One thing that I thought was really interesting in Don Delillo’s “White Noise” is the fact that there is an entire university department dedicated to studying Adolf Hitler. This raises Hitler and his terror to an almost revered level- in fact an argument be made that he was DEFINITELY revered by Jack. There are multiple passages where Jack is talking about Hitler in a respectful, almost loving manner. While the adage “know your enemy” applies, I think this might be a little much.
I also think there is a really interesting parallel being made between Jack and his dedication to Hitler, and Murray and his attempt to create an Elvis department. This further trivializes the atrocities in World War II and is an excellent illustration of the mash-ups discussed in class. In what other universe would Adolf Hitler and Elvis Presley so linked? How did Delillo forge this connection? It really has stood out in my mind for awhile, and I’ve been sick so I don’t know if this was discussed in class or not, but it makes me wonder what message he is portraying about American culture. Frankly, I can’t see the reason for the comparison, but I feel like there has to be one for Delillo to feel like its worth bringing up.