: Why is Babette suffering memory loss? Is it in any connection with medical problems that caused the evacuation of the elementary school?

It could be from medications she is taken. It seems as though Denise is pretty worried about medication Babette is taking and Denise does read her medical book a lot. I actually think that the problem with the elementary school is what is causing her forgetfulness. There must be radiation or chemicals or something that are causing problems with people in the school and the radiation or chemicals or whatever it is could be spreading through Blacksmith. I think other people in the town will start to suffer because of the mysterious thing that is causing problems at the school as the story goes on.

Chapter 1 question from Fettucini Alfredo:

Why does DeLillo use long, extensive lists with uncommon items to describe the college students and their arrival?

The list of items shows the shallowness and materialism of the young people of the world of the story. The sports equipment and music and things are held in a place of great importance by the students. The lists are long, showing that they need many worldly things in order to be happy; at least they think they do. They also have drugs and birth control pills showing their lack of morals. DeLillo is commenting on the young people of the real world trying to convey the message that they are too materialistic and shallow and lack morals just like the young people in the story.

Chapter 4 question from Quarter Rose:

Why would any mother in their right mind force their children to spend their Friday night free-time watching television that upsetted them?

Babette just wants to make sure the kids turn out right and that the family is strongly bonded and feels that having the whole family sits down together to watch TV on Friday nights will make the bond between the family members stronger and therefore make sure the children develop well emotionally. She probably chooses Friday nights because they are not school nights and maybe also because the shows on Friday nights are better than those on Saturday nights. She looking out for the kids’ best interests and the family’s best interests, not trying to crush her children’s’ social lives even though she probably is doing a good amount of damage to these. She is just naïve to kids’ normal desire to hang out with friends on Friday nights.