1. Jack Gladney: The narrator of the novel who lives in a town known as Blacksmith. Jack is chairman of a Hitler studies department at College-on-the-Hill. He “invented Hitler studies in North America in 1968” (4). Jack is married to Babette, his fourth wife. They live together with four children from previous marriages. Jack has another character known as JAK Gladney "who must be taken seriously as a Hitler innovator" (16). As a professor of Hitler studies, Jack maintains a dignified image when he wears “his academic gown and dark glasses” (32). Jack, like many Americans, is bombarded by the media and the ideals of consumerism. He is obsessed with his fear of death, which is further influenced by the airborne toxic event. Jack is deeply in love with Babette and finds great comfort in their relationship.2. Babette Gladney: Jack's wife, described by her physique as "tall and quite ample" (5), is the mother of Denise and Wilder. She takes care of her husband and children. Babette can be described as a rock with her robust and reassuring character that has a “carefree dignity” (5). Babette teaches an adult education class and is a volunteer who reads to the blind. She reads to Old Man Treadwell, an elderly man, once a week (5). Babette also has a fear of death that she keeps to herself and does not tell Jack about it. She takes part in an experimental drug trial to find a cure for her fear of death. The treatment causes side effects of memory loss that frequently affect Babette.3. Murray Jay Siskind: guest lecturer from New York who teaches a course on living icons (10). It talks about the deterioration and destruction of American pop culture. At College-on-the-Hill, Murray wants to create a dedicated department...... middle of paper ......Why did the author write this work? What does he want us to take with us after reading it? Don Delillo wrote White Noise to show the harmful effects of consumerism and media bombardment on our daily lives. He shows how this causes characters to mix reality and illusions and desensitizes them to what is truly real. For example, SIMUVAC simulations which are replays of a disaster that has actually already occurred or the effects of the Dylar pill which blur what is actually happening with sounds making it difficult to distinguish between the two. The book is also written with flashes of noise and superfluous facts and data, mimicking the way the media and television bombard us with unnecessary information today. This novel reminds us of the effects of our changing culture due to technology, media and consumerism and encourages readers to be vigilant..