Obsessed with Success

            Jack does not only have a fear of dying but a fear of dying without becoming successful first. He wants approval from everyone in his life which he believes he will get from his success. He wears big glasses and fancy clothes to work to impress his coworkers and students. He also tries to sound smarter than Heinrich to impress him. This is especially shown in one passage of the book in chapter seventeen “In a huge hardware store at the mall I saw Eric Massingale…the human buzz of some vivid and happy transaction (82-84). In the passage, Jack and his family are at the mall when they run into one of Jack’s coworkers, Eric Massingale. Jack feels somewhat threatened and uncomfortable around him without his glasses and fancy clothing. After leaving him, Jack coincidentally gains an urge to shop. “Babette and the kids followed…puzzled but excited” (83) shows the reader how rare this must be for Jack. Delillo describes how many stores they walk into, how many ridiculous requests Jack makes, and how many unnecessary items he buys “the more money I spent, the less important it seemed” (84). He is obsessed with people’s approval of him which is shown through his extravagant shopping.