The Invasion of Consumerism into the lives of a Post-Modern Family Consumerism is taking place everywhere. Whether we like it or not, it has cometo invade our everyday modern lives. Steven Miles, a lecturer in sociology at theUniversity of Plymouth says “How we consume, why we consume, and the parameterslaid down for us within which we consume have become increasingly significantinfluences on how we construct our everyday lives” (1). Consumerism has even gotten tothe point of affecting the way we go about living and controlling our personal and sociallives (Miles 5). Wherever we go and whatever we do, consumerism is praised as theanswer to all of our problems, an escape from some of the harsh realities of our lives. Don DeLillo’s White Noise depicts the different aspects of consumerism and theeffects it has post-modern family that it invades. That specific family is the Gladney’sfrom Blacksmith. For the Gladney family, Jack, Babette, Heinrich, Steffie, Denise, andWilder, consumerism is a way of life. It is something they are always taking part in, evenif it is unconsciously. Consumerism is incorporated in with virtually every activity thefamily takes part in, whether it be eating out, spending a day together at the shoppingmall, or making a quick stop at the supermarket. Jack Gladney is a patron of supermarkets and shopping malls (McInerney 36). Jack alone, but more frequently with the company of one or more family members,makes trips to the supermarket. The supermarket has come to be a major point ofintersection in today’s culture (Conroy 97). Among the busy and bustling crowds ofpeople, Jack often runs into acquaintances, most commonly a colleague from TheCollege on The Hill, Murray Jay Siskind: The two girls and Babette, Wilder and I went to thesupermarket. Minutes after we entered, we ran intoMurray. This was the fourth or fifth time I’d seen him in the supermarket, which was roughl...
