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400983

Hysterical Realism in DeLillo's White Noise and Cosmopolis Death Phobia, Hypochondria, and Religious Revival

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Last updated: 05 Jan 2025

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Abstract

The present study aims at proving that the novels of Don DeLillo (1936) belong to the 
genre of hysterical realism. In White Noise (1985) and Cosmopolis (2003), DeLillo 
highlights the repercussions of modernism and postmodernism in the American society, and 
which eventually lead to diminish the spiritual aspect of religion, and magnify materialistic 
values represented by scientific, technological and medical advances. Hysterical realism in 
White Noise and Cosmopolis is mainly incarnated in the characters' desperate and absurd 
attempts to escape their fear of death and to adhere to the mundane life. The study critically 
tackles the characteristics of hysterical realism, and the common features in the two novels. 
Two important findings of the study are: DeLillo's severe criticism of the chaotic skeptic 
world created by embracing postmodern ideals; and DeLillo's implied invitation for the 
Americans to revive the role of religion in their life, so as to act as a spiritual remedy for the 
evils of the modernist-postmodern world.

DOI

10.21608/logos.2011.400983

Authors

First Name

Nader

Last Name

Helmy

MiddleName

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Affiliation

Cairo University

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Orcid

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Volume

7

Article Issue

7

Related Issue

52542

Issue Date

2011-12-01

Receive Date

2024-12-29

Publish Date

2011-12-01

Page Start

1

Page End

37

Print ISSN

2090-3391

Online ISSN

2735-5829

Link

https://logos.journals.ekb.eg/article_400983.html

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https://logos.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=400983

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13

Type

المقالة الأصلية

Type Code

1,728

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

لوجوس

Publication Link

https://logos.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Hysterical Realism in DeLillo's White Noise and Cosmopolis Death Phobia, Hypochondria, and Religious Revival

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Article

Created At

30 Dec 2024