View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the name of the psychic the police used to help them find Mr. Treadwell?

2. Who is Bee's father?

3. What dominates in the film Jack shows?

4. What is the name of the town where this novel is set?

5. With whom does Mr. Treadwell live?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Jack, why does Bee make the family feel self-conscious?

2. Why did Babette want to see "station-wagon" day?

3. Why is the chair of the department of American environments (the pop-culture department) opposed to Murray's establishment of Elvis studies?

4. What kind of exercise does Babette do? Does Jack join in?

5. Why did Jack name Heinrich Heinrich?

6. Why does Jack think the Treadwells did not ask for help when they were lost?

7. Why does Bee say that the people who crash landed went through a bad experience for nothing?

8. Describe the scene that opens the novel, in terms of setting, action and narration.

9. Why do they bring Wilder to the doctor in Chapter 16?

10. Jack opens up Chapter 20 by listing various people's deaths and talking about how they died. Name one of them, and describe why you think Jack is listing them.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Image is important on television, as well as in this novel. Describe how these characters create and project persona and identities that may not be entirely their own. Students should write an analysis of the issue of image and manufactured image in terms of at least one major character (such as Jack, Babette or Murray) and at least one minor character (Howard Waldrop, Winnie Richards, Willie Minks, etc.).

Essay Topic 2

To these characters, experiences are validated by external recognition, especially media recognition. While this fixation on television and radio is tied to pop-culture consumerism, it is also a thematic fixation of this novel. Discuss why DeLillo called this book "White Noise". Be sure to include your interpretation of this phrase literally and symbolically, as well as any examples of its use in the text itself. How does it relate to the themes of the text? Is it a good title?

Essay Topic 3

Considering the first two Books of the novel, analyze the way DeLillo uses feelings of non-chalance and calm to characterize the Gladney family. Offer textual examples of how they behave during hectic, stressful, or chaotic situations and explain the fictional techniques (especially dialogue and setting) that help the author achieve this characterization.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 910 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample