The Future Belongs To Crowds: Media in Don DeLillo's Libra, Mao II and White Noise

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• I INTRODUCTION
• II HISTORY AND THEORY OF THE MEDIA
  • 1 MEDIA HISTORY
    • A ORAL VS. LITERATE SOCIETIES
    • B THE GUTENBERG PRINTING PRESS
    • C THE NEWSPAPERS
    • D PHOTOGRAPHY
    • E TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE
    • F THE RADIO
    • G FILM
    • H TELEVISION
  • 2 MEDIA THEORY / SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT
    • A MASS-COMMUNICATION STUDIES IN THE U. S.
    • B THE FRANKFURT ÎNSTITUTE
    • C BRITISH LEAVISISM
    • D MARSHALL MCLUHAN
    • E BRITISH CULTURAL STUDIES OF THE MEDIA
    • F JÜRGEN HABERMAS AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE
    • G JEAN BAUDRILLARD AND THE MASS AUDIENCE
• III THE EXTENSIONS OF MAN: MEDIA AND THE INDIVIDUAL
  • 1 ESTHETICS / ANESTHETICS
    • A IN MAO II: PHOTOGRAPHY
    • B IN WHITE NOISE: TELEVISION
  • 2 REALITY AND PERCEPTION
    • A PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE PAST
    • B PHOTOGRAPHY AND REALITY
      • i IN MAO II
      • ii IN LIBRA
    • C THE RADIO AND REALITY
      • i IN LIBRA
      • ii IN WHITE NOISE
    • D TELEVISION AND REALITY
    • E MEDIATED PERCEPTION
      • i IN LIBRA
      • ii IN WHITE NOISE
  • 3 IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE
    • A IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE IN WHITE NOISE
    • B IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE IN MAO II ...
    • C IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE IN LIBRA
    • D THE NECESSITY OF MEDIATION
      • i TELEVISION NEWS
      • ii THE NECESSITY OF MEDIATION IN LIBRA
      • iii THE NECESSITY OF MEDIATION IN WHITE NOISE
    • E THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE MASS MIND
• IV MEDIA CUlture: The WORLD OF DON DELILLLO'S FICTION
  • 1 MEDIASPEAK
    • A THE PROLIFERATION OF MEDIA VOICES
    • B THE WEATHER
    • C MEDIASPEAK AND MANIPULATION
  • 2 MEDIA, ART AND AURA
    • A WALTER BENJAMIN'S ARTWORK ESSAY
    • B MEDIA, ART AND AURA IN MAO II...
    • C MEDIA, ART AND AURA IN WHITE NOISE
  • 3 THE PUBLIC AND THE PRIVATE SPHERE
• V A STRANGER IN YOUR OWN DYING: MEDIA, DEATH AND MURDER.
  • 1 DEATH AND THE MEDIA IN MAO II…...
  • 2 DEATH AND THE MEDIA IN WHITE NOISE
  • 3 DEATH AND THE MEDIA IN LIBRA

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper examines the portrayal of media in Don DeLillo's novels, aiming to analyze how key concepts in media studies are represented within these works. The primary focus is on the novels themselves, not on the media, as this is a literary, not a communications studies, thesis.

• The influence of media on contemporary life and culture
• The relationship between media and individual identity and experience
• The role of media in shaping perceptions of reality
• The impact of media on art and aesthetics
• The relationship between media and death in DeLillo's novels

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• I INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the topic of the paper, highlighting the importance of media in contemporary society and its significant influence on individuals and cultures. It establishes Don DeLillo as a key figure in exploring the relationship between media and fiction, drawing attention to his unique perspective and his experience in advertising. The chapter emphasizes DeLillo's focus on representing contemporary life and culture through the lens of media.
• II HISTORY AND THEORY OF THE MEDIA: This section provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of media, from oral societies to the rise of electronic communication. It also introduces key theoretical frameworks for understanding the impact of media, including Mass-Communication Studies, the Frankfurt School, British Leavisism, Marshall McLuhan, British Cultural Studies of the Media, Jürgen Habermas and the Public Sphere, and Jean Baudrillard's analysis of the mass audience. This section sets the theoretical foundation for analyzing how DeLillo's novels engage with these historical and theoretical perspectives on media.
• III THE EXTENSIONS OF MAN: MEDIA AND THE INDIVIDUAL: This chapter delves into the interplay between media and the individual, exploring how media shapes perceptions of reality, influences identity and experience, and impacts the relationship between the individual and the collective. It examines specific examples from DeLillo's novels, such as the role of photography in Mao II, television in White Noise, and radio in Libra, demonstrating the multifaceted influence of media on individual lives. This section analyzes how DeLillo's novels explore the transformative power of media in shaping individual understanding and interaction with the world.
• IV MEDIA CUlture: The WORLD OF DON DELILLLO'S FICTION: This chapter examines the media-saturated world of DeLillo's fiction, focusing on the concept of "mediaspeak" and its implications for communication, manipulation, and the construction of meaning. It also explores the relationship between media, art, and the concept of "aura," drawing on Walter Benjamin's influential essay on the artwork. This section delves into how DeLillo's novels depict the pervasive presence of media in contemporary culture and its impact on artistic expression.
• V A STRANGER IN YOUR OWN DYING: MEDIA, DEATH AND MURDER.: This chapter explores the complex relationship between media, death, and murder in DeLillo's novels. It examines how media shapes perceptions of death, influences public responses to tragedy, and contributes to the blurring of lines between reality and mediated representations. This section analyzes how DeLillo's novels confront the unsettling reality of media's role in shaping public understanding of death and its significance in contemporary society.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main focus of this paper lies in the intersection of contemporary American literature and media studies, exploring the representation of media in Don DeLillo's novels. Key topics include the history and theory of media, the influence of media on individual perception and experience, the concept of mediaspeak, and the relationship between media and death.