Image Study: Jack Gladney's Academic Robe, "The Most Photographed Barn in America", Rain, and Car Crashes in the Snow

"The Rev. Benjamin Jowett." Cartoon. Postaprint: Antique Maps and Prints. Web. 9 Apr. 2011. <http://www.antiquemapsandprints.com/p-10033.jpg>.

    Throughout White Noise, Jack Gladney places emphasis on the academic robe he must wear as a professor. He likes "clearing [his] arm from the folds of the garment to look at [his] watch...because the simple act of checking the time is transformed by this flourish" (DeLillo 9). The robe is not only a dignifying garment for Jack Gladney, but a protective cover that gives him a sense of control. When talking to a SIMUVAC agent about whether he was harmed by his exposure to Nyodene D, Jack Gladney "wanted [his] academic gown..." when faced with the possibility of early death (DeLillo 142). Like a child yearning for their blanket or stuffed animal, Jack wanted his academic robe, because it gives him confidence and authority. 

Clow, Jeff. The Most Photographed Barn in America. Photograph. Flickr. 28 Aug. 2006. Web. 9 Apr. 2011. <http://farm1.static.flickr.com/92/243836982_c3025b2bd5.jpg>.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         
    "The Most Photographed Barn in America", however seemingly insignificant, makes a philosophical statement. Dozens of tourists are taking pictures of the barn, but Murray notes, "no one sees the barn...once you've seen the signs about the barn, it becomes impossible to see the barn" (DeLillo 12). This conclusion suggests that the photographers aren't capturing the barn, but the idea that it is the most photographed barn. The barn loses it's significance when it's significance is pointed out. Murray also says, "We're not here to capture an image, we're here to maintain one. Every photograph reinforces the aura....We only see what the others see" (DeLillo 12). Jack Gladney and Murray Siskind's visit to "The Most Photographed Barn in America" corresponds with one of the important themes in White Noise: conformity.

Photograph. Cars for Keeps. Cars for Keeps, 6 Apr. 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2011. <http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/images/2008/09/09/wipers.jpg>.

 

 

 

      
    Rain is an image in the novel that serves as a discussion topic between Jack Gladney and his son, Heinrich. The real discussion is rooted in the difference between actuality and illusion. When Jack tries to reason with his obstinate son that it is indeed raining, Heinrich responds, "You're so sure that's rain. How do you know it's not sulfuric acid from factories across the river? How do you know it's not fallout from a war in China? You want an answer here and now...How do I know that what you call rain is really rain? What is rain anyway?" Heinrich struggles with a very complex metaphysical matter. Is human perception of reality real? Heinrich declares that one is never completely sure of anything.

Reed, Judy. Photograph. The Post. The Post, Dec. 2009. Web. 9 Apr. 2011. <http://cedarspringspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/N-Accident11.jpg>.

    When Jack Gladney asks Alfonse Stompanato, a chairman at the college, why "decent, well-meaning and responsible people find themselves intrigued by catastrophe", Stompanato responds, "Only a catastrophe gets our attention. We want them, we need them, we depend on them" (DeLillo 65-66). This theory is proven when a car skids off the road during the evacuation. Heinrich is especially fascinated by the scene. Jack observes that "[Heinrich] was practically giddy...Did he seek distraction from his own small miseries in some violent and overwhelming event? His voice betrayed a craving for terrible things" (DeLillo 123). This exemplifies human's nature to be attracted to calamity. The description of Heinrich's reaction is very extreme, as he grew "giddy" from seeing a terrible accident. However, Jack Gladney says that even "decent" people are "intrigued by catastrophe".