White Noise: Part One Discussion Questions

1. How did the elderly siblings end up at the mall?

2. What's the deal with Adele?

3. Why is Jack comfortable with death in the classroom but not outside?

4. What made Wilder start and stop crying?

5. Why is the family so fascinated by the plane crash?

Act Three: A Collective Bloglet

Scene One:

1. Scene one opens with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern reporting back to Claudius and Gertrude after attempting to spy on Hamlet. Polonius still believes Hamlet is mad with love for his daughter Ophelia and devises a plan to prove it. Claudius and Polonius will hide while Ophelia is strategically reading her book where they know Hamlet will come. They will observe Hamlet’s actions to determine if love for Ophelia truly is the cause of his insanity. Hamlet walks into the room and does not notice Ophelia at first; he recites the famous “To be, or not to be” soliloquy. Ophelia and Hamlet begin to talk and Ophelia gives back “remembrances of his.” Hamlet becomes angry, denying giving her anything and ever loving her. He urges Ophelia to “get thee to a nunnery.” He again expresses his dislike for mankind and the dishonesty of women. Claudius, having seen this, realizes love has not caused Hamlet’s madness. Claudius fears Hamlet’s insanity may be dangerous for him and plots to send Hamlet to England. Polonius still believes Hamlet is mad with love and organizes another opportunity to spy on Hamlet this time involving Gertrude.  

3. Why does Polonius insist that Hamlet is mad with love for Ophelia? Why does Claudius wish to send Hamlet to England? Does Claudius feel threatened by Hamlet? Why would Hamlet deny his love for Ophelia?

5. Act one, scene three contains the famous “to be, or not to be” soliloquy. It is the most well known in the play, but I do not think it is the best one. For me, Hamlet’s first soliloquy is by far the best one we have encountered thus far in the play. Maybe it was the actor’s delivery in the movie, but I enjoyed it much more than “to be, or not to be.” I found the first soliloquy full of great lines like, “Tis an unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely.” No lines really stuck out to me in act three’s soliloquy.

Scene Three:

1.      In this scene, Claudius is badly shaken by the play Hamlet has put on and immediately wants him sent to England. Claudius is beginning to feel guilty for murdering his brother. He begins to pray, asking for forgiveness. However, he stops mid-prayer realizing he cannot possibly repent when he still will not give up what he has gained from the murdering Hamlet’s father. He is still king, and he is still married to Gertrude. Hamlet has slipped into the room silently with a dagger, plotting to kill Claudius. As he prepares to seek his revenge, Hamlet suddenly realizes he does not want to kill Claudius while he is praying, for his sole with go straight to heaven. He wants Claudius to suffer just like Claudius made his father suffer. Hamlet believes his father is in purgatory because he was unable to repent his sins before he died. Hamlet decides to murder Claudius when he is being lustful or drunk ensuring he will go straight to hell.

3.   Did Hamlet’s play cause Claudius to feel guilty? Does Claudius plan have Hamlet killed in England? How is it ironic that Hamlet did not kill Claudius because he thought he was praying?

4.   I enjoyed Hamlet’s line toward the end of scene three. He states: “When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed, at game a-swearing, or about some act that has no relish of salvation in’t – then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven, and that his soul may be as damned and black as hell, whereto it goes.” This line demonstrates Hamlet’s true hatred of Claudius. He wants to make Claudius suffer has his father did. It also reestablishes Hamlet’s intense disapproval of Gertrude’s marriage to Claudius. He often mentions then sinful incestuous bed which they share.

White Noise Responces

Why do people seem to like Hitler so much? (Aquaman)

I am not sure if the people love Hitler himself so much as they find him and his policies interesting to study. The book goes into very little detail about what is actually studied in the program. As Jack puts it, they are studying “Hitler’s life and work.” Perhaps they are hoping to gain knowledge to prevent things like the Holocaust and World War II in general from happening again. It is rather strange though that a whole department of study is devoted to a man responsible for the deaths of millions of people. I also find it unusual that the idea of Hitler studies was so readily accepted and successful.

Is Jack truly happy with his not-so-pleasant looking wife newest wife? (Quarter Rose)

I believe Jack is truly happy and in love. Babette’s imperfections almost prove that. There is nothing special and outstanding about her look (except her wild hair) proving their love is not superficial. Jack shares everything with Babette as he did with his other wives, but his connection with her seems deeper than this connection with previous spouses.  Jack says “Babette and I have turned our lives completely for each other’s thoughtful regard, turned them in the moonlight in our pale hands, spoken deep into the night about fathers and mothers, childhood, friendships, awakenings, old loves, old fears (except fear of death). It is this sentence that makes me believe their love is more special. Jack also claims “no detail is left out, not even a dog with ticks.” This last sentence confirmed my previous thoughts.  

Why is Jack obsessed with the idea of death, and what does it add to the novel? (Weaboo)

Both Jack and Babette are frightened of death. It consumes their thoughts though they avoid discussing it. This somewhat irrational fear is the only thing the couple does not discuss. Jack explains how they talk about “mothers and fathers, childhood, friendships, awakenings, old loves, [and] old fears (except fear of death). The reappearance of question “who will die first” suggests that Jack is constantly thinking about death. Perhaps this fear will control Babette’s and his actions. Babette is unable to handle death and injury as she was nearly inconsolable when her mother died and Jack’s daughter broke her arm. Assuming Jack reacts in a similar way, this fear of death could negatively affect the whole family.  

White Noise: Chapters One through Twelve

Chapter One: How did Jack develop Hitler studies? What does Hitler studies entail? 

Chapter Three:
Why does Murrary find "The Most Photographed Barn in America" so interesting? Or rather the people at the barn.

Chapter Five:
I've noticed numerous short sentences in this chapter and throughout the book concerning the murmer of mechanical things and technology. For instance, "Blue jeans tumbled in the dreyer." What is the significance of these seemingly random sentences?

Chapter Seven:
Babette and Jack go through old family photo albums at the end of this chapter, and Jack begins to reflect on life. He finishes the chapter wondering "who will die first?" Why are Jack and Babette so concerned about dying and how does their fear affect the novel?

Chapter Nine:
The elementry school is evacuated due to children getting "headaches and eye irritations, tasting metals in their mouths." Does this event foreshadow more troubles to come?

Chapter Eleven:
Why is Babette suffering memory loss? Is it in any connection with medical problems that caused the evacuation of the elementry school?

Act Two, Scene One Bloglet

1. In this scene, Ophelia describes to Polonius a disturbing interaction she had with Hamlet. Hamlet just grabbed her but did not speak. Polonius is convinced that the cause of Hamlet's insanity is his mad love for Ophelia. Polonius believes Hamlet has gone mad after Ophelia stopped seeing him. He rushes off to tell the king.

2. Ophelia's line describing her interaction with Hamlet is important to scene one.

"He seemed to find his way without his eyes, for out o' doors he went without their helps, and to the last bended their light on me."

It seems to me that his line is what convinces Polonius that Hamlet is mad with love. It demonstrates both Hamlet's insanity as well as his love for Ophelia. Because Polonius is convinced of this, he goes to tell the king. The king's reaction to this will set the course for several events later on in the play.

3. Why would Hamlet behave so strangely toward Ophelia? Is it all part of his "antic disposition?" Or is he truly insane? How will the king react to Polonius's claims?

Bloglet: Act One, Scene Five

2. The line "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder," is very significant in scene five. It changes the future events of the play. Hamlet's father's ghost revealed this information and wants to Hamlet to seek revenge. From this point on, I believe that this revenge scheme will dictate Hamlet's actions for the rest of the play and cause his inevitable death.

3. Why can Hamlet only hear the ghost? Because Hamlet is the only one to hear the ghost does that mean maybe the ghost is not real? Perhaps the ghost is just a figment of his imagination?

5. The ghost bothers me. Though others can see it, Hamlet is the only one to hear it. It makes me worry that maybe Hamlet is just imagining things. The ghost is possibly just a manifestation of his thoughts andn suspicions.

Bloglet: Act One, Scene Three

1. In this scene, both Ophelia's father and brother try to convince her to break up with Hamlet. Laertes tells her that Hamlet will have to marry someone of a higher social standing. Her father Polonius demands her to break it off with him. Ophelia, though in love with Hamlet, says she "shall obey, my lord."

2.Ophelia's final line, "I shall obey, my lord," is of major significance to scene three. This line foreshadows a future conflict in the play. If Ophelia did not make this promise, it could completely change the course of the play.

3. Why are Polonius and Laertes so adamant about Ophelia breaking up with Hamlet? Why did Ophelia agree to do this? Why do her father and brother not have faith that Hamlet will treat Ophelia well?