White Noise

by Don DeLillo

My students say, ‘Look at the crushed bodies, the severed limbs. What kind of innocence is this?’ ” “What do you say to that?” “I tell them they can’t think of a car crash in a movie as a violent act. It’s a celebration. A reaffirmation of traditional values and beliefs. I connect car crashes to holidays like Thanksgiving and the Fourth. We don’t mourn the dead or rejoice in miracles. These are days of secular optimism, of self-celebration. We will improve, prosper, perfect ourselves. Watch any car crash in any American movie. It is a high-spirited moment like old-fashioned stunt flying, walking on wings. The people who stage these crashes are able to capture a lightheartedness, a carefree enjoyment that car crashes in foreign movies can never approach.” “Look past the violence.” “Exactly. Look past the violence, Jack. There is a wonderful brimming spirit of innocence and fun.”