Dislocation of Technology in Don DeLillo’ s The Silence: A Novel

Abstract

This article examines the dislocation of technology in Don DeLillo’s The Silence: A Novel and argues that technology is rooted in postmodern culture and has clutched characters into its paws. The Silence: A Novel narrates the collapse of the current digital world to highlight the complex and challenging realities of the postmodern world. The digital apocalypse becomes a pivoting point of this study. The characters are the product of technological culture, and their actions depend upon the medium of technology. Furthermore, the invasion of technology into all aspects of life via the creation of numerous mirrors, such as digital equipment, leads to hyperreality. The only way to get out of this hyperreality is—the dislocation of technology from life, as DeLillo has experimented by shunning all digital connections. The purpose of doing digital silence is to bring humanity back and insert a sense of realisation among the future generation. DeLillo’s creation of digital silence is an investigation of the dislocation of technology, which reflects the victimization of hyperreality. The digitally rich culture does absorb the individual self and pretends that everything is in the hands; in actuality—it is only the product of successive simulations. It contends; technology should displace human life to overcome hyperreality, but if dislocation happens in technology, the absurdities will step into its shoes. So, to regain everything or to get out of the simulation, people should look behind the mirrors of illusionary windows and perceive the reality behind hyperreal. DeLillo has done the same via the creation of digital silence, in other words, the dislocation of technology from the world as per this study.