There are many similarities and differences within the introductions of Don DeLillo’s White Noise and Lucifer’s Hammer. While both are novels about some sort of disaster, they take a very different approach when introducing their characters and setting the scenes for the stories. Lucifer’s Hammer had several main characters that are rapidly introduced from the very first page of the book, whereas in White Noise we are eased into the life of the main character and narrator and slowly introduced to the other prominent characters. For me, this gave White Noise a much more personal feel, as though I was getting to know the characters on a deeper level. I also think that the main character acting as the narrator gives White Noise a different feel than Lucifer’s Hammer, in which there is no true main character.
One main difference that I noticed between the two novels was their portrayal of women. I felt that in Lucifer’s Hammer the women were portrayed as being attached to the men, constantly feeding off of them for status, particularly at the party at the Sutters’ home in the introduction of the novel. The women in Lucifer’s Hammer, for the most part, are displayed clingy and obsessed with status, whereas in White Noise they are portrayed very differently. We are immediately introduced to Jack’s wife, Babette, as someone who is independent, strong and unique. Even more so, we get the sense that Jack loves her and needs her, something we do not get often from the men in Lucifer’s Hammer. Even the children in White Noise are portrayed as individuals with very strong opinions who are constantly challenging their parents, never afraid to share their opinion. It seems that there is a theme of dependency in Lucifer’s Hammer, whereas in White Noise there may be a theme of independency.