Jack Gladney Characteristics

The figure of Adolf Hitler takes on a prominent role in Dan DeLillo’s White Noise, by providing evidence of certain aspects of Jack Gladney’s character and psyche. The core personality trait that Jack has is an incredible and overwhelming fear of death. He also has an obsession with people having set and concrete identities, which leads to his development of the Professor J.A.K. Gladney persona. Jack is interested in Hitler more for his impact (however terrible) on the world, consequential legacy, and incredibly dynamic personality, than as an actual person. He relies on his identity as the founder of Hitler Studies in order to cope with his insecurities and fear of death, because he finds comfort in Hitler’s seeming triumph over death. The myth attached to Hitler goes beyond the reality of his historical life. The death and destruction he caused led to him being recognized as one of the most despised and dreaded figures in recent history. Despite, or perhaps because of his name being linked so closely with the death of millions, his reputation survived his death intact. In Jack’s eyes, Hitler has achieved immortality, and become “larger than death” (274). This immortality is what Jack craves, although he conceals his craving behind the persona of J.A.K. Gladney.
Murray believes that in the world, there are two kinds of people. Killers take lives, in order to attempt to defeat death and gain strength, while diers accept the fact that they will cease to exist and die peacefully. By slaying others, killers gain “life credit” (277) and buy time from death. Using this line of thinking, Hitler represents the ultimate killer. Through the millions of deaths he caused, he gained a life that went beyond the grave. Although this conversation was purely intellectual, it reveals the primal human fascination with