What is intertextuality, and how does Don DeLillo employ it in White Noise?

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Multiple Choice

What is intertextuality, and how does Don DeLillo employ it in White Noise?

Intertextuality is the practice of embedding references to other texts and media within a work to generate meaning through conversation with those texts. Don DeLillo uses this in White Noise by saturating the narrative with ads, radio broadcasts, TV snippets, and scholarly discourse, so the world of the novel feels permeated by what we encounter in contemporary media and consumer culture. This layering invites readers to see how everyday life is shaped by advertising, mass communication, and theoretical talk, turning consumer objects and media signals into texture for the story rather than mere background. The effect is a pointed critique: meaning, identity, and even fear are mediated, amplified, or distorted by the constant flow of messages surrounding the characters.

Intertextuality is the practice of embedding references to other texts and media within a work to generate meaning through conversation with those texts. Don DeLillo uses this in White Noise by saturating the narrative with ads, radio broadcasts, TV snippets, and scholarly discourse, so the world of the novel feels permeated by what we encounter in contemporary media and consumer culture. This layering invites readers to see how everyday life is shaped by advertising, mass communication, and theoretical talk, turning consumer objects and media signals into texture for the story rather than mere background. The effect is a pointed critique: meaning, identity, and even fear are mediated, amplified, or distorted by the constant flow of messages surrounding the characters.

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