The Gladney Family
Jack Gladney - Jack narrates White Noise, and works at the College-on-the-Hill as the chairman of the Hitler studies department. Jack resides in the college town of Blacksmith with his current wife Babette, and four of his children from previous marriages. Throughout the novel, Jack worries about being inadequate, and constantly tries to do more to become more impressive. Jack also has a fear of death, which begins to border on an obsession. He becomes particularly worried when he is notified that he has been exposed to a toxic substance. Jack’s worries are only increased when the media around him keeps outputting health and safety warnings. Jack is very dependent on Babette’s strength to maintain his sanity, but this is challenged when he learns about Babette’s secrets.
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Babette - Babette is Jack’s fourth wife. Babette is the mother of Wilder and Denise. Babette is often portrayed as strong-willed but deep down inside Babette is actually insecure about herself. Babette also fears death, but both her's and Jack’s sakes, she tries to keep a strong façade. Babette is very secretive of her fears, and she starts an experimental drug regimen to help her anxiety issues. Her secrets come to light when the drug causes her symptoms of poor memory and evasive behavior. |
Heinrich - Heinrich is Jack’s fourteen year old son, from a previous marriage. Heinrich is strange; he does not have ordinary teenage interests, and has a strained relationship with his father. Heinrich is obsessed with death and other morbid topics, and likes to share this particular knowledge, even if others are not interested. Heinrich’s German name is a tribute to Jack’s founding of the Hitler studies department in the same year as Heinrich’s birth. |
Denise - Denise is Babette's eleven year old daughter, from a previous marriage with Bob Pardee. Denise is very bossy and is very concerned about Babette's health. She is the first character to take note of Babette's memory issues. Denise is also the first person to discover Babette's supply of Dylar. |
College-on-the-Hill
Murray Jay Siskind - Murray is a coworker of Jack at the College-on-the-Hill. Murray studies and teaches American culture. He mostly focuses on Elvis, like how Jack focuses on Hitler. Murray and Jack have several curious encounters in a grocery store.
Alfonse Stompanato - At the College-on-the-Hill, Alfonse is the chairman of the American enviornments department. Alfonse is very similar to Murray in his smart and biting attitude.
Winnie Richards - A colleague that works with Jack at the college. She moves around the college very sneakily, as she is impossible to find. She helps Jack with figuring out the composition of the Dylar pill and the discovery of the identity of Willie Mink.
Dimitros Cotsakis - Dimitros is another professor. He has a large physique, and used to work as a bodyguard. Dimitros competes with Murray in Elvis studies. Dimitros later dies by drowning, thus allowing Murray to take over the Elvis innovation.
Alfonse Stompanato - At the College-on-the-Hill, Alfonse is the chairman of the American enviornments department. Alfonse is very similar to Murray in his smart and biting attitude.
Winnie Richards - A colleague that works with Jack at the college. She moves around the college very sneakily, as she is impossible to find. She helps Jack with figuring out the composition of the Dylar pill and the discovery of the identity of Willie Mink.
Dimitros Cotsakis - Dimitros is another professor. He has a large physique, and used to work as a bodyguard. Dimitros competes with Murray in Elvis studies. Dimitros later dies by drowning, thus allowing Murray to take over the Elvis innovation.
Other Lovers
Tweedy Bonner - Tweedy is one of Jack's ex-wives. She is the mother to Bee. She visits Jack, and admits that her new husband's career as an operative and his requirement to live abroad concern her.
Dana Breedlove - Dana is one of Jack's ex-wives. She is the mother to Steffie. Dana works for the CIA. Jack claims that Dana has a meddling attitude, and got him in trouble several times.
Janet Savory - Janet is one of Jack's ex-wives. She is the mother to Heinrich. Janet lives in an ashram and is called Mother Devi. She previously worked as a currency analyst for a group of theorists.
Willie Mink - Willie is the creator of Dylar. He puts an ad in a magazine to attracts customers as potential test subjects for the drug, including Babette. He and Babette have an affair, making him the target of Jack's rage and outlash.
Bob Pardee - Bob is Babette's ex-husband. Bob is the father to Denise. Bob is a very American husband, and is very impressive to Babette, despite their separation. Jack grows uncomfortable when he sees Babette compare all of her marriages to her marriage with Bob.
Dana Breedlove - Dana is one of Jack's ex-wives. She is the mother to Steffie. Dana works for the CIA. Jack claims that Dana has a meddling attitude, and got him in trouble several times.
Janet Savory - Janet is one of Jack's ex-wives. She is the mother to Heinrich. Janet lives in an ashram and is called Mother Devi. She previously worked as a currency analyst for a group of theorists.
Willie Mink - Willie is the creator of Dylar. He puts an ad in a magazine to attracts customers as potential test subjects for the drug, including Babette. He and Babette have an affair, making him the target of Jack's rage and outlash.
Bob Pardee - Bob is Babette's ex-husband. Bob is the father to Denise. Bob is a very American husband, and is very impressive to Babette, despite their separation. Jack grows uncomfortable when he sees Babette compare all of her marriages to her marriage with Bob.
Miscellaneous
Orest Mercator - Orest is one of Heinrich's older friends from school. Orest has committed himself to breaking the record of sitting in a cage with poisonous snakes. When asked by Jack, Orest claims that he has no fear of death. This concept fascinates Jack, since Jack is immensely fearful of death. Orest's attempt at the record fails later on.
Vernon Dickey - Vernon is Babette's father. He can be described as a "manly" man. Vernon is also seemingly not afraid of dying. Together, these traits intimidate Jack, and give him feelings of inadequacy. One night, Vernon visits the Gladney family unannounced, and stays with the family. His stay is not completely harmonious, but for the most part, Vernon gets along with the whole family. Before Vernon leaves, he gives Jack a handgun.
Tommy Roy Foster - Tommy Roy Foster is a convicted and imprisoned murderer. Heinrich maintains contact with Tommy, and plays chess with him through the mail. Heinrich seems to admire Tommy, and explains Tommy's thinking to Jack. Tommy wanted to be famous for something, and decided to murder several unimportant people. After being imprisoned, Tommy tells Heinrich that it would have been a better idea to assassinate one famous person.
The Treadwells - The Treadwells are Old Man Treadwell, an old, blind man, and his sister, Gladys Treadwell. One day, Bob Pardee drives Babette to Mr. Treadwell's home to read him tabloids, but Babette cannot find Mr. Treadwell. Old Man Treadwell and Gladys Treadwell have disappeared. After several days, police find the Treadwells inside of a shopping mall, stranded in a closed kiosk and scavenging for scraps. Jack notes that the two were overcome by their helplessness.
Lasher - One of the New York émigrés that Jack and Murray meet in the lunchroom at Centenary Hall.
Vernon Dickey - Vernon is Babette's father. He can be described as a "manly" man. Vernon is also seemingly not afraid of dying. Together, these traits intimidate Jack, and give him feelings of inadequacy. One night, Vernon visits the Gladney family unannounced, and stays with the family. His stay is not completely harmonious, but for the most part, Vernon gets along with the whole family. Before Vernon leaves, he gives Jack a handgun.
Tommy Roy Foster - Tommy Roy Foster is a convicted and imprisoned murderer. Heinrich maintains contact with Tommy, and plays chess with him through the mail. Heinrich seems to admire Tommy, and explains Tommy's thinking to Jack. Tommy wanted to be famous for something, and decided to murder several unimportant people. After being imprisoned, Tommy tells Heinrich that it would have been a better idea to assassinate one famous person.
The Treadwells - The Treadwells are Old Man Treadwell, an old, blind man, and his sister, Gladys Treadwell. One day, Bob Pardee drives Babette to Mr. Treadwell's home to read him tabloids, but Babette cannot find Mr. Treadwell. Old Man Treadwell and Gladys Treadwell have disappeared. After several days, police find the Treadwells inside of a shopping mall, stranded in a closed kiosk and scavenging for scraps. Jack notes that the two were overcome by their helplessness.
Lasher - One of the New York émigrés that Jack and Murray meet in the lunchroom at Centenary Hall.